Shakespeare Coursework Essays

Shakespeare Coursework Essays Shakespeare Coursework Essay Shakespeare Coursework Essay My version of Romeo and Juliet is set in Britain in 130 AD. This is just after the Romans have invaded Britain; Hadrians Wall has been built to separate to separate the barbaric Scottish tribes away from the civilised Romans in England. In my story Juliet is the daughter of a Roman soldier, Capulet and Romeo is the son of a leader of one of the Scottish clans, Montague.Role-playThat was the worst party I have ever been to. I cant believe hes done this to me. Actually I cant believe that theyve both done is to me. I mean, its only normal for me to want to kill a Montague, a Montague! Our foe! Why would he not let me? Especially a Montague that dares to come to our party. A barbarian at a Capulet party! What is the world coming to?! All I wanted to do as quickly finish him off. Stab him a couple of times and he would have been dead.Dead! Well, we all know that Romeos no fighter, the weakling! If only I hadnt been near LORD Capulet, he would never have heard me say it and it would all b e over and done with by now. But I was there and he did hear me, how I regret that! Ill never forgive him for humiliating me like that. NEVER! How can HE be the leader of our centurion? HE is the worst leader that we have ever had, as he has proved. I tell you one thing; I will kill Romeo, no matter how long it takes me. I will even kill my uncle to get to get to him. I will KILL Romeo the MONTAGUE.DiscussionIn the first section of Act 1 Scene 5 the main characters are the three servants. They should be frantic and panicked and the atmosphere is very rushed so this helps to set the scene and get the audience involved in the scene. The first servant is very bossy and is very stressed Wheres Potpan that he helps no to take away? He shift a trencher! He scrape a trencher! This should be said very quickly and comically. Then the second servant is quite dumb which the audience finds humorous and thy unwashd too, tis a foul thing. The third servant is very calm and relaxed. The contrast b etween the characters is very funny and makes the audience laugh. The section is set in the kitchen and they are wearing servants costumes. The music playing is the faint echo of the music thats playing in the party sort of bouncing against the wall and the lighting is a bit shady.In the second section the main characters are Capulet and his cousin. When Capulet walks in he is very welcoming and plays the happy host, e is in a party mood and teases the girls into dancing. The atmosphere is very bright and happy and the lighting reflects this. The music is jig-like and very jolly so that the characters can dance. This is set in a huge ballroom that is elaborately decorated to show off Capulets wealth and the costumes are gorgeous dresses for the girls and masks on the young men. But this changes and the audience sees a contrast in his attitude when he talks to the servants as he commands them and speaks to them very rudely. More light, you knaves; and turn the tables up. Then he chan ges again when talking to his cousin and they start to reminisce about their youth. Here, they take a seat in a room next door to ballroom and sit.In the section the main character is Romeo and he has just spotted Juliet. He acts as if hes in a trance is fascinated by her What ladys that which doth enrich the hand of yonder knight. He asks in soft as he is in a daze. He uses similes she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiops ear and metaphors a snowy dove trooping with crows to compare her to other women so that the audience can see that she is amazing and all other girls are insignificant in comparison with her. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight; for I neer saw true beauty till this night shows that he has completely forgotten about Rosaline and is totally in love with Juliet and this is done with the use of rhyme.Shakespeare had introduced the idea of courtly love earlier because Romeo was in love with Rosaline, a girl totally out of his reach h e had put her on a pedestal. She totally ignored his approaches and he was left to despair over her rejections. This section is very important because it is the beginning of their love and their doom. The theme is love. Romeo should stand in the shadows and when he sees her, take of his ask to get a better view of Juliet. Juliet is in the spotlight wearing a white dress that shimmers and reflects of the light as she moves. She notices Romeo and then romantic music starts playing, which will play every time they see each other. This is the instrumental violin music, sort of like whats used in Bahz Lurmans Romeo + Juliet.In the fourth section the main characters are Tybalt and Capulet. Tybalt sees Romeo staring at Juliet and is furious that he dares attend a Capulet part. There is a huge contrast from Romeos soft language to Tybalts fiery and dangerous language. He tries to get rid of Romeo Fetch me my rapier boy he asks in a quiet and menacing voice, wanting t kill Romeo quickly and quietly. Capulet sees him and tries to get him to calm down and stop being in a storm) saying that he would not allow Romeo to be killed here in MY house this gives the impression that Capulet would not care if Romeo was murdered outside of his home.But Tybalt does not like this and loses his temper saying Ill not endure him. Capulet is furious and goes to humiliate Tybalt He shall be endured he says in a stern voice as if talking to a child. Tybalt backs down but Capulet keeps on shouting at him and totally humiliates him. Tybalt is fuming to the point that his flesh trembles which shows that hes so angry that hes shaking. He controls his temper because he has to. In a mean whisper he says This intrusion shall, now seeming sweet, convert to bittrest gall. He uses alliteration to show his contempt and the rhyming makes the words more memorable. This gives a sense of foreboding and the audience and knows that something bad will come of the Tybalt situation. The lighting is dark, mayb e a bit of red and there is just one long ominous note of dread.In this section the main characters are Romeo and Juliet. Juliet searches for Romeo and he searches for her. Romeo finds her and pulls her into the next. Romeo and Juliet share a love sonnet which shows that they are both in love; its almost as if their minds are working together and they are in a world of their own. They seem about to start speaking in another sonnet but are interrupted. Although modern audiences might not notice, audiences in Shakespearian times would have. The lighting is very soft and creates a romantic atmosphere. The music is the same as was in the third section when they first saw each other. Shakespeare uses religious language to show the purity and tenderness of their love. Shakespeare shows that Romeo and Juliets love is not fake and the typical courtly love because she doesnt despise him and they both love each other.The main characters in this section are the Romeo, the Nurse, Benvolio and C apulet. Capulet is standing on the stairs and is about to retire to his chambers so he bids his guests goodnight. Juliet is standing behind him. Capulet is still talking but the sound goes over to Romeo. Romeo is standing with the crowd of people in the shadows. Still enchanted by Juliet wants to know who she is and asks the Nurse. The Nurse, who is a crude character, is very talkative.He that can lay hold of her shall have the chinks she says, giving Romeo a clue that Juliet is rich. It dawns on Romeo who Juliet is and his world comes crashing down Is she a Capulet? The party music stops. He is devastated that one of the best things to have happened to him could also be the worst. Benvolio tries to tell him that its all for the best but hes oblivious. The spotlight goes onto Juliet as she walks upstairs, away from him (even more out of reach).In the final section the music playing is still the romantic music remnant of the fifth section and Juliet wants to find out who Romeo is but she doesnt want to be too obvious. When the nurse returns an tells Juliet who Romeo is the music stops and she is very unhappy. My only love sprung from my only hate! she says with despair. She knows that her father will never marry a Montague, a dreaded enemy. This is how marriage was in those times. The father picked out a man, usually of higher class for his daughter and she had little choice about whether she would marry him. A girl could be married at young ages such as fourteen or fifteen. She goes into her bedroom. The audience is left looking at an empty stage.