“Literary devices or literary techniques are specific structures that writers often use to add meaning or create more compelling stories for the reader” (Literary Devices). When literary devices are properly, they can emphasize a theme, develop character’s personality and emotions, and overall increase the reader’s understanding of the story. One literary genius who understood this concept was William Shakespeare with his play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. In it, he describes the star-crossed lovers and their struggle to find happiness. To further the reader’s understanding of his text, Shakespeare strategically incorporates literary devices such as puns, contradictions, and foreshadowing to augment his readers’ understanding of Romeo …show more content…
and Juliet. Shakespeare’s addition of puns increase a reader’s interest and comprehension of the characters in a complex play. The clever inclusion of creative wordplay allows the reader to grasp the character’s current state and personality with concepts he has prior knowledge of. For instance, Mercutio, a humorous friend of Romeo, delivers a phrase with a double meaning right before his, Mercutio’s, death. “...Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man” (Shakespeare 3.1. 101-102). From Mercutio’s words, the reader notices two interpretations: one where Mercutio is a man in a grave and another where he is a solemn man. When the reader examines the phrase closely, he can sense Mercutio’s state of pain and grief while following with his consistent joking nature. Puns gives Mercutio extra depth: even at his last breath, he stays witty and true to himself. Through Shakespeare’s artistic use of puns, he detailed multiple characters’ personalities and responses. Contradictions can provide the reader with detailed information relating to a character’s internal conflict. In most situations, when someone deals with mixed emotions, he is in a confused state. For example, Shakespeare developed Juliet’s reaction to Tybalt’s death by her husband’s, Romeo’s, hand by using words and phrases that negate each other. “Dove-feathered raven, wolvish-ravening lamb!/ Despised substance of divinest show!” (Shakespeare 3.2 82-83). Her examples, a raven (a symbol of impurity) with the feathers of a dove (a symbol of purity), a lamb (the prey) eating the wolf (the predator), and a despised substance shown divinely, all describe her viewpoint on Romeo. She expresses her care and love for Romeo through positive words and phrases (such as dove, a lamb, and divinest show), but also shows her hatred for him with negative words (such as raven, wolf, and despised). Through the Juliet’s split loyalties to her husband, Romeo, and cousin, Tybalt, she creates a series of contradictions that represent her internal discord and allow the reader to realize her distress. The element of foreshadow in Romeo and Juliet forms a sense of irony and a supports a theme.
Foreshadowing occurs when the author hints at events that will happen in the book. Shakespeare crafts his plays with specific details that add to its entertainment and immersion; it causes the reader to look back and to pay closer attention to his story. Foreshadowing is found within the play, but is most noticeable during Juliet and Romeo’s conversation from when they are parting ways after he sneaks into her room. “O God, I have an ill-divining soul!/ Methinks I see thee, now thou art so low,/ As one dead in the bottom of a tomb” (Shakespeare 3.5 54-56). When the reader beings the play, he knows that Romeo and Juliet will die. However, the characters in the play are not aware of their deaths, but have a that feeling something bad might happen. This dramatic irony connects the reader to the play and creates a desire for him to see how the characters’ lives play out. The concept of foreshadowing also plays a major role in theme. Shakespeare’s genius with his work establishes the design of fate along with the idea that a force doomed Romeo and Juliet from the start. Both of these ideas improve the reader’s experience and keep him emotionally linked with the
play. Shakespeare’s talent with using literary devices such puns, contradictions, and foreshadowing add to the reader’s experience and emotion connection to the work. The reader stays interested in the work through is understand through puns. Contradictions helped understand the emotional struggle of characters. Foreshadowing created the theme of fate and kept the reader connected to the work. Shakespeare’s inclusion and development of literary devices in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet augment the audience’s enjoyment of the play by bringing them into his world.
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.
he says, "To strike Romeo dead I hold it not a sin". We can also see
Shakespeare’s use of comedic devices in his story, The Taming of the Shrew, is one of the many reasons it has remained alive throughout so many decades. A comedic device is a literary tool many writers use to lighten the mood and keep the audience's attention. Examples include: a dramatic plot twist, humorous play-on words, and disguises played by other characters to fool the rest. Using these devices the author is able to ultimately bring the story to its demise.
Throughout the play Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare in the 16th century, there is consistent theme of conflict featured in terms of both mental, physical and emotional means. The way this dispute is embodied throughout the duration of the play alternates subject to subject to the character in question- but can be represented through many means.
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.
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy about two feuding families and the children from each house that meet and fall madly in love but are forbidden to be together. Within the language Shakespeare uses a lot of technical terms that also describe the thoughts and feelings of the main people. For example oxymora is used a lot when Romeo is describing his love for Rosaline and Juliet, ?O brawling love, o loving hate? as the opposites show he is confused and resembles the two family?s conflicts. It also shows that love has pros and cons as does everything in life, which is an example of dramatic irony as Romeo doesn?t realise how true it?s going to be. This also helps us understand the dramatic effects of the language.
