Light and Dark In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the images of light and dark are one of the most constant visual motifs throughout the play. Characters, such as Benvolio, Juliet, and Romeo, who exhibit goodness, innocence, and love are often seen either giving off light, discussing light, or are in the presence of light. Characters who exhibit violence, evil, and death are often associated with darkness. Light is presented as a conqueror of darkness as well as emblematic of purity and hope. The main characters, Romeo and Juliet, who experience the light think that this light will never fade. It is clear, however, that by the end of the play darkness has consumed any remaining light for these tragic lovers, Romeo and Juliet. In this essay, I will show how light is presented at some of the highest points in the play, and how darkness is shown at some of the lowest parts. Romeo and Rosaline The very first mention of Romeo in the play is almost instantly followed by associations with light and with darkness. After Montague’s wife asks Benvolio whether or not he has seen Romeo, he responds with, “…an hour before the worshiped sun / Peered forth the golden window of the east,…so early walking did I see your son” (I.1.117-22). After this Montague complains that Romeo has been avoiding light and is very depressed. Montague, while explaining to Benvolio what Romeo has been up to, says: Away from light steals home my heavy son And private in his chamber pens himself, Shuts up his
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is one of the greatest love stories ever told. This is evident in today’s society, with the story being retold again and again in theatre productions, books, and movie spinoffs. The story is of two lovers, whose love was doomed from the start due to their disputing families, the Capulets and Montagues, who would never see a marriage between the two. Romeo and Juliet eventually take their own lives, ceasing their families’ fighting. William Shakespeare, the playwright who wrote Romeo and Juliet and likely the most famous playwright ever, uses light and dark imagery within the story to highlight the lovers’ affection for one another against the backdrop of their lives. The motif of light and dark is used, with
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet – popularly considered by many to be the quintessential love story of all time – is a play that we are all familiar with in one way or another. Whether it be through the plethora of portrayals, adaptations and performances that exist or through your own reading of the play, chances are you have been acquainted with this tale of “tragic love” at some point in your life. Through this universal familiarity an odd occurrence can be noted, one of almost canonical reverence for the themes commonly believed to be central to the plot. The most widely believed theme of Romeo and Juliet is that of the ideal love unable to exist under the harsh social and political strains of this world. Out of this idea emerge two
In William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare presents characters in difficult situations in Romeo and Juliet through various language techniques and structure. Romeo and Juliet were star-crossed lovers. Both Romeo and Juliet were from feuding families that would not approve of their marriage. In the play they are presented with many difficult circumstances. The play was set in the Elizabethan era; there was a significant change in religion, family and politics. Attitudes and key scenes highlight the theme of love in difficult circumstances and prepare the audience for Romeo and Juliet’s suicides at the end of the play. In this essay I will be exploring the ways Shakespeare presents characters in difficult situations.
2. Shakespeare uses light and dark imagery in this balcony scene to describe Romeo and Juliet's romance and their love. Also, Romeo said "Arise, fair sun, and kill
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet discusses the many challenges the ‘star crossed lovers’ face. It is their own deceptive actions that ultimately lead them to their untimely end. However Romeo and Juliet are forced to be deceptive due to their fate and misfortune, the ongoing feud in Verona, and the misleading guidance they receive from others; which also contribute to their deaths. Romeo and Juliet focuses on the theme of love and hate, this theme is interweaved throughout the play.
Shakespeare’s use of symbolism assists in conveying this idea of love and purity. However, this pure representation of night is contradicted when Juliet fears of being trapped within the ‘horrible conceit of death and night” (IV, iv, 24). The irony that Shakespeare uses to illustrate Juliet’s state of mind demonstrates her still developing character as she is conflicted between the concept of betraying for family and death itself. At this point in the play, from Juliet’s ponders and contradictory, the audience is able to conclude that she is very much torn and indecisive of her motives.
Light and dark is one of the most common motifs that is used in many famous literary works, especially Shakespeare’s. In the most subtle ways, he uses light and dark to highlight important events that shape the play Romeo and Juliet. The main characters are star-crossed lovers who have to keep their marriage a secret from their families. They come from families that fight with one another and can never keep peace. The play begins with the tragic ending, telling us what happens from the start. In Romeo and Juliet, the motif of light and dark is used to further Shakespeare’s points of light as beauty, good, and truth, and dark as a lack of beauty, bad, and lies to reflect concurrent situations in the play.
about the meaning of night and not just look upon it with a one-sided point of
Shakespeare shows the dualism of the light and dark by metaphorically using darkness as a symbol of depression.There
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the connection between light and dark mirroring morality and vision is thoroughly explored through the evolving madness that is Macbeth’s mind. He enters wave after wave of inner turmoil, at times being cast in the dark and other times aware of the cruelty of his acts. The concept of lightness in the play serves to symbolize innocence, purity, and truth while darkness shapes the blossoming corruption and guilt that runs parallel to the superficial action of the play. Shakespeare utilizes the poetical mechanism of contrasting elements to emphasize the characters’ actions that lead to their psychological downfalls as well as to link the idea of lightness to vision and conscious well-being.
These abnormal occupancies portray the impact of Lady Macbeth’s descent into madness on the natural world. Additionally, the Old Man proposes the question of whether it is “the night’s predominance or the day’s shame/ That darkness does the face of the entomb/when living light should kiss it?” and introduces the symbolic metaphor of darkness and light (...). Light is typically associated with righteousness and virtue while darkness typically represents evil, and in this instance, the darkness symbolizes the actions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as well as any guilt that they bear. This struggle between light and darkness, good and evil, sanity and insanity, is a conflict that reappears often throughout the play.
Romeo and Juliet are both in a bad place before they meet each other, so when they find one another, they discover bliss in the attention and feeling of importance they were given. Shakespeare shows this throughout Act II, Scene 2 where they constantly mention light and symbols of happiness. Happiness is another example of how light can be used to depict several feelings, another one is light as a weight or feeling of weight lifting off of someone’s chest. Some examples of light and symbols of happiness in this scene include “A thousand times the worse, to want thy light!” , “The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars”, and “Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious
The word love can mean many things. Love can be an object, emotion, and a life. However, love could lead to a loss of power, prosperity, and status. In the literary work “Romeo and Juliet” written by William Shakespeare, the readers are introduced to a tragic love story. In this play, readers are also shown the different perspectives of love and the many downfalls it could lead to. The central theme of this work is the recklessness of love. The theme is significant because it is shown throughout the whole story and it’s a strong force that takes place of all the other emotions and values. In this play, Shakespeare uses characters to present different aspects of love. In addition, Nurse, Mercutio, and Romeo completely show what actual love is and what it is like to lose it due to their experiences.
The motif light and dark enhance the theme forcefulness of love by forcing them to do anything to be with each other even violence. Romeo and Juliet love was love at first sight. The only way to be with each other for them was to hide their love in the dark and away from light. Love is so powerful that it made Romeo and Juliet betray their family, friends and themselves. They even went out of their ways and broke the rules to get married.
The comparison of Juliet’s beauty to the sun, and its ability to kill the moon, reveals Romeo’s appearance-based affection and gives the audience a glimpse of Romeo’s obsessive, and excitable