Deafening silence. A small crowd. Oxymorons like these, allusions, paradoxes, puns, and juxtaposition are commonly used in writing. Authors use these to describe characters without directly listing their traits. In Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare is known for using these literary devices. Shakespeare uses oxymorons, paradoxes, allusions, and puns to indirectly reveal character traits of Romeo, Juliet, and Friar Laurence. The paradoxes and puns that are used by Shakespeare allow the reader to infer character traits of Romeo. Romeo says, “O, she is rich in beauty; only poor That, when she dies, with beauty dies her store” (1.1.208-209). Romeo uses this paradox to explain how he is upset that Rosaline has plenty of beauty, but her beauty will die when she dies. Romeo only cares about her physical appearance, revealing that he is a shallow man. Romeo jokes with Mercutio: “Nay, good goose, bite not” (2.4.69). This is a pun because Romeo is calling Mercutio a goose while Mercutio is talking about how Romeo has been leading them on a wild-goose chase. This exchange allows the reader to infer that Romeo is witty and likes to joke. The reader can infer character traits about Romeo by …show more content…
Shakespeare’s paradoxes and puns. In addition, Shakespeare uses paradoxes and allusions to indirectly reveal character traits about Juliet. Shakespeare indirectly characterized Juliet as being impatient and educated.
When Juliet is waiting for Romeo, she says, “Thou sober-suited matron, all in black, And learn me how to lose a winning match” (3.2.11-12). The use of this paradox reveals that Juliet is impatient because she wants to lose her virginity right away so that she can win at being a proper wife. Juliet also says, “Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, Towards Phoebus’ lodging! Such a wagoner as Phaëton would whip you to the West” (3.2.1-3). Shakespeare uses these allusions to show that Juliet is educated because she knows about Phoebus and Phaëton. Not only does Shakespeare use allusions and paradoxes to indirectly characterize Juliet, but he also uses oxymorons to reveal character traits about Friar
Laurence. Shakespeare reveals that Friar Laurence is wise and feels guilty by using literary devices. For example, Friar Laurence tells Romeo that “These violent delights have violent ends” (2.6.9). This oxymoron explains that something can be violent yet cause happiness. The reader can then infer that Friar Laurence is wise and gives good advice, because he always seems to be thinking about the possible consequences of actions. After Juliet takes the poison, Friar Laurence says, “Poor living corpse, closed in a dead man’s tomb” (5.2.29). While Juliet is alive, everybody thinks that she is dead, which will cause her to have to be put in a tomb with actual corpses. The use of this quote shows that Friar Laurence feels guilty for going through with this plan and what Juliet will go through when she wakes. Friar Laurence is indirectly characterized by Shakespeare’s oxymorons. Romeo, Juliet, and Friar Laurence have character traits revealed indirectly by Shakespeare’s paradoxes, puns, allusions, and oxymorons. Shakespeare uses paradoxes and puns to reveal that Romeo is shallow and witty. Furthermore, he uses paradoxes and allusions to indirectly characterize Juliet as impatient and educated. For Friar Laurence, Shakespeare writes oxymorons to indirectly reveal that he is wise and feels guilty. Authors commonly use literary devices such as these to make their descriptions more interesting.
Romeo loses hope about being basinshed and instead of listening to the friar and listening to all of his options. We further learn that if Romeo hadn't left it wouldn’t have caused such a great calamity between him and Juliet. As teenagers we tend to lose patience very quickly, this causes us to not think through all our options and makes us lose hope. With a lack of patience comes a sense of mistaken and forgotten. Shakespeare in this scene explores this ironic scene and only if Romeo calmed down and listened to his options he would be such a different
In the play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses oxymorons, paradox, pun, and or juxtaposition to indirectly characterized characters. Oxymorons, paradox and puns all contribute to juxtaposition. Because if the way they spoke, many of the examples found in Romeo and Juliet are paradoxical. Shakespeare doesn't tell the audience about his characters. He uses his language. William Shakespeare uses literary devices in Romeo and Juliet to portray complex characters.
Through a young man’s journey through life, they will eventually stumble upon the obstacle of love. Some may choose to avoid it and others may choose to face it head on. Those who chose to face love head on experience rejection. In Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare oxymorons and metaphors to emphasize Romeo’s exaggerated reaction after he faces rejection.
William Shakespeare, the author of many various forms of writing, was born in Stratford upon Avon, in 1564. He wrote plays and sonnets alike, and occasionally combined the two. “Romeo and Juliet” was an example of this as many sonnets are used in it so as to display their love. This play was perhaps the shortest one that he ever wrote, and it is a tragedy that still warms the hearts of people today. It is, no doubt, amongst the most well known plays by him, and is greatly enjoyed by children and adults alike. In this essay, I will identify the various techniques used in this work of art, explicitly focusing on dramatic irony and foreshadowing.
