How Does Shakespeare Create a Dramatic Conclusion in Act 5, Scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet?

Previously in Romeo in Juliet we discover that they are from two warring families. Juliet is a Capulet and Romeo is a Montague. They meet fall in love and get married without anyone knowing. Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt kills Romeos best friend,
Mercutio. Romeo then kills Tybalt and gets banished. Juliet’s father then tries to force her to marry Paris so she fakes her death. Romeo hears that Juliet is dead and returns to Verona.

The audience are drawn to the last scene because of the dramatic irony, the audience are aware that Juliet isn’t dead whereas the characters all believe she is dead. ‘To Juliet’s grave,’ this shows that Romeo believes she is dead and is going to visit the tomb. The audience are drawn into it because the words he uses in that line suggest he is going to do something when he gets to Juliet.

The scene is set in the Capulet tomb, also where Tybalt is buried. This adds tension because the time the play is set people were very superstitious and believed in fate, ghosts and spirits. The Pages line ‘I am almost afraid to stand alone, here in the churchyard.’ Adds to the scary atmosphere because he is afraid of what he could find. This is also building up to what happens later in the scene with the idea of death.

Romeos speech to Balthasar is important because Romeo is about to kill himself. ‘If thou, jealous dost return to pry by heaven, I will tear thee joint by joint’ this adds to the fear of this scene as he is threatening Balthasar. This also shows he is about to do something stupid as he doesn’t want anyone there to stop him.

In the first half of Romeos soliloquy there are a lot of question marks these are showing that Romeo doesn’t know what to do, a bit unstable and confused. It is suggesting that he is a bit insecure and mentally unstable.

In the second half of his soliloquy there are less question marks, this is suggesting that he is now sure of what he thinks he has to do and knows that he is going to kill himself and is less unsure. Also the mood is darker and more dramatic this suggests that he is depressed. ‘A dateless bargain to engrossing death.’ This creates a darker more dramatic atmosphere because he is stating that he is going to kill himself to be with Juliet and that he knows it is irreversible. This shows how much Romeo truly loves Juliet as he is willing to die just for the slight chance to be with her again.

In the soliloquy the imagery that is used is the personification of death. ‘Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath’ this quote is saying that Romeo thinks that death has taken Juliet from him. The effect that has on the audience is that it will add to the suspense in the play making them want to read/watch the rest of it.

When the Friar arrives he fears that something bad has happened. This idea is supported with the quote ‘Fear comes upon me, o, much I fear some ill unthrifty thing.’ This shows that he is worried something bad has/will happen. This is also suggesting that he will maybe feel guilty if something did happen as it was his responsibility to get the letter to Romeo and he gave Juliet the poison.

I think that Shakespeare made Juliet stab herself so the ending of the play would be dramatic and to show the bond between her and Romeo. I think that Juliet killed herself partly out of guilt because if she hadn’t faked her death Romeo wouldn’t have killed himself. Even with her reasons I don’t think her actions were believable because it’s a bit over dramatic because even though they were married they hadn’t known each other for a month. ‘What's here? a cup, closed in my true love's hand?’ On the other hand Shakespeare makes it seem as though they are destined to be together dead or alive ‘a pair of star-cross’d lovers’

I think that the audience will be shocked and surprised by the end of the play but pleased that the two families came to an agreement. ‘o brother Montague, give me thy hand’ this is showing that Capulet and Montague have forgiven each other and are mourning the loss of their children and it was their deaths that broke the ancient grudge. It is showing that because Romeo and Juliet were so in love they forgave each other as it what Juliet and Romeo would have wanted.