How Is Light And Dark Used In Romeo And Juliet

‘’The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,’’ shows readers that Juliet is now Romeo’s everything and nothing could compare against her. (2.2.19) Shakespeare convinces the audience that Juliet is the most important to Romeo by writing, ‘’But soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!’’ (2.2.2-3). Before meeting Juliet, Romeo had a bad heartbreak. He had convinced himself that he will never find love again, and his life will forever be consumed by darkness. By comparing Juliet to the sun, that gives bright light to everyone, Shakespeare is conveying the message that Juliet is the light to overcome Romeo’s darkness. Juliet is the one that Romeo will fall in love with and once again will be happy. The sun is not only a provider of light, but is essential for survival. By having Romeo call Juliet, the sun, Shakespeare means that without Juliet, Romeo will not be able to survive. Juliet has become Romeo’s everything and is the reason why he is happy and is able to love life again. This also shows Romeo’s infatuation with Juliet, because by comparing Juliet to the sun, Shakespeare is also saying that everything now revolves around Juliet for Romeo. Due to applying metaphors in his dialogues, Shakespeare is able to persuade readers that Juliet is Romeo’s true love and how much she means to

The previous passage was Romeo describing Juliet as beautiful as the sun, and professing his love for Juliet . At this point, Romeo is in the garden speaking to Juliet on the balcony. He refers to Juliet as the light of his world, and uses colorful imagery to describe her looks. This is one another example of the false love that exists. In addition to this quote, the narrator of the play describes Romeo and Juliet as “star-crossed lovers”. Another quote by Juliet describing Romeo in a sexual, lustful way is as follows;

Duality is displayed throughout the play of Romeo and Juliet. The things characters in the play say, the characters, and actions of the characters are ways duality is explored in the play. For example, when Friar Laurence is picking herbs he explains how the certain herb he picked could be both poison and medicine. Duality in the play is also explored by love and hate. In the play Shakespeare uses the love, hate duality to show how powerful love is. During the play, Juliet says ”My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me. That I must love a loathèd enemy.”

The life-death theme of the story can also be shown as a light-dark or love-death relationship. Romeo talks about Juliet as a bright angel shining in the darkness of night, "bright angel, for thou art As glorious to this night, being o'er my head, As is a winged messenger of heaven Unto the white upturned, wond'ring eyes"

Other words that are being compared, are the words Earth and Heaven that are basically opposite of a spectrum, where Earth represents mortals and Heaven represents God. Thus, It is clear that the light vs dark is there, and there is a reason why it is in the play. The night of the party, the party that Capulet was describing as a marvellous event with the best people of the city, is the occasion where Romeo and Juliet meet, fall in love and kiss for the first time. It is a really crucial evening for the story because is where everything starts. The light vs dark archetype has been used in this quote to foreshadow the greatness of the party and how it is going to be important for the course of the story. It has been used to enhance the significance of the night and the conflicts that the party is going to bring. The last example, is in Romeo’s line, right after he met, fell in love and kissed Juliet: “Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon”(2.2.4). Before explaining the light vs dark element in this quote, is better analyse the quote itself to learn the meaning behind it. Romeo compares Juliet, to the sun and its infinite

In Act l, Lord Montague points out the Romeo, who is deeply troubled, is avoiding the light of day and seeking solace in the darkness of night. For example, “But all so soon as the all-cheering sun should in the farthest east begin to draw… away from light steals home my heavy son… and makes himself an artificial night… ”Montague (137-138, 140, and 143). The figurative language in the citation is personification. The phrase “all-cheering sun” is an example of personification because it’s giving the sun human characteristics.

