The Importance of the Balcony Scene in Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a heartbreaking play about two lovers who come from rival families. The play is filled with dramatic irony that suggests they are destined for tragedy. Act 2 Scene 2 or ‘The Balcony Scene’ has a larger effect on the rest of the play than all the other scenes I feel. This is because it is concerned with nearly all of the recurring themes during the play. Youth and Age is one theme there is a contrast between these right through the play, Romeo and Juliet are young lovers that are almost starting a revolution actually marrying for love and want to put an end to their family feud, and contrast to that you have Old Capulet and Lady Capulet who are very stubborn and opinionated people who expect everything to be done correctly .This was a revolutionary thing, to marry for love, as large families such as the Montague’s and the Capulet’s would marry for other reasons other than this, for things such as money and property. Marriage was seen as an opportunity to gain assets not a way of uniting two people. Romeo and Juliet are very young and reckless children this is what makes the play interesting and romantic but it also a reason why the play ends tragically as they do no think there relationship through. Love and Hate is also a theme that is stressed during the play as Romeo and Juliet experience this love at first sight when they should be sworn enemies if they were to do what their parents tell them and follow tradition. Fate plays a big part during this play as we are warned at the start of the play in the chorus, it tells us ‘A pair of star crosses lovers’, Greek people a long time a go used to believe that stars told peoples fortunes from the moment they are born, telling us that Romeo and Juliet are ‘star crossed’ suggests that bad luck will have It in for them right from the start as it were. Unfortunately it does as they fall in love with each other before realizing who each other is; they are descendants of families with a blood thirsty