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Why Did Shakespeare Introduce Romeo In Act 1

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How does Shakespeare introduce Romeo to the audience in act 1 scene 1? Romeo and Juliet is a play by William Shakespeare written in 1595. The play explores the theme of love, hate and death. One of the main characters in the play is Romeo who is a heartbroken, overemotional teenage boy. Shakespeare uses many techniques such as reported action, metaphor, hyperbole etc. to introduce Romeo to the audience in the play. By analysing what is said about Romeo, what he says, his general mood and his imagery of Rosaline, it is possible to infer how Shakespeare introduces Romeo in act 1, scene one. By analysing what is said about Romeo, it is possible to identify how Shakespeare introduces Romeo to the audience in act one, scene one. Studying act one, …show more content…

In Act one, scene one, Romeo is depicted as a thoughtful character, “O brawling love, o loving hate.” Shakespeare uses juxtaposition and oxymorons in Romeo’s speech to portray Romeo as a contemplative being. The use of juxtaposition makes Romeo seem quite clever. Romeo is present as an overemotional and passionate teenager, “Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs, being purged, a fire sparkling in lover’s eyes.” Shakespeare uses hyperbole to make Romeo seem sentimental, emotive language is also used to make the reader emphasise with Romeo heartbreak. Shakespeare depicts Romeo as suicidal, “do I live dead that I live to tell you now?” This is another use of hyperbole, this makes Romeo seem over-dramatic and it also shows the extent of Romeo’s sadness. Romeo says he is so sad that living is like death to him. Romeo is also described as pessimistic, “I have lost myself; I am not here. This is not Romeo, he’s somewhere else.” This is a use of hyperbole where Romeo recognises that he has not been himself. By examining what Romeo says, he is presented as a reflective, sentimental, despondent and …show more content…

Although Rosaline never speaks or appears in the book, Romeo’s imagery of her gives you a very good idea of what she is like. First of all, Romeo thinks Rosaline is very beautiful, so much so that he is overwhelmed with thoughts of her, “she is too fair, too wise, wisely to fair.” The use of repetition and rule of three shows how obsessive Romeo is and exaggerates how compulsive Rosaline’s beauty and wisdom is. Romeo’s imagery of Rosaline shows how unforgettable Rosaline is. “O teach me how I should forget to think.” This is a self-contradiction and is a sort of paradox. It shows how Romeo still misses Rosaline and even though she is “unavailable”, he is still “in love” and can’t forget about her. Romeo’s imagery of Rosaline indicates that Rosaline is not touched by Romeo’s infatuation of her, “and in strong proof of chastity well armed, from love’s weak childish bow she lives uncharmed.” Imagery and metaphor is used here to show how Rosaline will not indulge in Romeo’s love for her or allow herself to be charmed by him. Rosaline is described as different and unique,”for beauty starved with her severity.”Because Rosaline will not accept his love and lives in chastity, love cannot exist because of her unwillingness to accept. This quotation is a use of hyperbole. From Romeo’s imagery of Rosaline, I can tell he is quite obsessive and enamoured by Rosaline’s

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