Premonitions

Before Romeo enters the Capulet house with the _____ his mind warns him that the nights revels
will end in some disaster. In the orchard scene Juliet feels that the rashness of this meeting is illadvised. The Friar fears that the violence of Romeos love will destroy itself when Romeo asks for
immediate marriage. When she is paring from Romeo, Juliet fancies that she sees Romeo dead at the
bottom of a tomb. In her soliloquy before taking the potion she suspects what may be its outcome.
Romeo dreams in ____ that he is dead & that Juliet is kissing him.
Premonitions serve to advise the audience what to expect, throw light on the seriousness of the
speaker & support Fate theme (together with chorus & various references to fate, star-crossed etc.).
yet despite, coincidences & premonitions & fate, the events of the play still depend on the characters
of the people, not on an orbitory fate. It was the natures of Mercutio & Tybalt which caused Romeos
banishment. Still coincidences do weaken play in relation to Shakespeares later tragedies.

Soliloquies
The important soliloquies are:
(i)
Friar Lawrences first speech in which we learn that he is an herbalist, a philosopher and a
church servant. Its length indicates the part he is to play in the drama one of the
importance and it prepares us for Juliets potion. Act II, scene ii.
(ii)
Juliets soliloquy. Act III, scene ii, after her marriage while she is waiting for Romeo. It is
filled with the ecstatic joy of fulfilled love.
(iii) Romeo in the garden and Juliet at her window in the orchard. This prepares for their
mutual surrender and consists of internal thoughts.
(iv) Juliets soliloquy in Act IV, iii, before drinking the potion. This shows a keen imagination
and strong agitation. It is suspenseful, showing her devotion to Romeo, and is a dramatic
prediction of death.
(v)
Romeo in ____, before Balthasars arrival, in which he contrasts happiness and dream
with the shock news.

Contrasts and Dramatic Irony

These are used extensively in the play eg Capulet/Montague; Nurse/Juliet; Mercutio/Benvolio;
Tybalt/Paris/Romeo; scenes of humour/scenes of tragedy; coarse, even crude speech/poetic diction
of imagination; etc. Juliet/her parents; Rosaline/Juliet; hate/love; youth/age; orderly
Prince/disorderly families; Romeo/Mercutio; etc, etc.
Dramatic irony eg Romeos not knowing of proposed marriage of Paris; in Mercutios and Benvolios
ignorance of Romeos new love; in Capulet and the Nurse being unable to see through Juliets veiled
consent to marry Paris; in the preparations for the wedding breakfast; in the meeting of Romeo and
Tybalt when Tybalt doesnt know of the marriage with Juliet in Romeos belief that Juliet is dead; in
Lady Capulets belief that Juliets sadness stems from Tybalts death; in Juliets mistaken initial belief
that Romeo has died in the duel with Tybalt; in Lady Capulets plans to poison Romeo (as Juliet is
soon to take a poison and Romeo ultimately dies of poison); etc.

Stagecraft
The pace of the play is very fast, with the stress on action. This is highlighted by a series of contrasts
(eg Mercutio/Romeo), and a heavy use of dramatic irony. This fast pace prevents the opportunity for
misunderstandings to be cleared up. Many scenes almost, or do in fact, overlap in time. It is the speed
of events both of Capulet and Romeo which helps to create the tragedy.

Establishing Place
Place is established by dialogue, where it is necessary. The Chorus established the setting of Verona,
Sampson and Gregory are obviously in a public place; Act I, iii is clearly Capulets home, conveyed
by Lady Capulet on a stool with embroidery. Stage directions (eg. servants enter with food) show the
place. Often the character prepare the audience by ending a previous scene with a reference to their
destination.

Word Play
The play abounds in puns from the crude collier/choler/collar of Sampson & Gregory (I, i) or
Romeos flies/fly (III, ii) and his jingle of concealed lady cancelled love (III, iii) through the
flippant banter of Romeo & Mercutio (I, iv and II, iv) to significant talk of Mercutios grave man
(III, i). The early punning is primarily for wit and humour but this fades after Mercutios death and
the word-lay of the final act has far more meaning.
There is also humour in some of the ignorant word-play and mistakes of the Nurse as she speaks, us
well as in the dialogue of Musicians and Clowns.