Romeo has just seen Juliet and is stunned by her beauty comparing it other stunning objects; “Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear” (1.5.43-44). Through the description of “rich jewel” and “Ethiop’s ear”, Shakespeare juxtaposes light and darkness. This adds to the thought that Romeo is extremely emotional and over the top when it comes to his feelings, which will unfortunately betray him later on when tragedy strikes. When talking about his feeling for Rosolin and other people he has loved he says; “This love feel I, that feel no love in this” (1.1.172). Shakespeare juxtaposes “love” and “no love” through Romeo’s words when characterizing his feelings, yet many fail return the love he feels so passionately. This juxtaposition indicates that he is a hopeless romantic and would do anything for love, however this could turn out being his undoing. Shakespeare indirectly characterizes Romeo through juxtaposition as extremely emotional and romantic person, unfortunately because of these uncontrollable feelings he is blind spotted by reality and can not handle the destiny he is about to

Romeo’s soliloquy about Juliet says, “Juliet is the sun. Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon”(2.2.4). This metaphor exemplifies the beauty that Romeo sees in Juliet. By saying that she is the “sun” he shows how much she stands out to him; shining brighter and higher than all others. This demonstrates Romeo’s deep connection to Juliet and no one else. At the first sight of Juliet, Romeo is very intrigued and he says, “The brightness in her cheeks would shame all those stars” (2.2.19-20). Romeo uses a metaphor to prove that she is shining, bright, high, and beautiful. He feels that she would “shame those stars” with her profound beauty, the thing that stands out most to him. Even when Romeo and Juliet know that things may become difficult between them Romeo says: “For stony limits cannot hold love out”(2.2.72). This personification shows how Romeo's desire for Juliet will not be stopped by anything. If “stoney limits” will not stop Romeo’s love for Juliet, he believes he will never let anything get between them. Through Shakespeare's use of figurative language, Romeo’s feelings for Juliet are

In the play Romeo & Juliet, William Shakespeare utilizes opposites in both the thoughts and actions of the characters in Romeo and Juliet. Outlined are contrasts of crime and violence versus peace and law, love versus hate, and young versus old.

dark further proves that in every dark moment, there’s always a piece of light. The play sadly ended with Romeo and Juliet taking their own lives. Although they took their lives, they did get to die together and still have such a deep love for one another. “For fear of that I still will stay with thee and never from this place of dim night depart again.” Said Romeo (5.3.272). Romeo is in a dark place of mind as he’s about to take away his life to be with his one true love. Romeo’s love for his wife, Juliet was so true and real that he’s about kill himself to be with her forever. This supports the central idea that love can make you do crazy things.

A standout amongst the most renowned scenes in Romeo and Juliet would need to be the overhang scene in which light and dim symbolism is right off the bat presented. This particular scene indicates precisely how profound their affection is and the amount they really cherish each other. It isn't just communicated in words or activities, yet in addition their solid love is appeared through light and dim symbolism. The line, "Juliet is the sun" (2.2.3) is a decent case of light symbolism. Romeo says this to clarify that Juliet sparkles simply like the sun since she is so lovely.

  In this instance he is referring light as something that is not in their love’s favor. Juliet responds with slight dejection, “Yond light is not daylight, I know it, I. It is some meteor that the sun [exhaled] To be to thee this night a torchbearer And light thee on thy way to Mantua. Therefore stay yet.

After the death of his best friend, Romeo says, “This day’s black fate on more days doth depend./ This but begins the woe others must end” (3.1.124-125). This quote is foreshadowing the near death of Tybalt as well as his own death. With what begins, the light between Romeo and Juliet can only happen when other woes end, speaking of the feud between the two families which is the darkness to Romeo and Juliet’s light. This day’s black fate is describing the darkness in the day and how it will over time catch up to the light and destroy it.

Plays are a unique means of story-telling in that they are not comprised only of language, but also of strong visuals. At the end of the day, a play is written to be performed. Shakespeare understanding this, writes many very visual cues into his text to marry these two aspects of the story. In Romeo and Juliet, the most notable of these cues in the contrast of light and dark to demonstrate joy and sadness or displeasure. Throughout the play, in scenery and in descriptions, this is repeated to re-enforce these themes for the audience.

Throughout the book by Alfred, Lord Tennyson entitled Idylls of the King, subject, ideas, and object often reoccur on each page bring with them deeper meaning then that which is apparent. The more specific motif that I will be explaining is the contrast and similarity of light and darkness in the descriptions of people, settings, and the mood of a situation. Light and darkness can be contrasted in many ways, such as the rising sun, bright colors, and physical description of darkness such as heavy mist.