William Shakespeare’s diverse use of rhetorical and figurative language enhances and develops the moods he conveys, thus creating vast and various atmospheres throughout his works. An example of one his works that uses many of these devices is Shakespeare’s renowned Romeo and Juliet. In the famous play, the two lovebirds (Romeo and Juliet), fall in a forbidden love as the long-lasting rivalry between their two families continues its onslaught. The couple later on tragically commit suicide, which ultimately ends the feud. During the journey of the two lovers, Shakespeare expresses clearly the mood of each scene using figurative language.
The famous poet Oscar Wilde once said that “The heart was made to be broken.”. Romeo and Juliet is a tale of two star-crossed lovers who in their love for each other were willing to sacrifice their lives. In Act 1, Scene 5 of “Romeo and Juliet”, William Shakespeare portrays Romeo as temperamental using hyperbole. Romeo says “ Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!
William Shakespeare is really famous for his writings, especially Romeo and Juliet. A pair of two star crossed lovers take place, on their mission to unite two houses, Capulets and Montagues, once and for all. In the play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare presents a lot of paradoxes. This provides a lot of contrast to the text and allows readers to think harder and better understand the intricacies of this writing. In this play, there are many paradoxical themes expressed through the text for example good versus evil, love versus hate, and many more. All these paradoxes are communicated through figurative language, characterization, sound devices, and literary foils. These are literary devices that authors use to help readers to visualize
Juliet is very clever at this point because she is speaking with double meanings and this misleads her mother think that she hates Romeo. “Indeed I shall never be Satisfied until I behold him -Dead-. ” Later on in the scene Juliet is sarcastically plotting to poison Romeo, this is quite ironic because Romeo indeed does poison himself when he hears about Juliet’s ‘death’ “To bear a poison, I would Temper it.
Romeo sneaks into Capulet’s orchard and uses the most charming figurative language to describe Juliet and her beauty. Shakespeare uses metaphorical language comparing Juliet to the sun; this shows Shakespeare’s craft in writing, because this scene is placed at nighttime, “It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.” Romeo describes her beauty in glowing images of light, like the sun, moon, and the stars. Also, he uses personification saying the moon is jealous of Juliet’s beauty, “Kill the envious moon who is already sick and pale, that thou her maid art far more fair than she.” Furthermore, Romeo brings in heavenly bodies and uses metaphorical language saying Juliet is an angel who stands over the clouds, “As is a winged messenger of heaven, when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds.”
Many comedic elements occur throughout play, and through these hilarious events, it is clear that even in a tragedy the tale can be amusing. Humor adds a livelier mood to the drama when Mercutio, Romeo's witty friend, teases Romeo as a helpless victim of an overzealous, unsatisfied love. Shakespeare’s purpose of creating comedy is to relieve the audience from the tension and drama embedded in the love story. Over the course of the work, humorous characters provide comic relief; for example, Mercutio mocks, “If love be rough with you, be rough with love; / Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down. / Give me a case to put my visage in: / A visor for a visor!
v. 38-39; 43-45). From the context of this scene, the audience can tell that Nurse is being sarcastic. In reality, she actually enjoys Romeo and thinks he is a suitable match for Juliet. Another instance where Nurse’s wit is presented is when she says, “Yes, madam. Yet I cannot choose but to laugh, to think it should leave me crying and saying ‘Ay’.
uns are the ultimate literary device. They can be corny and make you groan, or poetic and full of raw meaning. Shakespeare fully realized the power of the pun, and worked to make it a focal point of his play Romeo and Juliet. He uses puns to a plethora of extents, from displaying character emotions, foreshadowing, and malapropisms that convey a deeper meaning.
Language and Dramatic Devices in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Introduction Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is known as a love tragedy. features many rhymed verses, especially when Romeo and Juliet first. speak.
What is the difference between saying “yes” and “yeah”? How do these replies, though they have the same meaning, alter one’s perception of the speaker’s level of education, courtesy and personality? William Shakespeare successfully explores the effect of speaking mannerism on perception in his tragedy Romeo and Juliet as characters use varying poetic meters, literary devices, diction and length of sentences in order to enhance characterization. Furthermore, he implements these diverse characteristics and social classes in order to release tension and reinforce theme. Thus, through Shakespeare’s manipulation of language in Romeo and Juliet, it is undeniable that he effectively reveals social class and develops character, consequently providing
Shakespeare incorporates figurative language to characterize one of the main characters named Romeo. In the midst of speaking with Mercutio, Romeo claims that “[he] has a soul of lead,” (1.4.15), showing his morale is low. A type of figurative language like a metaphor is used to confess one of Romeo’s character traits, like his sunken morale. A brief metaphor can be more appealing than the character just expressing that he or she is depressed. While speaking to Mercutio, Romeo also claims that “Under love’s heavy burden do I sink,” (1.4.22), showing he is crushed by love. Another type of figurative language such as personification also is used to characterize Romeo. Personification can give an emotion or feel a stronger perception to the reader