Discussion Topic
Unawareness of specific information among characters in Romeo and Juliet
Summary:
In Romeo and Juliet, unawareness of specific information among characters significantly impacts the plot. Key examples include Romeo not knowing Juliet's plan to fake her death, leading to his actual suicide, and Juliet awakening to find Romeo dead, prompting her own suicide. This lack of communication and misunderstanding tragically drives the narrative to its fatal conclusion.
In Act 2, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet, what information do readers have that Mercutio and Benvolio don't?
This scene is a prime example of what's called dramatic irony, where the audience knows something that the characters don't. We know that Romeo has fallen head over heels with Juliet but his good friends Mercutio and Benvolio are unaware of this; they still think that Romeo has the hots for Rosaline. As young men often do, they loudly engage in crude, sexualized banter. In the meantime, Romeo's hiding out in the Capulets' orchard. We know that Romeo's just had a life-changing experience; this is no infatuation, this is the real thing. But Mercutio and Benvolio are so immature that they still believe Romeo's only interested in going to bed with Rosaline. Romeo's changed, and we can see that. Mercutio and Benvolio haven't, and we can see that, too.
Act 2, scene 1 of “Romeo and Juliet ” is the scene that directly follows Romeo and Juliet meeting at...
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the Capulet’s party. During this scene, Benvolio and Mercutio are looking for Romeo and making jokes about him being in love with Rosaline and his emotional state due to the fact that Rosaline does not love him back. Mercutio and Benvolio don’t know that by this point, Romeo has completely gotten over Rosaline and that he is now in love with Juliet and is hiding in her orchard, listening to every word that they say – the audience/reader is aware of this.