Use Of Light And Dark Imagery In Romeo And Juliet

The increasing light represents the obstacles and conflicts they face, while the darkness represents the secrecy and forbidden nature of their love. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare flexes his diction skills to highlight the theme of love. Romeo and Juliet shape the play by expressing their emotions, thoughts, and conflicts between Romeo and Juliet. When Romeo first lays eyes on Juliet, he drops some poetic lines. In the novel Romeo and Juliet it says “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!”

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

There are many metaphors in the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare relates Romeo to the theme of light and darkness. He first states, “Under love’s heavy burden do I sink. A torch for me. Let wantons lights of heart tickle the senses rushes with their heels.” When Shakespeare writes this he shows how depressed Romeo is. Romeo is sorrowful, because he loves Rosaline, but she does not love him. He is telling his friends to go have fun, and he will hold the torch to light their happiness. He believes he cannot be happy without her, so he is willing to illuminate other’s happiness. Shakespeare also shows the aspect of light connected to Romeo by saying, “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright.” Shakespeare portrays

In the beginning of the play, the motif of light vs. dark is displayed through imagery. “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, 1.2.127-128 130&133). This quote shows that the happy sun does not affect Romeo and the sad night is how he feels because of the darkness of the night. The quote also reveals that his depressed state is represented by darkness. This reveals a central idea that love will overpower all feelings, because he is sad that his love did not work out and caused him to be depressed.

Jacob Dell March 26, 2018 Celestial Imagery In Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare is well-known for the universal truths that are conveyed through different types of imagery. One type of imagery frequently used in Romeo and Juliet is natural imagery, which, by using examples of natural elements such as flowers, stones, herbs, etc., Shakespeare effectively proves that love is the force behind our every action and emotion. We see natural imagery in use by the drastic change we see in Romeo after falling in love towards the beginning of the play. “Lady, by yonder blessèd moon I vow, that tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops,” (II, ii, 107-108) In this scene, Romeo is making a vow of his true love to Juliet and swearing by the moon that paints the tops of all the trees.

Shakespeare expresses Juliet’s longing for Romeo with the personification of the night and a hyperbole saying “all the world will be in love with night”. These 2 literary devices combine to enhance the suspenseful tone awaiting Romeo’s arrival in secret and foreshadow the characters deaths by having Juliet say the “when i shall die” that she still wants Romeo to be a part of her life. This very clearly foreshadows that she was going to take her own life and that the reason she was going to do so was so she could be with Romeo in heaven. Along with the light and dark being used to foreshadow the ending it was also used to describe it in act 5 scene 3 when Montague talks about, “A glooming peace this morning with it brings; The sun, of sorrow will not show his hand

After Romeo and Juliet had spent the night together Romeo must leave but Juliet doesn’t want him to go therefore she tells Romeo its still night for example “Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near day.” Normally light represents happiness and darkness represents fear and doom but in Romeo and Juliet’s marriage they can only love in darkness which could mean doom to there relationship. Juliet says to Romeo that he has a pale face “Either my eye sight fails, or thou look’st pale,” which could mean she is referring to death which is ionic because the play ends in death.

Juliet’s state of mind at this point in the play definitely revolves around this idea of light vs. dark – her fears and hopes. After hearing about the loss of her cousin, Tybalt, she faces the obstacle in which she is forced to choose which path to take. Friar Lawrence gives Juliet the opportunity to run away with Romeo, but in order to do so; she must leave behind her remaining loved

of the light or dark. "The King comes here tonight", this is said by a

Some examples of light and dark motifs in Romeo and Juliet are “Juliet describes Romeo as day and night whiter than snow upon a raven's back,” Contrasting love and hate, youth and age, and even when he lies apparently dead in the tomb. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is mostly impulsive while Mercutio is realistic, they are both enjoying each other's company and met their death in this tragedy. The contrast of light and dark in Romeo and Juliet are, at most times, the metaphors that create dramatic irony. Also, the light and dark imagery serves as a hint as to how the story would play out. Romeo and Juliet contrast images in their expressions of appreciation for each other.

The natural order of the world is disrupted; this is made obvious from the start of the play. Even though they generally speak in riddle, the three witches are significant characters because of their foresight and knowledge of future atmosphere.

Romeo and Juliet’s love in Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet is portrayed through religious and light imagery. Romeo believes love to be a “heavy light” and a “bright smoke”(1:1:191-193) that is blinding and beautiful in one. This relays to the factor of his judgement being affected by his blind devotion and love for Juliet. He places her beauty on a pedestal with his claim that she could “teach the torches [how] to burn bright”(1:5:51), and later calls her the “fair sun” and to “kill the envious moon”(2:2:4). This shows that he believes that she is such a light in the darkness that the moon would be jealous of how she lights up a room, just as the moon does in the night sky.

Further on in the play, the images of light and dark are additionally found within “Macbeth”. After announcing Malcolm is heir to the throne, Duncan says, referring to Macbeth, "But signs of nobleness like stars shall shine / On all deservers”. Here the idea of the shine of stars represents the altruistic, but contrarily, Macbeth uses the same imagery to convey his doubts and shame of the mere thought of murdering Duncan: “Stars, hide your fires, / Let not light see my black and deep desires... Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.” This is Macbeth asking that the stars do not shine as he wishes not to see his “desire” to murder Duncan.

It is believed that Shakespeare’s use of imagery was not meant to enhance the playwright’s work. It is meant for a reinforcement of the action in the play, not to paint a pretty picture. Most imagery is used to make literary work more interesting, but in this case it is meant to supplement the plot. Instead of using literary devices in a superficial way, Shakespeare utilizes imagery to subtly foreshadow. For example in this source, the author mentions how Shakespeare’s use of light in Romeo and Juliet was used not to beautify the piece as interpreted by Caroline Spurgeon, but actually to foreshadow the tragedy later to come. This source is useful because it gives another way imagery is used in literary work. Shakespeare’s use of imagery is

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"