Use of form in Romeo and Juliet
Form is the text type the writer chooses to write in. The form of Romeo and Juliet is a play. Plays are meant to be performed by actors and watched by an audience. This is really important and you must remember that Shakespeare was meant to be performed, to be seen. This will be really useful for your analysis.
The play is also a tragedy. A Shakespearean tragedy is a type of play that normally results in the main protagonists' deaths in tragic circumstances.
Performing Shakespeare's plays
Question
How did Shakespeare make his scenes dramatic on the stage?
Shakespeare made his scenes dramatic by:
- Using sound effects. In one play, he used a cannonball which he set off and it accidentally burnt down his theatre!
- Using drums and other musical instruments.
- Using pigs' bladders and blood in fight scenes to give the illusion of injuries, pain and death.
- Use of the trap-door to surprise the audience with a character's entrance or exit.