Examples Of Light And Dark In Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is the tragic love story of two star-crossed lovers. Shakespeare used light and dark imagery throughout the play to make this story more dramatic and to show how their love is the light in the dark abyss of their families feud. Shakespeare uses light and dark symbolism in the book, as well, to display the characters intentions, if the character was against or in favor of the antagonist.

To begin with at the very start of the book, Benvolio and Montague are having a conversation about Romeo, they say that Romeo is in the woods before dawn to be in the dark and cry, and when the sun would come up he would go in his room and makes an artificial night. “says Romeo has gotten in the habit of avoiding the light”(Shakespeare Navigators). Romeo's attitude and humor are a sign of his despair. “Black and portentous must this humor prove, Unless good counsel may the cause remove”(Shakespear 19) Romeo was in a dark place all day to represent that he was sad and lonely, and desperate for love. The

moment Romeo saw Juliet she immediately became the light in his life. “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night As a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear”(Shakespear 60). This shows immediately from the very beginning of the book Shakespeare was showing a symbol of light and dark Romeo and Juliet, she is the light and he is the dark.
The Balcony scene, act 2 scene 2 has many examples of the light and dark shown throughout the book.

In this scene, Juliet is on the balcony of her room, and Romeo is down in the Capulet garden. Romeo and Juliet express their love for each other and how they want to get married. “Romeo’s speech is an ecstatic ression of Juliet's shining beauty, and of the longing it arouses in him”(Shakespeare Navigators). Romeo sees Juliet as lighting up his way, “It is the East and Juliet is the sun. Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon”(Shakespeare 69). Romeo exclaims that Juliet is the sun and she should kill the envious moon displaying that Romeo sees Juliet as the light of his heart that is in the dark about the feeling of love. “The brightness of her cheek would shame those starts As daylight doth a lamp; her eye in heaven”(Shakespeare 71). A symbol of what Romeo is describing that Juliet is the light is how she's on a lighten up balcony and he is in a dark

orchard.
The last scene in the play is act 5 scene 3. Romeo goes to the Capulet tomb, finds Juliet sleeping, and thinks that she is dead. Romeo then lays County Parise's body in the tomb with Juliet. Romeo describes the room not as dark but as light, Romeo describes the room as light because he says that the light is radiating off of Juliet and her beauty. “A lantern slaughtered youth, for here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes this vault a feasting presence full of light”(Shakespear 225). The light and dark aspects of this scene are that Juliet drinks the potion to be with Romeo. When all turned sideways Romeo chose above all Juliet and killed himself. “As well as being a metaphor for death, night also distinguishes the private, personal world of the lovers”(Shakespeare’s Tragedies). This scene is somewhat ironic because Juliet chose to be with Romeo and faked her death, and Romeo chose to be with Juliet and killed himself for her, and Juliet takes her life in Romeo's name when she finds him dead near her death bed. “Have they been merry, which their keepers call a light’ning before death! O, how may I call this a light’ning? O my love, my wife, Death”(Shakespeare 227).
Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet on the idea of light and dark. Even though there is one big picture of light and dark , there are many little scenarios, and symbols shown in all of the acts. The light and dark theme adds emotion to the play that the audience/ readers can relate to. The love at first sight scene, the balcony scene, and the suicide scene, are 3 of the major light and dark examples in the play.