Romeo and Juliet Literary Analysis Essay Literary devices are reveal several details about characters in stories, movies, plays, and other writings. Oxymorons are two opposites placed right next to each other. A paradox is simply a oxymoron except seperated and placed in a sentence. Lastly, a juxtaposition is contrasting two objects such as characters, places, and even their actions. William Shakespeare successfully added all of these literary devices into his famous play Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare indirectly revealed character traits for Romeo, Juliet, and Friar Laurence by using all three of these literary devices. Shakespeare used the figurative language to indirectly describe who Romeo is. Romeo and Mercutio argue with each other about the importance of dreams (1.4.11-103). During Mercutio’s “Queen Mab” speech, it reveals that Romeo is a dreamer and Mercutio is not. This is a juxtaposition because Mercutio and Romeo have two different mindsets on dreams. An example of Shakespeare using a oxymoron to indirectly describe Romeo is when Romeo states, “Feather of lead, …show more content…
Juliet says, “Come, night; come, Romeo, come thou day in night” (3.2.17). She waits for Romeo all day until night not knowing about the fight with Tybalt. As she speaks, this quote reveals that Juliet is obsessive and passionate. She is explaining that Romeo is her sun and a necessity for life. It is a paradox because it talks about day in night which are two opposites in a sentence. Juliet tells the Nurse as she finds out Romeo is apart of the Montagues: “My only love sprung from my only hate” (1.5.136). This clarified that she is a risk taker and very rebellious for still wanting to love Romeo. Also, this is another paradox because her only love came from her only hate which is two opposites in a sentence. For Friar Laurence, Shakespeare uses paradoxes and oxymorons to indirectly explain who he
All the literary devices that authors use give characters a real-life aspect. Authors also give each character a complexity that only certain people will be able to understand. By using literary devices, like paradox or oxymorons, certain and different meanings uncovered. Throughout Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare emphasizes the complexity of every character through literary devices. Shakespeare uses literary devices like juxtaposition and paradox as indirect characterization for Juliet.
Just like in the story of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, there are actual true events very simaler to some of the parts in the story. In 2005, 2 families by the name of Soliz and Ortiz had a violent breakout including guns, injuring 6 people. You will find that the story of Romeo are relateable to the article, “Six Wounded in Fla. ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Firefight”.
Juxtapositions are prominent throughout many pieces of literature. Juxtapositions such as oxymorons and paradoxes force the reader to infer important information about the characters they are reading about. One good example of this is William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet play. Shakespeare uses juxtaposition in the drama Romeo and Juliet to indirectly characterize the complexity of their relationship.
Few stories are as renowned and appreciated as those written by William Shakespeare. His many plays have survived the centuries, and one of his most well-known plays, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, tells the story of two-star crossed lovers as their lives are lead to tragedy because of a feud between their families. Fate works against them, and they both end up killing themselves thinking they can not live without the other. One of the qualities of this play is it recurring use of foils to highlight the attributes of another character.. Mercutio serves as a foil for Romeo to help built both characters by their view of love, how they showcase one another’s flaws, and how Mercutio’s death motivates Romeo fro the purpose of giving the audience a deeper understanding.
Dramatic irony is a literary technique by which a character’s words or actions are clear to the audience although unknown to the character. Shakespeare uses this technique in Julius Caesar
n the romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses words to create emotions, specifically love between the two main characters. He also uses words to craft several scenarios where a lack of communication between various characters ultimately ends in tragedy. When used for both of these purposes the tragedy is heightened because the audience cares about the love between the characters.
