A festive occasion requires a classic comedy, with a joyous love story and a happy end. That comedy is by now provided for, and the wisdom of proceeding with the play’s tragedy half can be questioned. The more because the comedy half is in itself complete ; its story is in almost perfect parallel with Twelfth-Night (the hints on its author’s boy-love included) until the second act has ‘yourneys end in lovers meeting’. In terms of Renaissance and Baroque, ‘complete’ equals ‘symmetrical’, and, comparing halves, the comedy appears to pivot on the banquet :
………… introduction of
1 ; 1 ….. – ….. the Montague-Capulet feud &
…………….…. Romeo’s journey away from Rosaline (Orsino & Olivia)
1 ; 2 ….. – ….. Juliet’s arranged marriage with Paris &
…………….…. Romeo’s journey towards meeting her
1 ; 3 ….. – ….. Juliet discusses marriage with Paris
………… love story
1 ; 4 ….. – ….. Romeo & friends / 1 ; 5 ‘journeys end’ at first sight
…………….…. …………………………. … SUPPER
…………….…. …………….…. …………… (pause)
2 ; 1 ….. – ….. Romeo & friends / 2 ; 2 ‘lovers meeting’ by the ear
2 ; 3 ….. – ….. Juliet’s marriage is arranged
2 ; 4 ….. – ….. Romeo & friends &
…………….…. Romeo discusses his plans to marry Juliet
2 ; 5 ….. – ….. Juliet’s yourney away from Paris &
2 ; 6 ….. – ….. the Montague-Capulet union
Both in his love (resp. opening scenes) and in his impatience with a young lad when antagonized (resp. final scenes) Romeo’s resemblance with Orsino is uncanny. Which places the happy end of Twelfth-Night under the dark sky of impending doom, when Shakespeare has Orsino to adress Viola consistently as ‘boy’ when declaring his love. The same cloud is over Juliet’s hurried entrance of the church, when she trips over her own gown and stumbles straight into Romeo’s arms ; just a second after Q2’s warning not to outrun oneself :
Friar : These violent delights haue violent endes,
….. And in their triumph die like fier and powder:
….. Which as they kisse consume. The sweetest honey
….. Is loathsome in his owne deliciousnesse,
….. And in the taste confoundes the appetite.
….. Therefore loue moderately, long loue doth so,
….. Too swift arriues, as tardie as too slowe.
‘If music be the food of love, play on; / Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, / The appetite may sicken…’ (Orsino). The parallel between plays definitely looks deliberate. And it is at this point in Romeo and Juliet where the love-story of Twelfth-Night ends.
Yet, Romeo and Juliet is not for half its length designed for a performance at night, but in full. While the parallel includes the respective final scenes : late as it is, this reconstruction has no option but to include the tragedy. But to look at it at the bright side, this provides a good opportunity to have a look at the play’s overall composition :
Sunday 14 July 1594
….. Act One ; scene 1 ………. 9 a.m …………………………………………………… three scenes in one
….. Act One ; scene 2 ………. afternoon ……………………………………………….. two scenes in one
….. Act One ; scene 3 ………. evening ………………………………………….. 18 days to Lammas eve
….. Act One ; scene 4 ………. after dark …………………………….. R presages his untimely death
….. Act One ; scene 5 ………. bed-time …………………………………………………… R & J first meet
Monday 15 July 1594
….. Act Two ; scene 1 ………. night ……………………………………………………. prelude to balc. sc.
….. Act Two ; scene 2 ………. night ……………………………………………………….. balcony scene 1
….. Act Two ; scene 3 ………. dawn …………………………………….. R arranges friar for marriage
….. Act Two ; scene 4a …….. during the morning …………………………. R challenged by Tybalt
….. Act Two ; scene 4b …….. …………………………………………….. R informs J of time and place
….. Act Two ; scene 5 ………. noon ……………………………………………………… J goes to wedding
….. Act Two ; scene 6 ………. during the afternoon …………………………… J arrives at wedding
….. Act Three ; scene 1 …….. one hour after wedding ……………………………………. R banished
….. Act Three ; scene 2 ……,. two hours later …………………………… J arranges wedding night
….. Act Three ; scene 3 …….. evening ……………………………………………….. R to wedding night
….. Act Three ; scene 4 …….. one hour past bed-time ………………………… J promised to Paris
Tuesday 16 July 1594
….. Act Three ; scene 5a …… dawn ………………………………….. R & J part after wedding night
….. Act Three ; scene 5b …… dawn …………………………….. J ordered to marry next Thursday
….. Act Four ; scene 1 ………. …………………………………………. J plans to elope by faking death
….. Act Four ; scene 2 ………. evening …………………………….. marriage rescheduled for dawn
….. Act Four ; scene 3 ………. midnight ……………………………………………… ‘come heavy sleep’
Wednesday 17 July 1594
….. Act Four ; scene 4 ………. 3. a.m ……………………………. Old Capulet makes arrangements
….. Act Four ; scene 5 ………. dawn ………………………………………….. a bride in the morning 2
….. Act Five ; scene 1 ……….. Enter Romeo.
….. Act Five ; scene 2 ……….. 3 hours before Juliet’s revival
= .. Wednesday 31 July ……. ca. 9 p.m. …………………………….. 21 hours after taking the drug
= .. Thursday 1 August …….. ca. 3 p.m. …………………………….. 39 hours after taking the drug
With the audience left in the dark, not even the afternoon sun that lightens the Shoreditch Theatre’s open air stage on 1 August can disturb the illusion when players move around in the final scene with torches and pretend to see nothing without the reach of their faint light. A detail that reveals the double time of first performance in a really charming double bottom :
Act Five ; scene 3 ……………. covered by darkness ……..……..……..……..…. three scenes in one
As it was in the beginning… Symmetry is basic to all western design from the 1590s, and to find it in Romeo and Juliet is not really a cause for amazement. To find it in the architectural structure of the first, second, and ninth outer scenes however, is unusual, and so are the means to this end in the penultimate scene : ‘double time’ to the letter.
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NOTES
1
Because neither the Quartos nor the First Folio have a proper scene indication, the division depends on the editor. Internet Shakespeare Editions, for instance, has the prelude to the balcony scene as a separate scene. With Romeo on stage throughout, there is no separation of scenes to justify the division. But neither is there in the identical link between the two sections of scene 4 ; 4. To separate the parts this time as well is a matter of being consistent, and consistent Internet Shakespeare Editions is : it has a scene 4 ; 5. Which is undeniable correct, if only for no better reason than for even the most imaginative of Capulet mansions to differ in lay-out from a theatre stage.
2
Linking this title of a tragedy by the Flemish playwright Hugo Claus to its original source explains that tragedy in full. Which is much more than can be said from the average in-depth analysis : a grave warning not to use methods that approach a text as unrelated to the outside world.