In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, a multitude of scenes contain similar structure, but each impacts the play differently. Set during the 1400s in Verona, Italy, two feuding houses, the Capulets and Montagues, continue their dispute while the heirs of each family covertly fall in love. Ultimately, Romeo and Juliet both commit suicide when an elaborate plan for them to remain together fails, leading to the reconciliation of their families. As the story unfolds, it transforms from a comedy to a tragedy. Though certain events reflect previous scenes, minor alterations cause later scenes to have much greater impacts. Throughout Romeo and Juliet, the playwright crafts scenes that mirror each other to convey that although moments in life
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In both, Juliet awaits word from Romeo, which is to be brought by the Nurse. Similar to the earlier scene, the Nurse’s avoidance and lack of clarity create severe confusion for Juliet and lead her to believe that Romeo has been killed by Tybalt, her cousin, for upon her arrival, the Nurse states that “he’s gone, he’s killed, he’s dead” (3.2.44) without specifying to whom she is referring. The Nurse’s later references to how “Tybalt [is] the best friend [she] had” (3.2.67) continues to perplex the youngest Capulet, and though the Nurse’s communication issues also confound Juliet in the former scene, it is only a minor amount compared to in this scene. By the end, however, Juliet’s mood has dropped from merely confused and worried to despairing and hopeless when she learns that her lover has been exiled for murdering Tybalt. Contrasting with the earlier scene where Juliet’s mood became significantly lighter by the end of the scene, she instead becomes distraught, and even questions Romeo for the first and only time. Additionally, the gravity of the Nurse’s news increases significantly: in Act II Scene V, Juliet finds out that she and Romeo will be married, while in Act III Scene II, she learns of her true love’s banishment. When compared to the comedic aspects of the previous scene, this scene’s tragic elements accurately depict the change in tone
In both, Juliet awaits word from Romeo, which is to be brought by the Nurse. Similar to the earlier scene, the Nurse’s avoidance and lack of clarity create severe confusion for Juliet and lead her to believe that Romeo has been killed by Tybalt, her cousin, for upon her arrival, the Nurse states that “he’s gone, he’s killed, he’s dead” (3.2.44) without specifying to whom she is referring. The Nurse’s later references to how “Tybalt [is] the best friend [she] had” (3.2.67) continues to perplex the youngest Capulet, and though the Nurse’s communication issues also confound Juliet in the former scene, it is only a minor amount compared to in this scene. By the end, however, Juliet’s mood has dropped from merely confused and worried to despairing and hopeless when she learns that her lover has been exiled for murdering Tybalt. Contrasting with the earlier scene where Juliet’s mood became significantly lighter by the end of the scene, she instead becomes distraught, and even questions Romeo for the first and only time. Additionally, the gravity of the Nurse’s news increases significantly: in Act II Scene V, Juliet finds out that she and Romeo will be married, while in Act III Scene II, she learns of her true love’s banishment. When compared to the comedic aspects of the previous scene, this scene’s tragic elements accurately depict the change in tone