How does William Shakespeare create tension Essay Example for Free

How does William Shakespe ar effect tightness EssayFrom the minute the play works the listening are aware that the star crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet are going to die, this makes it clear that the play is a tragedy. A Tragedy is a traditional form of domain where the main characters in the play die as a result of their tragic flaw, for example in the tragedy play Macbeth, Macbeths vaulting ambition leads him to his death. Romeo and Juliets flaw is the powerful love between them and it representation their family relationship has to be secret and this leads to Mercutio being killed by Tybalt and Romeo then killing Tybalt. The consequences of Romeo r til nowging Mercutios death by killing Tybalt means he is banished upon death.When the play was written Romeo and Juliet was already a well known story but the adaptation that William Shakespeare borrowed did not include the love theme William Shakespeare added the love theme into the story. The play Romeo and Juliet was wr itten in 1594, and in this time women particularly were under their parents influence and there was no free choice on who you could marry. puerile Rebellion was unthinkable be font your parents would kick you out and in this time a woman was unable to concentrate a job and with no money it would be hard to find a husband this is why Romeo and Juliets marriage was secret.How a play is structured is an important way of creating tension for the audience like in Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet it introduces the theme of love and hate between the two families Montague and Capulet. There is also a fight between the two familys servants because they hate each other but Tybalt (Capulet) turns up and the fight becomes even boastfullyger than before. The reason Shakespeare kills off Mercutio and Tybalt in Act 3 is that now all the action empennage focus on Romeo and Juliet. In the scene were Mercutio is slain, this point is often looked at as the points were the play becomes a tragedy. If Romeo hadnt avenged Mercutios death the number would have been very different and Romeo and Juliets actions from this point are due to this scene.Having themes run for throughout a play is some other way of creating tension for the audience. This scene (Act3 scene 1) contains the theme of passion, when Benvolio is advising Mercutio to permit the area where the Capulets aregoing to arrive but Mercutio is ready for a fight and is going to persist in no matter what.Benvolio says for now these hot-days is the mad kind stirring. This means that the hot brave has shortened peoples tempers including Mercutios. When Tybalt arrives and Tybalt and Mercutio get moving to fighting. Romeo accidentally gets in the way and Mercutio is struck by Tybalts sword, it is a mortal wound which kills him. As Mercutio is decease he says A plague on both your houses. After Mercutio dies and Romeo kills Tybalt, Romeo starts bellyacheing and this is a passionate cry emphasises the way he is losing the cont rol of his destiny and is subject to fate. This creates tension because the audience know the final outcome from the start.Shakespeare was a master of characterisation, the characters in this scene have been skilfully created previously and act exactly how the audience expect them to, based on their previous behaviour, such as at the party Mercutio is showing off, he is loud full of himself and hot tempered this shows that it is Mercutios nature to fight and not back down. Also Mercutio cannot project Romeos capitulation towards the Capulets and this angers him even more Mercutio also says O calm, dis honourable, vile, submission and this creates tension because Mercutio forces the fight on Tybalt.In a play which would be performed to an audience who could barely read and write, it was important for Shakespeare to include rich metaphors and poetry which would entertain and stimulate them his language is littered with deeper meanings and puns. For example when Benvolio says for now these hot days the mad blood stirring this means that the hot weather has shortened peoples tempers and they are more likely to snap and start a fight, this line adds tension as well because there is going to be a big fight but Mercutios short snappy sentences show that he is ready to fight and it creates tension and expectation to see Tybalt and Mercutio fight.The stage craft is a vital part of the tension in this scene where Shakespeare keeps the weather hot so it gets people irritable. Mercutio is in the mood for a fight because of the weather and he wants to cause tocause trouble. Shakespeare makes Tybalt arrive before Romeo so he has a chance to tangle and mix with Mercutio. Shakespeare single makes the reasons why Romeo wont fight Tybalt to make Mercutio angry about Romeos capitulation towards the Capulet Family.To conclude, I feel that Shakespeare created tension in this scene through Mercutios anger towards Romeos capitulation and his hatred for the Capulet Family. Althou gh if Mercutio had known about Romeo and Juliet his anger would not be so great. I found the play sad because two innocent characters had to die because of their flaw which was the powerful love between them which could not be broken and I also feel that another reason Romeo and Juliet died was the feud between the two families which was ended only when there children had died.