Symbols and motifs are proven to be significant. They are a key element to understanding William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet play and the 1996 modernised version by Baz Luhrmann. Both texts are about a long feud between the two richest families in Verona, the Capulets and Montagues. Along the way, a misunderstanding leads to their star-crossed lovers children's death, reconciling the two families. Throughout the film and the play, recurring symbols and motifs helps the audience understand the deeper meaning of the texts and the ideas presented, therefore making it significant. Luhrmann uses the recurring motif of water in the film, contrary to Shakespeare's. This further extends significant themes and ideas in the original play. The reoccurring motif of light and dark images through Romeo and Juliet show the contrast of light and dark imagery. Both Shakespeare and Luhrmann use Religious symbols to reinforce the idea of fate and it's major role in society both in the modern and ancient time.
Shakespeare uses many literary devices in Romeo and Juliet. One example of this is his use of paradox, a type of figurative language, which is a contradictory statement that is true. Shakespeare uses paradoxes to add to the play Romeo and Juliet by building on the plot and adding to the themes.
Shakespeare’s work is among the hardest to read because of its supposed complexity and sophistication. The language used in the Early Modern Era is different than that of the Post Modern Era. Audiences that saw the performances were aural learners and were able to pinpoint certain tones and facial expressions that readers may not detect through words. Watching the plays performed provided better feedback than readings do (Palfrey 10-11). Metaphors, implicit or explicit, are figures of speech that help compare two unlike things and are not designed for literal intake. Yet, with Shakespeare’s work, metaphors should be taken literally. According to George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, however, this technique of comparison allows metaphors to simultaneously highlight and hide certain attributes and/or qualities about the thing(s) being compared to (12-13). The highlighting and hiding of metaphors gives readers more insight into what Shakespeare may have meant at the time or even more so in what context did the people of the Elizabethan Age use language (Palfrey 11). Two important components of metaphors that do the highlighting and hiding are the vehicle and the tenor; each can be implicit or explicit as well. The metaphor in question emphasizes both the importance and unimportance of Lavinia’s character.
The first literary device, Shakespeare uses is foreshadowing throughout Act 3 of Romeo and Juliet. First on scene 2, Shakespeare uses foreshadowing to remind that audience that at the end Romeo and Juliet will commit suicide. “Mercutio: A plague, O both your houses!” (3.1.90). Mercutio is wishing a curse on both the Montagues and Capulets, and this is foreshadowing because they will die at the end. Another example is “I am sped is he gone and hath nothing?” (3.1.85-86).This is foreshadowing because Romeo and Juliet are Capulets and Montagues and they are both going to die. In Addition another example would be Juliet: “O God, I have an ill- divining Soul. Methink i see thee now, thou art so low as one dead in the bottom of a tomb. Either my eyesight fails or thou look’st pale” (3.5.55). This is also foreshadowing because Juliet has a vision Romeo dead in the bottom of the tomb.
The poets use of similes, metaphors and personification is very interesting because he uses irony with each simile, metaphor and personification to describe his mistress and his feeling towards her. Shakespeare uses similes, metaphors and personification to describe
One may think Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story, while others may think the play was written as a warning to Queen Elizabeth (Bearman). One can understand William Shakespeare’s ideas for his plays by exploring his influences for Romeo and Juliet, MacBeth, and Hamlet. Shakespeare wrote many plays, one of his more famous one being Romeo and Juliet.
In William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, the two main characters are people from enemy families, who fall deeply in love. Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's most famous plays. Shakespeare uses many stylistic devices to create this tragedy but most importantly he uses irony to develop this tragedy. Verbal irony is used to create humor and relief the audience, While dramatic and situational irony are used for tragic effects. Irony can can be found throughout the play. Shakespeare uses 3 different kinds of Irony: Verbal, situational, and dramatic irony to create the tragedy know as Romeo and Juliet.
In the romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses words to create emotions, specifically love, between the two main characters. He also uses words to craft several scenarios where a lack of communication between various characters ultimately ends in tragedy. When Shakespeare uses words in both these ways the tragedy and sense of despair the audience has for the main characters is heightened because the audience cares so much more about the love between the characters.
All of these life experiences rise up when comparing the text of Shakespeare’s source material for Romeo and Juliet, and the text of the play. It is not know for sure when