Explain The Importance Of Act 1 Scene 5 In ‘Romeo Essay

Explain the importance of Act 1 Scene 5 in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and how what we learn prepares us for events later in the play

‘Romeo and Juliet’ was written by William Shakespeare in 1594. The prologue to the play is in the form of a fourteen-line sonnet, it describes two noble households in the city of Verona. The houses hold an “ancient grudge” against each other that remains a source of violent and bloody conflict. It then goes on to states that from these two houses, two “star-crossed” lovers will appear. These lovers will be the solution to the quarrel between their families by dying. The story of these two lovers, and of the terrible quarrel between their families, will be the theme of the play. ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was first published as a poem in 1562 by Arthur Brook, titled ‘The Tragically History of Romeus and Juliet’. Shakespeare put the poem into play form. In Act 1, Scene 5 Romeo, Mercutio and a lot of the other Montagues gatecrash the Capulet party. It is in this party that we first see Romeo and Juliet together this is also where they fall in love. Most of the main characters are in this scene. We learn how they behave and of personalities.
Romeo is seen before in previous scenes and he is ‘in love’ with another girl named Rosaline. He talks very bitterly and with lots of gloominess. He uses hyperbole, which also makes him unpopular because every time he talks the audience know that he is going to begin on a very long drawn out speech. As soon as Romeo sees Juliet begins on a very long-winded speech ‘O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright... Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear... For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night’.   Romeo has completely forgotten Rosaline, this shows that he is very fickle and is very easily won over by love. When Romeo and Juliet do speak they speak in sonnet form and this is the first time the sonnet form has been used since the prologue. This is supposed to remind the audience of the death that is to come. The...