preview

Examples Of Soliloquy In Romeo And Juliet

Decent Essays
Open Document

Arguably one of the most well-known tragic play that William Shakespeare has written was Romeo and Juliet. It tells the tale of two young lovers from opposing families that ultimately meet their doom. Shakespeare utilizes his skill with words to write a great number of literary pieces in the play, and among them is Juliet’s soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 5. In her speech, Juliet adopts a frustrated tone as she waits impatiently for her nurse to return with news from her love, Romeo. When the events of the play take place, Juliet is thirteen; quite young in age and naive in understanding the world. Through the use of literary devices, the purpose of the soliloquy is conveyed as characterizing Juliet by showing her immaturity and her relationship with her Nurse. In the first few lines of her speech, Juliet tells the audience that the Nurse still hasn’t returned from her trip, even though she promised to be back in half an hour. After considering the possibility that the Nurse wasn’t able to meet with him, Juliet exclaimed “O she is lame! Love’s heralds should be thoughts, / Which ten times faster glide than the sun’s beams” (Romeo and Juliet 2.5. 4-5). Juliet uses a metaphor to compare her Nurse to her thoughts on …show more content…

7-8). In the first part, the “Love” she refers to alludes to the goddess of love, most likely Aphrodite/Venus since doves are not only a symbol of the goddess, but they also draw her chariot. In the second part, Juliet talks about Cupid, which is another symbol of love. Juliet uses words relating to speed such as “nimble-pinion’d” and “wing-swift” to indicate her beliefs on why she concludes that her Nurse should hurry. Since love travels fast, the Nurse, who is her messenger of love, should also travel fast. She comes off as rather impatient and childish with her fanciful ideas of

Get Access