Figurative Language In Romeo And Juliet

In the drama, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, there are several long speeches that show different types of figurative language and structure. One that is particularly intriguing is the speech Mercutio makes when trying to persuade Romeo to go to the Capulet party. In this speech Mercutio describes Queen Mab, who is a fairy like woman that controls dreams. She makes ladies dream of kisses, soldiers dream of the blood of enemies, and lawyers dream of money. Within this speech about Queen Mab, Shakespeare uses metaphorical language, imagery, specific tones, and structure to create an image for the audience and contribute to the larger plot of the play.

Romeo is using a metaphor to compare Juliet’s voice to lovely music. In Romeo and Juliet states, “How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night,/ Like softest music to attending ears”(2.2. 167-168). As a result from this metaphor the reader can fully grasp an image of Juliet and Romeo’s affection towards her. In the same scene Romeo says that with her beauty she will kill the envious moon. In the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet states, “Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,/ Who is already sick and pale with grief”(2.2. 4-5). In other words Romeo has illustrated the beauty of Juliet and the inclination he has for his lover, Juliet.The reader can illustrate Juliet because of the personification and metaphors that Romeo

Shakespeare’s diction helped to develop the mood of romance in this scene by showing how much love and affection Romeo has for Juliet. “With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls; For stony limits cannot hold love out, And

No matter how strong and absurd your hatred towards something is love always conquers in the denouement. In the play, Romeo and Juliet, composed by William Shakespeare employs dramatic and language techniques to explore important themes and ideas in his play. The play was set in Verona Italy and is a story about the long feud between the families of the Capulets and the Montagues. The feud caused tragic consequences that led the beloved couple to their suicide. Romeo and Juliet talks about love and hate as an individual factor in the play and love and hate combined as one and the sacrifices endured because of it.

Love is an important theme in most of Shakespeare’s play, including in Romeo and Juliet because love is a stronger force than all the animosity and forces of fate in Romeo and Juliet. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s play, Shakespeare explores Romeo’s change in attitude to love between Rosaline and Juliet. In Act 1 Scene 1 Shakespeare introduces us to Romeo’s passionate desire towards Rosaline through the use of oxymoron, monologues and vivid imagery. In contrast, in Act 2 Scene 2, when Romeo is addressing Juliet, his language shifts through the use of light, religious and mythical imagery to reflect his newly found romantic love to Juliet.

His family’s feud with the Capulets is Romeo’s labyrinth, his love for his family is the sea, and his love for Juliet the sun. This parallel is emphasised even more when Romeo says “It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.” (2. 2. 3).  Both men are trapped in the middle ground, hovering between these two great forces, warned not to venture too close to either, lest it cost him his life. Where Icarus’s amazement at the sea’s beauty is what almost pulls him under, for Romeo it is his need to avenge his cousin Mercutio’s death that nearly does him in with his duel with Tybalt, Romeo saying “Mercutio’s soul is but a little way above our heads, staying for thine to keep  him company: either thou, or I, or both, must go with him." (3. 1. 88-91). When Icarus flies higher and higher still to bask in the sun’s warm rays, it is Romeo’s impulsive, wholehearted need to be with Juliet, his longing to be ever nearer to her, that dooms him. For both men, it is the need to be as close as possible to the heavenly warmth and beauty of these loves that spirals both heroes into the cold embrace of Death’s

This play consists primary of hyperboles, exaggeration is a hallmark of comedy. An example is when Benvolio asked Romeo not to leave him, Romeo replied by saying that “[he’s] not here.” He is saying that he was so in love that he out of this world. Another example of the play being over exaggerated is Juliet told her nurse to asked Romeo if “he be married.” She barely knows the guy and already wants to know if he was wed. That evening, Romeo went to Juliet’s balcony and said, “My life [is] better ended,” meaning he rather die than “wanting of thy love.” They only known each other for only a couple of hours at the most and they are vowing their life. Not long after Romeo had to run away, Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet, told Lady Capulet to tell

