Shakespeare's Use of Imagery and Symbolism to Create Dramatic Tension in Romeo and Juliet

In this line Romeo is explaining how Juliet is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen and as a result he

In the tragedy 'Romeo and Juliet', Shakespeare presents the inner struggles of Romeo and Juliet, the two protagonists as one of the main themes. This is clearly shown at the end of Act 3 Scene 2 when Juliet receives the news that Romeo has been banished and Tybalt has been killed. Juliet is distraught at the conflict of her loyalties. Should she express love for her family or should she express love for Romeo? By using many different language features, such as oxymorons, paradox, antithesis and dramatic irony, Shakespeare effectively displays Juliet's conflicting emotions. Later in the play, Shakespeare uses the betrayal by adults to again show the inner struggles of Romeo and Juliet.

The main feature of all drama is conflict and Shakespeare uses oppositions in literary devices to create it. Romeo and Juliet starts off with the feuding families fighting, already setting the mood and creating a separation, forcing us as the reader to pick a side. Through the play, puns and other literary devices are used to establish oppositions between love and hate to create conflict and tension.

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.

Shakespeare creates effective drama by introducing the speech of Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt. Tybalts speech is strong and hateful towards Romeo, as he is now aware that there is one, if not more Montague’s present. By using dialogue such as ‘ what dare that slave come hither’ and ‘uncle, this is a Montague, our foe’ Shakespeare is able to translate the hate and rivalry, possessed between Romeo and Tybalt and generally the drama and conflict between Capulet and Montague. This is very dramatically effective. Capulet’s response to Tybalt, is to say that he has heard only good things about Romeo, therefore the party must go on. More time for more drama is allowed with no interruption of the party, therefore the passionate meeting of Romeo and Juliet is allowed to take place.

In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt was the enforcer of the story and always tried to stir up more chaos in the feud between the Montagues and Capulets. An example of this can be found in Act 1, when the Capulet’s party is going on, when Tybalt senses Romeo, he ends up getting very defensive and angry, “This, by his voice, should be a Montague, / Fetch me my rapier, boy. . . Now, by the stock and honor of my kin, / To strike him dead I hold it not a sin” (5.52-57). Tybalt’s quick and unthoughtful actions make him a hot-headed character who is very easy to dislike. With Tybalt’s previous actions, the story leaned toward the idea that he was going to cause a damaging and lethal event to happen, which he indeed did. After spotting Romeo at the Capulet party, Tybalt felt disrespected and was livid, due to this, he challenged Romeo to a duel. When they both meet up on the street, Romeo attempts to make peace with Tybalt and to end all disagreements between the two. However, Tybalt is there to cause drama and he declines, stating that Romeo’s request “shall not excuse the injuries / that thou hast done to me” (3.1.61-62). Tybalt’s rejection of Romeo’s request led to his own death as well as Mercutio’s. Another consequence of these actions was Romeo’s banishment from Verona, which ended up

For example, on the Balcony scene, when Romeo encountered Juliet, Juliet exclaimed, “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? / Deny thy father and refuse thy name, / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, / And I’ll no longer be a Capulet” (2.2.36-39). This quote toward the middle of the story demonstrates that Juliet truly loves Romeo, meaning that she regrets that Romeo is a Montague, and that she is a Capulet. The division between their families produces a lot of issues for them because the Capulet and the Montagues have massacred themselves continuously. Shakespeare uses connotation and symbolism by deeply showing that Juliet is essentially asking Romeo, why he is a Montague? Juliet asks Romeo to object his last name, so they could have a peaceful relationship, not separated by violence. In addition to this, when Juliet went to consult Friar Lawrence concerning the marriage with Count Paris, she said, “O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, / From off the battlements of any tower, / Or walk in thievish ways, or bid me lurk / Where serpents are. Chain me with roaring bears, / Or hide me nightly in a charnel house” (4.1.78-81). This quote towards the end of the story demonstrates that Juliet prefers to die than to marry Count Paris. She is essentially saying that she’ll

The play written by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, explores the theme of love, which engages the modern audience. Shakespeare uses different language devices and quotes when describing love, from Romeo and Juliet, to family love and forced love. This romantic tragedy is about young star-crossed lovers that are stuck in a long lasting feud between their two families, the Montagues and Capulets, fate ends up causing them to commit suicide in despair of their love.The play empathises the fine line between love and hate but love is the driving theme throughout this romantic tragedy.

