Act+3+Scene+3

**Scene Summary:** With the anger fused death of Mercutio and Tybalt, Romeo rushes to Friar Laurence’s cell for news of his punishment. Friar Laurence informs Romeo that the Prince, rather than have him sentenced to death, has exiled Romeo from the walls of Verona. Romeo cannot believe such punishment as banishment from his home Verona and his love and wife, Juliet, is worst than death, and so, he attempts to stab himself as death is his only freedom. Fortunately, the Friar calms Romeo down, proclaiming that his situation is far from desperate, just as the Nurse enters the cell giving Romeo Juliet’s ring. With a token of Juliet’s love, Romeo calms down and secretly visits Juliet for their honeymoon…
 * Act 3 Scene 3: By Conte:**

**Dramatisation:** Props have been used in this scene, as Romeo grabs a dagger and attempts to kill himself and the Nurse gives a ring to Romeo that belongs to his wife Juliet. There is a lot of stage direction, especially when the Nurse repeatedly knocks on the Cell door to create tension and anxiety to the audience.

**Poetic Devices:** Within the passage, we read and see a lot of Poetic devices used. One, is the use of repetition which creates a lot of tension in the scene e.g. ‘Come forth, come forth’ – Friar Laurence, ‘Stand up, stand up, Stand’ – Friar Laurence, line 90. Two, is the use of Apostrophes that creates a sign of desperation and confusion e.g. “O holy friar, O, tell me, Holy Friar” – Nurse, line 83.

**Setting:** This scene is set in Verona, at night in Friar Laurence’s cell.

**Context Analysis:** William Shakespeare’s time was strictly structured with God situated at the top of the Hierarchy and then the King or Queen being his representative. I think in this passage we see Shakespeare challenging his way of life, as the Friar is playing God yet he is making bad decisions on behalf of Romeo and Juliet. This is being seen as meddling with the chain of being. As to meddle with the Chain of being, is to take fate into your own hands which can cause a fate of negativity. So in Shakespeare’s time, we could possibly see that he was challenging Queen Elizabeth’s reign and her playing Gods representative badly by taking fate into her own hands.

**Character Analysis:** In this passage, we see Romeo clearly as the teenager he is than the man he thinks he is. Threatening to kill himself, Romeo’s maturity has not fully developed, as he would prefer death than banishment. The Nurse, coming in towards the end of the scene, plays a motherly figure, as she is devastated to see Romeo in the same state of mind as Juliet, when Tybalt was pronounced dead. The nurse is also like a messenger on Juliet’s part as she gives Romeo Juliet’s ring and goes back and forth for the two in secret. The Friar at the beginning of this scene seems irritated at Romeo’s excessive sadness. However, when Romeo grabs the dagger, The Friar begins to be more positive, telling Romeo that his love is not dead and he is not dead.

**Themes:** **Youth:** Youth in this scene is a theme as Romeo’s youth clouds his maturity and thinking, making him feel desperate in his situation, therefore, making him grab the dagger and end his life like a coward.

**Exile:** Exile in this scene can be contrasted into two different views. Firstly, exile is about politics in that Romeo killed Tybalt and now must be punished, and secondly, exile is the separation of two lovers, Romeo and Juliet.

**Selfishness:** On interpretation of the text, one could perceive that Romeo is thinking selfishly when being banished and so, takes the dagger to escape all his misery and troubles, without thinking about others.

**Love:** Love, in another interpretation of the text, is the theme that makes Romeo so blinded in his situation. He thinks that being banished from Verona will end his relationship with Juliet and so, he would give his life up so that would never happen.

**Film Adaption:** The film has changed this scene making it less dramatic as Romeo doesn’t attempt to kill himself and a lot of the stage direction and text has been cut out. Also, Balthazar is also with Romeo and the Friar in the cell in the movie.

**Key Quotes:** “There is no world without Verona Walls, But purgatory, torture, hell itself.” –Romeo, line 18. (theme/youth/exile) “Ha, banishment? Be merciful, say ‘death’.” – Romeo, line 13. (Theme/selfishness/youth) “And turned that black word ‘death’ to banishment.” – Friar, line 28. (Friar’s positivity) “Art thou a man? Thy tears are womanish, thy wild acts denote.”- Friar, line 113. (Friar’s irritation with his maturity) “Tybalt would kill thee, but thou slewest Tybalt. There art thou happy.”- Friar, line 141. (Friar’s positivity)