The motif light and dark is present in every act of Romeo and Juliet; Shakespeare intentionally and strategically placed each example of this motif throughout the entire play. Shakespeare uses the motif of light and dark to describe Romeo and Juliet’s intense love for each other and the consequences that follow. Light and dark are complete opposites, just like Romeo and Juliet who come from rival families. Shakespeare’s usage of the motif was not only creative but incredibly precise. The motif of light and dark appears in each act and is very crucial to the development of this play.
The motif of light and dark in Act I is at the Capulet's party when Romeo first sees Juliet and says “O,she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she
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hangs upon the cheek of night As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear” (Romeo I.5.44-46). In this quote Shakespeare uses light and dark to portray love by having Romeo say that Juliet shows torches to burn with her beauty. As well as saying she stands out against the darkness like a jewel. This says how beautiful Juliet is. As well as showing how impulsive Romeo is when he reacts. .“ But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon who is already sick, and pale, with grief that thou her maid art more fair than she”(II.2.1-6). Romeo is saying this to Juliet in the gardens after the party. In this instance Romeo is saying how beautiful Juliet is. He uses a metaphor to describe this, making a direct comparison from Juliet to the sun. He points out how the moon is envious of her beauty because it is sick and pale but the sun is far more fair. This effects the story by showing the readers what he thinks of Juliet whether it was truly love or just lust for her appearance. The motif of light and darkness shown in Act II of Romeo and Juliet is when Juliet states, “O, swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circle orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.”(II.II.106) She says this because, the moon is inconsistent; and if Romeo swears by it he will be like the moon, leaving her alone. The portraying of light and dark in this is the use of the moon: because, the moon is the dark side of their relationship. This affects the “dark” of their relationship by Juliet having the fear of losing Romeo’s love. Which leads her into begging him to not swear by the moon so that they may see the “light” of their relationship. The tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet introduces two teenagers whose love and passion is comparable to light and dark. Act III, Scene II of Romeo and Juliet has Juliet anticipating Romeo's arrival to on her chamber after they were married. It is during this time Juliet gives one of her most famous monologues. “Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-brow'd night, Give me my Romeo; and when I shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heaven so fine, That all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun ” (III.2.21-27). This quote shows Juliet’s desire for Romeo to come to her to consummate their marriage. This shows that their love symbolizes light, but also has the ability to bring darkness. Throughout the entire play love is always follows darkness, and there cannot be one without the other. An example of this being that once they consummate their marriage, there is no going back and starting over. Light and dark fills every crook and cranny in Shakespeare’s work. Shakespeare used this throughout the play to explain the love between Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet have the love where everything is going nice and light but at that end it is violent and dark. Shakespeare uses this line in the play to show how Romeo feels towards Juliet, he tells her “More light and light, more dark and dark our woes” in Act III Scene 5. He uses the two contrasting forces to allow each star-crossed lover to express their love clearly both to each other and the reader. Shades of light and dark are used throughout Romeo and Juliet, especially in Act 5, Scene 3 when Romeo is in the tomb with Juliet in a death-like trance.
Light is depicted as life and beauty and death and despair represents dark. The use of light and dark allows readers to view Romeo and Juliet’s love abstractly; Romeo and Juliet are shown to have multiple layers to their characters causing one to see them as more than spoiled brats. Shakespeare shows the two as opposing pawns who are internally trying to protect their king (their family honor) but at the same time yearning to escape the game of chess. Personification is used to represent that Death is in love with the idea of destroying light and has amorous feelings casting a shade of grey between the light and dark. Shakespeare writes in act five upon entrance of Juliet’s tomb “That unsubstantial Death is amorous, and that the lean abhorred monster keeps thee here in dard to be his paramour”(V.3.103-105). Shakespeare also refers to Juliet’s beauty as full of light, when Romeo sees Juliet in a death-like trance in the tomb, “For here lies Juliet and her beauty makes this vault a feasting presence full of light”(V.3.85-86). By using light and dark he allows the reader to understand the strength and devotion of Romeo and Juliet’s love not only throughout the scene, but also throughout the entire
play. The motif light and dark appears in every act of Romeo and Juliet; it is purposely and delicately woven with great attention to detail in order to explain Romeo and Juliet’s love. Choosing the motif was a stroke of poetic genius. The Bard was both crafty and bold in his ways of persuasion; common problems became fantastic journeys allowing readers to explore new worlds within themselves. Shakespeare used light and dark to connect with both common and noble men. He uses light and dark to not only explain the battle of Romeo and Juliet’s love, but to allow the audience to be elevated from their seats and emotionally in the play. Shakespeare’s work continues to transcend new generations who appreciate the beautiful tapestry woven with strands of light and dark.
