How does Shakespeare create Sympathy for Juliet in Act 3 Scene 5 Essay Example For Students

How does Shakespeare create Sympathy for Juliet in Act 3 Scene 5? Essay In Romeo and Juliet there is an enormous amount of tragic events which allow the play to be both romantic and tragic. There is also the importance of the audience knowing and feeling sorry for Romeo and Juliet because the play is a tragedy and the involvement of romance heightens our empathy for Romeo and Juliet. Act 3 scene 5 fits in into the tragedy genre perfectly because, in this part of the play Romeo and Juliet first come together (physically) after getting married in the earlier scene, but Romeo has to leave for Mantua, which causes Juliet distress and in the scene Juliet finds out she is promised to Count Paris. All these events are catastrophic for Romeo and Juliets relationship and Juliets love for Romeo. Juliets world is turned upside down; she loses Romeo because he is banished from Verona exactly after their marriage, her nurse wants her to commit bigamy, her mother is not a person to turn to and her father wants to throw her out to the street (Juliet goes from being a girl with everything and then in one scene a girl with nothing). Juliets introduction matters to the audience so they can see her changing in the play. Shakespeare introduces Juliet to the audience first in Act 1 Scene 2 through the conversation between Capulet and Count Paris, when Paris says he is interested in marrying Juliet. Capulet speaks about Juliet saying, My child is yet still a stranger to the world; she hath not seen the change of fourteen years. Here Shakespeare draws the audiences attention to Juliets innocence. Shakespeare also shows how Capulet is reluctant for Juliet to marry at this age, because he knows that get marriage at a young age could cause difficulties for her. But later in the play although Juliet is not older, Capulet changes his opinion and this has a terrible effect on Juliet. This creates sympathy for Juliet because at first she has this caring and understanding father, but later on he is like he monstrous father and focusing her to get marriage and therefore we feel a lot of sympathy for her. Shakespeare creates a connection (a bond) with the audience and Juliet by setting some scenes in the Capulet house (this way we get to know Juliet better; Shakespeare sets various scenes in the Capulet house for example, our first meeting with Juliet was at the Capulet banquet and Juliet bedroom, this practically helps us learn about Juliets family life which plays a huge role on how we respond towards her in this scene and because we know nothing of Romeos family (how they feel about each other) we cant really feel sympathy towards him due to the fact that we know nothing about him. Whereas in Juliets case we do (Shakespeare creates a friendly relationship between the audience and Juliet), we can feel certain ways about her (basically if you dont know someone you cant feel anyway about him; you cant really care about them). Juliet shows an obedient personality (as it is normal for girl of that time) in the previous scenes, when she is questioned by Lady Capulet about marrying Count Paris. Juliet replies obediently it is an honour that I dream not of This shows us that Juliet is very respectful and would do everything told by her parents, this is quiet significant because she becomes disobedient later in the play when told she is promised to Count Paris Shakespeare shows the audience just how strong her love must be to disobey her father and this make us sympathise. Shakespeare shows the audience that Juliet was raised with little bond between her and her mother, Lady Capulet. The fact that Juliet had been breast fed by the Nurse shows how lady Capulet and Juliet have no physical and emotional bond with each other. Owing to this the nurse is closer to Juliet and Juliet later confides in her about her feelings for Romeo. This also allows us to sympathise with Juliet because of not being able to find a best friend within her mother. Act 3 Scene5s opening is set in Juliets bedroom with both the lovers waking up from having consummated their wedding vows. The mood is romantic and calm but at the same time there is a sense of danger flowing in the atmosphere because, Romeo has been banished and is meant to be on his way to Mantua. Instead he is in the enemys daughters bedroom. Despite this Juliet is reluctant to let Romeo leave, wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near day, it was the nightingale and not the lark Juliet tries to encourage Romeo to stay by saying the night bird is singing and not morning bird so Romeo can stay longer. Juliet does this because she knows Romeo has been banished and doesnt know when they will meet again physically. This reminds the audience of Juliets affection for Romeo (she is ignoring reality because she is really love). Dramatic irony is also used to create sympathy for Juliet as in the previous scene (Act 3 scene 4) Capulet agrees for Count Paris to marry Juliet but, Juliet does not know this. The audience will sympathise with Juliet because, they see her in Romeos arms, deeply in love and they know that her joy will soon convert to remorse and sadness. She is already married to Romeo and this will leave her two