Juliet is to be married as “The valiant Paris seeks [her] for his love”(686) and Romeo feels depressed. Juliet doesn’t truly want to be married to Paris and when Romeo comes along and says he loves her, Juliet uses this as an excuse to be ineligible to Paris. At their young ages of 13 and 16 both, don’t truly know love and can’t effectively associate their feelings. The friar feels that"[Romeo’s] love did read by rote, that could not spell'"(707). Romeo is only repeating what he has heard about love, not genuinely understanding what he is saying. He acts impatient and brash, quickly jumping at any chance to say he is in love thinking it will bring him happiness. Moments before he saw Juliet, Romeo claimed that he was deeply in love with Rosaline, although when presented with someone who he deemed as more beautiful he’s questions if, "[his] heart [did] love till now?...For [he feels he has] ne'er saw true beauty till this night" (pg 692). If he had truly been in love with Rosaline then seeing another girl wouldn't have changed his mind, but as he is so young he isn't able to understand that what he felt for both, Juliet and Rosaline was lust. Teenagers act irrationally, based solely on emotion, Romeo and Juliet are too caught up in their feelings to take a step back and consider their

During some of part one, and two, we slowly learn about Romeo and his dilemma. He has fallen in love with beautiful Rosaline and all of his heart is crying out to her. He vows to never see a beauty as fair as her, and complains about the rudeness and pain of love. He allows himself to go to the party with Mercutio and his friends, but remarks he won't have a good time. "I'll go along, no such sight to be shown, But to rejoice in a splendor of mine own."  That is until he sees Juliet. Instantly he forgets all of his lamenting for Rosaline love, and proclaims Juliet is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. "O! she doth teach the torches to burn bright. It seems she hangs on the cheek of night, like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear; Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows. The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."

Act II, Scene IV of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, opens with an exchanged between Romeo’s companions, Benevolio and Meructio. Having attended Capulet’s party the night before, Benevolio informs Meructio that Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin and sworn enemy of the Montague’s, has sent Romeo’s father a letter. Meructio declares it a challenge, asking, “… is he a man to encounter Tybalt?” Benevolio retorts, “Why, what is Tybalt?,” Meructio elaborates by declaring:

True love comes in all shapes and forms. Two different families were in a big feud for a while. The two main characters were in love with each other after a costume party, but their families dislike each other. By the tragedy the couple died for each other. William Shakespeare, theme is shown through use of syntax/ figurative language, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

The servant, lacking the knowledge to read, repays Romeo’s help by inviting Romeo and his cousin to the party, without knowing the men were Montagues. At the party, Romeo insists not to dance with anyone,”A torch for me. Let wantons light to heart/[...] I’ll be a candle holder and look on;/ The game was ne’er so fair, and I am done” (1.4.35-39). Despite of his insistence, he meets Juliet and is awed by her beauty, forgetting his desire for Rosaline. He praises her with such words, “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!/ It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night/ As a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear-/[...] Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight,/ For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night” (1.5.51-60). Because he was amazed by her beauty, later on he becomes rather attached to her, especially when they both find out that they are enemies of different houses. In spite of this, they meet each other in the middle of the night near Juliet’s balcony. Here, Romeo’s praising becomes even more passionate as they both exchange words of love. “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?/ It is the East, and Juliet is the sun” (2.2.2-3). From the scene where Romeo sees Juliet for the first time to where they meet by the balcony, his sorrow is forgotten and filled up with

Romeo is equating the sparkle and shine in her eyes to that of which a star exudes from light years away. Using words such as “entreat” in the soliloquy, Shakespeare conveys the idea that Romeo believes even the stars are pleading Juliet’s eyes to twinkle in their place if they were to go away. Romeo’s passion later resurfaces in the phrase, “as daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven” (II.ii.20). Romeo is comparing Juliet’s eyes to the way the brightness of daylight overpowers a lamp. The vast difference between the words “lamp” and “daylight” help readers comprehend just how overwhelming and powerful Juliet’s eyes are to Romeo.

Diction allows readers to interpret the author’s text in the way he or she hopes. Shakespeare’s word choice in the famous balcony scene, is what makes it the famous balcony scene. By writing Romeo and Juliet’s monologues as poetic as they are, Shakespeare is able to create a meaningful scene. Romeo calls Juliet a “bright angel… [that is]... as glorious to [the] night… as is a winged messenger of heaven” (Shakespeare ln 26-28). Rather than just writing that Juliet is as beautiful as an angel, Shakespeare uses adjectives that paint a more vivid picture. By saying “winged messenger of heaven” rather than angel, the reader is able to gain a clearer understanding of how much Romeo loves Juliet. Shakespeare’s diction when Juliet is asking Romeo if

In the tragic love story Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare shows how although the power of love can bring positive experiences, it can also bring destruction and drastic changes to the lives of all involved. He illustrates this idea through numerous poetic devices: creative metaphors, meaningful puns, and character-related contrast. Romeo and Juliets’ love was rushed, impulsive, and created sorrow for both parties involved.