Romeo and Juliet - Foreshadowing Foreshadowing has been used throughout the ages of literature revealing horroriffic endings and scheming love, helping the reader from being to overly surprised by the outcomes. Many writers use this technique of writing utilizing its ability to add so much more meaning to a novel. As in the age of Elizabethans, directors and actors caged this skill exploiting it when ever thought necessary. In the play Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare utilizes foreshadowing to keep the audience from becoming to upset by the tragic outcome. He also uses it to display Romeo's and Juliet's enduring love for one another.
In efforts to overcome such hindrances to their love, Juliet feigns her death as planned. However, as a result of miscommunication, Romeo takes the news seriously, and thus, being propelled by zealous devotion, both use death as the key to unity. A variety of themes are implicated throughout the play. Fate, in particular, is well demonstrated. By using the motif of stars and characters such as Friar Lawrence, Juliet, and Romeo, Shakespeare truly and masterfully conveys that fate is the inevitable, unalterable and omnipotent force that controls all actions unto their consequences.
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragic story about two lovers who are from two disputing families, and their eventual suicides. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony throughout the play to create tension for the audience and foreshadow the ending. Dramatic irony is when the words or actions of characters in a story have a different meaning to the reader than to the characters. This is because the reader knows something that the characters do not. Romeo and Juliet’s death could have been prevented if the characters in the story weren’t so ignorant of their situations, and often times the reader recognizes this.
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.
The light and dark imagery that Shakespeare uses in this passage describes Juliet as a young and eager lover. Romeo associates Juliet with light meaning goodness. Then Romeo says that Juliet looks like the excellent night. The night that Romeo speaks of represents Rosaline. Romeo basically says through with light and dark imagery, that Juliet is as good as Rosaline to love. Romeo then compares Juliet to a "winged messenger of heaven" who filled with lightness and goodness. He says that all humans look upon this kindness as the messenger "bestrides the lazy puffing clouds" while doing his errands. Romeo explains using this imagery that everyone looks at Juliet because she gives off a stunning and intricate outlook.
Throughout the play, it is clearly shown that fate has a huge role in the “star-crossed lovers” dire downfall. This is written in the prologue to foreshadow the ending. The prologue provides the audience with Romeos thought provoking promotion further warming the reader of the omnipresent force of fate which is looking over him, “Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars.” Here Shakespeare use literary techniques such as a metaphor to demonstrates that there is a deathly consequence written in fate for Romeo. Overall this provides the reader with the knowledge of what Romeo is thinking and foreshadows the end of the story. Shakespeare uses clever diction to imply that Juliet’s death is inevitable, "If all else fail, myself have power to die.” This clearly illustrates that fate is involved in the upcoming disaster. Not only have the lovers realized that there is a greater fore involved, but Friar Lawrence has too realized, “a greater power than we can contradict, hath thwarted our intents.” This shows that fate is a subjugate factor in the lover’s untimely
The language throughout the play uses many powerful poetic phrases which stimulate strong images in our minds, the metaphors used contrast sharply from loving poetical language to dark images foreshadowing death. The beginning of the play also contrasts with the end because it starts off with the lovers enjoying each others company and ends with tragedy, pain and thoughts of suicide. The contrasts Shakespeare uses make the play very dramatic and cause the audience to become enthralled and captivated within the play. When the lovers are together at early hours of the morning they talk to each other using loving poetical language;
The prince’s speech in Romeo and Juliet was given after a fight broke out in the market between the rich families by the name of Montague’s and Capulet’s. The Prince said during his speech “Your lives shall forfeit the peace in my city” Is a bit of foreshadowing and how someone might have to pay their life for taking away the peace of his city. Later on in the story Capulet gets killed by Romeo, therefore he will have to pay his life because he once again disturbed the streets of Verona. Romeo was lucky enough to have kept his life, but he is banned from Verona for the rest of his life. “Three civil brawls bred of an airy word,” Meant that this isn’t the first time that the two families have fought. “Bred of an airy word” the two sides had a great battle just because of a few words. Shakespeare’s also like to use Iambic pentameter to show that speakers are of a higher class. It means that there does not have to be a rhyme scheme. Shakespeare does play with the word he uses so every line has the same amount of syllables. There are also different stresses on each word to kind of give ...
To begin Shakespeare's use of foreshadowing showed that fate is inescapable. During Capulet’s party Juliet, the daughter of Capulet fell in love with Romeo while unaware of his last name. As Romeo was leaving she asked her nurse to ask him for his