terrible choices: to either commit adultery or defy her parents and face hell. This is terrible because, women in that time were basically owned by their fathers (if Juliet disobeys her father she will get thrown out of the house she will have no were to go, she doesnt have a choice) or husbands and were expected to do as they were told. tempmagic Magic in Shakespeare's The Tempest Tempe EssayCapulet also says or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither he threatens her and at this point Juliet is likely to feel intimated and over powered. She is becoming more helpless which is also very sympatric.Violent threats are also used to show capulets anger and the threats. There is also the use mimicking this makes capulets language make the audience feel sorry for Juliet because, mimicking a person is making them feel unreasonable and ridiculous. The actor would have also have use gestures, hand and body movement and language i.e. pointing. His tone of voice would be growing louder and louder as he engages in his threats. I believe Capulet is angry with Juliet because, he doesnt understand why she has bcome disobedient and also because in the Elizabethan times it was normal for fathers to arrange marriages for their children. Capulet is also angry with Juliet because he believes he has picked out a wealthy, handsome and good man for Juliet and she is refusing him. Shakespeare explores the theme of parenting with Capulet. Perhaps Shakespeare is suggesting that the Elizabethan times is too forcing, teenagers were not allowed to have a say in what kind of person or who they want to be married to. The nurse reacts carelessly to Juliets cry for help, she gives Juliet careless and bad advice faith, here it is: Romeo is banishà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d -I think it best you married with the County. O, hes a lovely gentleman! Romeos a dish clout to him. An eagle, madam, hath not so green, so quick, so fair an eye as Paris hathyour first is dead, or `twere as good he were, as living here, and you no use of him. Here the nurse shows that she doesnt care that much about Juliet, because if she did she would think about Juliet and not her job and the nurse also insults Romeo Romeos a dishclout to him. However at the same time makes us believe that she says this to also keep her job (because if Juliet is disowned by her parents the nurse will also have to go because her only reason for the job is that she is nursing Juliet).The nurse and Juliet had been very close. Juliet could tell the nurse about Romeo and everything that happened. The nurses behaviour has been much contrasted since the last couple scenes; she is now more selfish than when she was being assistant as she was in Romeo and Juliets marragie arrangements. The lack of support form the nurse also makes the audience sympathise with Juliet because the nurse was the only person Juliet could turn to for help and now that the nurse is not caring anymore Juliet is left alone. Juliet later pleads: O God! O Nurse, how shall this be prevented? My husband is on earth, my faith in heaven. How shall that faith return again to earth Comfort me, counsel me. Alack, alack, that heaven should practice stratagems upon so softHast thou not a word of joy? Some comfort, Nurse? the fact that Juliet calls upon the nurse and God in the same speech showed she had confidence in the nurses power to help her. This makes it all the more upsetting when the nurse offers to support. The relationship between the nurse and Juliet will change due to what Juliet says about the nurse Ancient damnation! O most wicked fiend and also because when Juliet is given a sleeping potion by the Friar Lawrence Juliet doesnt tell the Nurse. Juliet would have told the Nurse things like this before and all this shows that Juliet and the nurse have become distant. Act 3 Scene 5 ends with a soliloquy which is an appropriate way to end the scene because a soliloquy is a dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener. Due to the fact that Juliet is alone and has no one but herself now it makes it a powerful of ending, which emphasiss her loneliness. Juliets last lines gives the audience the thought that she is desperate she says, Ill to the Friar, to know his remedy. If all else fail, myself have power to die. As well as emphasises Juliets loneliness, it reminds us of her tragedy and ultimate end: death. Shakespeare makes Juliet a tragic heroin from this point in the play. She fearlessly takes a potion from Friar Lawrence knowing this could hurt her family emotionally; she lies to Capulet about considering the marriage which she doesnt want to and finally she takes her own life with a dagger when she thinks that Romeo is dead. She is the heroine of the play, a character whom we can empathise with as she fights for her love. The effects of the scene are dramatic, tensions and very tragic the audience would have been involved in this because all theses factors help them understand the delivered messages. Shakespeare has developed Juliets character very successfully by making us feel sympathy for her after getting to know her, see her dilemmas from her point of view and bond with her. Shakespeare achieved all this by making Juliets character moral, philosophical and socially significant.