Danielle Matamba Matamba 1 Marryat NC English 1 8 February 2023 Analysis of Shakespeare’s Iconic Romeo and Juliet Balcony Scene The classic author, William Shakespeare, is well known for his usage of figurative language in his most famous tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Many scholars consider Shakespeare the master of figurative language. In Romeo and Juliet, he uses different forms of figurative language to help create tension and add to the tragedy. In Romeo and Juliet’s balcony scene, Shakespeare relays Romeo and Juliet’s passionate, almost obsessive young love through the …show more content…
At the Capulet party, Romeo and Juliet call each other “saints” and “pilgrims”. Juliet tells him to cast his family name, and Romeo calls out, “Call me but, love and I’ll be newly baptized” (2.2.50). If Juliet calls him her love, he will no longer be a Montague which is like how when someone has a baptism done to dispose of their sin. Romeo responds to Juliet and calls Juliet “dear saint,” (2.2.66) asserting that Juliet is holy and is in or will go to heaven. Romeo surrenders his entire being to Juliet, closely encroaching to an obsessive level as if he is a martyr or someone with …show more content…
Juei uses archetypal imagery to ensure the stability of their relationship. Romeo describes Juliet’s eyes as “Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven”(2.2.15). He compares her to the stars and those stars would ask her “to twinkle in their spheres till they return” (2.2.16). Romeo compares her earnest eyes to the stars, commenting that the stars could be replaced by her eyes and they will still shine the same. Romeo also describes Juliet as a “bright angel”(2.2.26) and she is the winged messenger or heaven/ Unto the white, upturned, wondering eyes/ Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him”(2.2.28-30). He compares Juliet to God’s messengers, that turn mortals head when they come down on earth, as men turn their heads when Juliet walks by. Juliet tells Romeo not to swear by “the moon, th’ inconstant moon/... Lest thy love prove likewise variable,” (2.2.109,110) Juliet’s way to ask that he prove his love will never change, unlike the constantly changing
Romeo’s body and mind have been driven insane by the love he feels, deepening the meaning of love crazy. In this scene
The skilled use of imagery is showcased in Romeo's soliloquy, where he compares Juliet to the sun, exclaiming, "Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief." This metaphorical language intensifies Romeo's inner turmoil as he attempts to reconcile his deep affection for Juliet with the bitter feud between their families.
William Shakespeare's renowned tragedy, "Romeo and Juliet," delves into the depths of overwhelming passion and its consequences. Through the masterful use of the binaries of love and hate, Shakespeare illustrates how intense emotions can drive individuals to engage in impulsive and irrational behavior, ultimately leading to tragic outcomes. In this play, the characters' actions are fueled by an all-consuming passion that blinds them to reason and propels them towards fatal decisions. By analyzing Shakespeare's craft moves, particularly his word choices and use of imagery, we can gain insight into the destructive power of unbridled passion and its influence on the characters' choices. In this essay, we will explore how Shakespeare crafts the language and imagery in "Romeo and Juliet" to highlight the characters'
In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare masterfully employs the key elements of tragedy, such as language, form and features, to explore the themes of extreme obsession and fate versus love. Depicted throughout the play, Shakespeare conveys Romeo’s extreme obsession, which ultimately leads to his downfall. Another theme discussed also includes fate versus love, incorporating the idea of how Romeo and Juliet were predestined to die. In Romeo and Juliet, one of the major themes portrayed is extreme obsession.
The play Romeo and Juliet, written by the great William Shakespeare, introduces us to the story of two star-crossed lovers and their tragic fate. Throughout the play, Shakespeare uses various figurative language, including metaphors, to convey his ideas and ignite our imaginations. Romeo and Juliet is a tragic story where our two main characters, Romeo and Juliet from opposing families fall in love, but unfortunately due to their families feud, they end their tale tragically. These figurative language metaphors, imagery, and foreshadowing allow us to delve deeper into the characters' emotions and experiences, offering a profound and lasting impact. One of the most recurring figurative language used by William Shakespeare is metaphors that invoke our feelings and thoughts to help us understand the image Shakespeare is trying to express.
Along these lines, Romeo has developed his metaphor through personification. He creates the illusion that the moon is a woman who is "sick and pale with grief," as if he envies her radiant beauty, despite the fact that no one can prevent or force love. "There are forty ducats. Let me have a dram of poison". (5.1.62-64)
Shakespeare uses Juliet’s character development of learning to love Romeo even if he is from the enemy to strengthen the theme that Love can be found in the most unexpected of
After the initial revelation that Juliet is of the rivalling Capulet family, Romeo is overcome with fear and angst. This is evident when Romeo says “Is she a Capulet? O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt.” (I, v, 118-119) Despite Romeo’s initial hesitations, that same night he sneaks back to see Juliet on her balcony where he declares, “I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes, and but thou love me, let them find me here.
If juliet is the sun, Romeo is suggesting that the moon is envious of her beauty, because the light
Romeo and Juliet has been a great story and there is so much figurative language in this play and we have to understand it sometimes. The text states, “As is a winged messenger in heaven…” This quote shows how he thinks of Juliet as an angel. Romeo compares him looking up at Juliet to mortals looking up at an angel.
Shakespeare creates a strong connection between the audience and the characters in the play through his usage of literary elements that creates the young teenage love story of Romeo and Juliet. “With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out, and what love can do, that dares love attempt. Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.” (Shakespeare 2.2.71-74) This is Romeo’s speech to Juliet when he says that he has trespassed onto her property without being seen by anyone because of his love for her.
He is not just drawn to her physical beauty, but also to her inner qualities that radiate outward. Additionally, the word "match" creates an image of competition and implies that the subject's beauty surpasses all others. Similarly, Romeo displays a sense of awe in the face of his lover's beauty, which is reflected in the use of light imagery. After laying eyes on Juliet for the first time, Romeo states, " O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!...
Shakespeare uses imagery in that line creating a very vivid image in the reader’s
Shakespeare utilizes symbolism, vivid imagery, and graphic metaphors to illustrate the profoundness of Romeo’s loves for Juliet and his absolute dependence on her. Among these literary devices metaphors are the most essential literary device Shakespeare employs because they allow him to compare numerous things simultaneously. The quotation "Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath" employs a metaphor to equate Juliet's soul to honey, while death, like a bear, is sucking the life from Juliet's body. Other quotations include "Thee here in the dark to be his paramour," "shake the yoke of inauspicious stars," and "Beauty's ensign yet is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks"exemplify the indispensable role that metaphors play in Romeo and
This metaphor conveys Romeo analyzing Juliet and comparing her to the beauty of the sun. His love for her consumes him to make Juliet his only thought. Another example of metaphors used in the text is when Romeo says Juliet’s eyes are twinkling spheres. “Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, Having some business, do entreat