After being banished from Verona, Romeo is relentless while talking to Friar Lawrence and says, “Heaven is here / where Juliet lives, and every cat and dog / and little mouse, every unworthy thing, Live here in heaven and may look on her, / But Romeo may not” (3.3.31-35). This over exaggeration shows how Romeo feels as if Verona is a “heaven”; where all the “unworthy thing[s]” can stay. They can look at and admire Juliet, but “Romeo may not”, despite his obvious desire for doing so. Romeo continues, refusing to leave Juliet, he says, “More honorable state, more courtship lives / in carrion flies than Romeo. They may seize / on white wonder of dear Juliet’s hand / and steal immortal blessing from her lips” (3.3.36-39). This hyperbole exaggerates how Romeo feels unworthy to Juliet. Romeo is expressing his concern of “carrion flies” being able to love Juliet more than himself. In addition, they have a “More honorable state” than himself; Romeo believes that flies are more valuable than he is. Romeo thinks that they will kiss Juliet, and he can not stand the thought of anyone with Juliet but him, because of her very high value in his mind. Romeo continues to demonstrate his concern about leaving and says, “Flies may do this, but I from this must fly / they are free men, but I am banished, / And sayest thou yet that exile is not death?” (3.3.43-45). In this hyperbole, Romeo is once again over

There is no such thing as a popular story without a plot twist, because every good story has something special that makes you want to know more. In every story or play there are always characters who purpel the plot with dramatic actions, and are solely involved to create plot twists. Stories, plays and books are all written to draw viewers and readers in and get them hooked. This means these productions have to have a certain character or event that causes the plot to advance and become more intriguing. The play Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare has multiple plot twist most that originate with one character in particular. Friar Laurence is the origin of most of the twists and turns in Romeo and Juliet, he creates a lot of dramatic curves to the plot.

Pannell 1 Michael Pannell Dr. Pomerleau ENGL 1102 September 12, 2017 Misunderstanding Romeo and Juliet Throughout Romeo and Juliet, people have a misconception about what Shakespeare wanted his theme to be portrayed as. Instead of fate and love, the motif mainly focuses on miscommunication, assumption versus truth, and the difference in love and lust. In lines 61 through 122, Act 1.5, these are represented through the use of irony, sound devices, and religious metaphors. Shakespeare uses the devices to enrich and enhance his writing. He often uses literary devices to give his writing more depth and emotion. The scene begins with Romeo arriving at a Capulet dinner party, and continues with Romeo and Juliet’s first contact with each other, which is portrayed as a sonnet. Act One Scene Five is one turning point in the play and a sonnet is used to highlight the significance, since only a few are used in the whole play. Romeo and Juliet requires many analytical tools and close reading to fully understand the themes and messages in the play. The scene begins with Romeo arriving to the Capulet household for a party he was told to attend by Mercutio, so Romeo can forget about his last so-called love, Rosaline. Tybalt then spots the Montague, and immediately runs to Capulet to make it known a member of the evil

When two people fall in love, it is natural for the besotted to express their infatuation for the other whether it be with artwork, physicality, writing, or other forms of expression. Throughout William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, two star crossed lovers by the names of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet fall in love only to end up committing suicide because of their families ongoing feud. Shakespeare uses allusion, personification, and soliloquy throughout the theatrical playwright in order to express Romeo and Juliet’s deep love for one another when still alive.

In the play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare used a fair amount of figurative language to express the feelings between Romeo and Juliet. The young minded individuals start to fall in love at a quick pace. Juliet and Romeo have uncontrolled feelings for each other and this causes them to make irrational decisions. Romeo uses metaphors and similes to compare Juliet to some of earth’s most beautiful things. Romeo declares that “It is the east, and Juliet is the sun”, by doing this he is showing Juliet’s beauty. He persuades her to come out of her bedroom by saying “Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon.” He used the moons credibility to show how he feels towards Juliet and manipulate her to come out onto the balcony to see him. While

Romeo was banished for killing Tybalt, which was the fault of the the feud. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have gotten the false information that Juliet was dead, forcing him to make the rash decision to rush to the Capulet tomb to kill himself by her side to be with her. He was so disturbed about these events that he unthinkingly killed Paris, only to lay him in the tomb. As he walks in to lay Paris down he sees Juliet, saying "here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes this vault a feasting presence full of light" (5.3.85-86). This shows how truly in love with her he was, saying even in death she's beautiful and lights up a place as dark as a tomb.

In act I.1.226-228 it says “She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste; for beauty, starved with her severity cuts beauty from all posterity” which is Romeo saying that he loves a girl and she doesn't love him back. At the end of that act he falls in love with another girl “O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night”1.5.50-52. The girl he loves is a enemy of his household and one of the members (Tybalt) sees him and says “ This, by his