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Examples Of Verbal Irony In Romeo And Juliet

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In act 5 of Romeo and Juliet, there were several examples of both verbal and situational irony. The first example was found in scene 1 when Balthasar brought Romeo news about Juliet. Romeo first asks “How doth my lady? Is my father well? /How doth my Juliet? That I ask again, /For nothing can be ill if she be well.” (5.1.15-17). Then Balthasar responds with “Then she is well and nothing can be ill.” (5.1.18). The verbal irony is that Juliet is as well as she can ever be even though she is dead. Because she is dead, she cannot deal with tragedy or illness again, so she is technically as well as possible. Another example of verbal irony is seen again after Romeo purchases poison from the apothecary. Romeo refers to the poison as cordial when he says “Come, cordial and not poison, go with me /To Juliet’s grave, for there must I use thee.” (5.2.90-91). A cordial is a sweet liqueur or medicine, and the irony in this line is …show more content…

While talking to Friar John, Friar Lawrence says, “Who bare my letter, then, to Romeo?” (5.3.13). Friar John then responds with “I could not send it—here it is again— /Nor get a messenger to bring it thee, /So fearful were they of infection.” (5.3.14-16). This is an example of situational irony because the Friar expected Romeo to receive the letter and ironically the opposite occurred, and the message never even made its way to him. Later in the scene, after Romeo kisses Juliet and drinks his potion, Juliet wakes up. She addresses the Friar by saying “O comfortable friar, where is my lord? /I do remember well where I should be, /And there I am. Where is my Romeo?” (5.3.153-155). Juliet is expecting that everything will be okay and that she will be reunited with Romeo, but the opposite actually occurs. Juliet sees Romeo lying on the ground after he drinks the potion, and she stabs herself out of

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