The Light vs Darkness archetype, can be found in many other works of literature and movies, which show its overwhelming significance. Indeed, it is possible to see light vs dark in many piece of British literature. For example in the classic Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Sense and Sensibility is a book first published in 1811 so it is not the newest example but it is still 200 years after the first performance of Romeo and Juliet. Sense and Sensibility is a book about these two sisters Elinor, the eldest one and Marianne Dashwood. During the book these two sister face many challenges that reveal the different way they think and act in certain situations. Elinor acts more based on her mind and what should be done instead on what she
William Shakespeare is amazing at using extended metaphor in Romeo and Juliet to show love between the characters, the word choice that Shakespeare uses to write extended metaphor is very detailed. During the balcony scene, Romeo says something towards Juliet which is an extended metaphor which shows love Romeo said, “Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief that thou her maid art far more fair than she” (Shakespeare 2.2.3-5). What this means is that Juliet is being compared to the sun and Romeo is telling Juliet to arise beautiful woman and kill the envious moon so Juliet is a fair sun which has to destroy the darkness which is the moon. Romeo is saying that Juliet is as beautiful as the sun which shines over the world they live in. A little later during the balcony scene, Romeo uses extended metaphor again to compare Juliet to something good. Romeo is in love with Juliet and her beauty because Romeo always complements Juliet with something lovely and he speaks of Juliet in a nice way. For example, Romeo says “O, speak again, 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 wondering eyes” (Shakespeare 2.2.29-32). This really shows the love that Romeo has for Juliet because he compares her to a bright angel and being compared to an angel shows that she’s very glorious and mighty with beautiful features. Also, Romeo complements Juliet’s eyes again saying that her eyes are awestruck and so pretty that all mortals fall back to gaze this shows that Romeo is in love with all of her beauties and all the other people are too. Romeo says a lot of extended metaphor during the play to compare Juliet to things that are of beauty and not something that is horrible thus extended metaphor is used to show the love between
On first seeing Juliet, Shakespeare uses light and dark imagery to emphasise Juliet’s beauty. Romeo exclaims ‘O, she [Juliet] doth teach the torches to burn bright!’ he describes Juliet’s beauty as being brighter than the light of a torch. Light and dark imagery is used to create mood and show contrast as the light of a torch is used to show the way in darkness and is also suggested to be a beacon of hope, this proposes Romeo was in the dark and Juliet is his light to guide the way. Romeo also compares Juliet to ‘a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear’ the bright glare of Juliet’s looks are made even brighter as a ‘bright jewel’ contrasts against the darkness of an ‘Ethiop’s ear’, this simile is used to highlight Juliet as a rare, unique...
Next, we begin to summarize Juliet’s secretive personal life through her eyes. Within her eyes are place two hearts: one fully intact and the other broken apart. The symbolism behind the two simple drawings stands for love and loss. Love and loss seem to be a constant theme throughout Shakespeare’s tragic romance. Perhaps due to being written in the Elizabethan era, where death and suffering were enjoyable to audiences. During the play, Juliet falls in love with her husband and loses many such as Mercutio, Tybalt and in the end, even her beloved Romeo. “O serpent heart hid with ...
On first seeing Juliet, Romeo exclaims, "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! / It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night / Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear; … So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows" (Act 1 Scene 5 Lines 44-48) Romeo describes Juliet's beauty in terms of light and dark. "She doth teach the torches to burn bright" means both that her beauty is brighter than the light of any torch and that she makes the whole room light up. The brightness of Juliet's beauty is made even brighter by the contrasts with the blackness of the "Ethiope" and the blackness of crows. The use of antithesis with the "snowy doves" and the "crows" creates a powerful opposing force showing how she stands out from the others. Another interpretation of the dove is that it is a symbol of peace and sets in place an image of Romeo and Juliet's love creating peace between the two rival families. Another moment is when Juliet is waiting for Romeo to come to her bed. In her imagination, the night will bring her love. She goes on to say, "Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night, / That runaways' eyes may wink and Romeo" (Act 3 Scene 2 Lines 5-6). Juliet is seeing things as though she is in bed, the curtains are closed, creating a dark atmosphere where they act their love. In the dark, the pair will create their own light, because "Lovers can see to do their amorous rites / By their own beauties" The use of courtly love is very common in theatres at the time of Romeo and Juliet because in those days people would dream and fantasize about courtly love and was an entertaining
Shakespeare has many prime examples of symbolism in Romeo and Juliet that helps the audience understand the relationship love and hate have, and how it relates to the plot. One example is of the light and dark (day and night). Although the day has the sun and is brighter and happier, their love flourishes in the dark. Due to this, Romeo constantly refers to Juliet as the sun. When Romeo is observing Juliet at her deathbed, he states, “For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes This vault a feasting presence full of light” (5.3 85-86) Even when Juliet is dead, Romeo proclaims that her beauty makes the vault full of light. Even when she is no longer alive, she is still the sun. Although people don’t consider death and beauty to be at all related, these two contradictions fit well together. Throughout all of these examples, Shakespeare represents that love and hate need each other to survive, just like the day and night, the light and dark, and the death and
How Shakespeare Presents the Idea of Contrast in Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is one of the first tragedies Shakespeare wrote yet. of the most enjoyable plays. One of the reasons that it is so enjoyable is because Shakespeare uses so much contrast throughout the the whole play of the game. He contrasts themes, characters, language and structure. make the play exciting and keep the audience on their toes.
Shakespeare uses dark and light imagery throughout the play to stand for death, violence, sadness and secrecy. In act one, scene two, Shakespeare uses dark imagery to convey Romeo's sadness. Montague describes romeo as creating an 'artificial night' which seems to reflect his dark, depressed mood.
As Mehmet Murat İldan once quoted, “A man who refused light will remain in darkness even by the side of light.” Throughout Romeo and Juliet, light and dark imagery is used to intensify the tragedy in this story. Romeo exists in a dark, depressed state while thinking about his first love, Rosaline. Romeo doesn’t ever think he will be happy or see light again, yet Shakespeare provides light imagery that implies Romeo could have a positive future. Light imagery conveys that Juliet, a beautiful, young girl full of hope, dreams of bringing Romeo out of the artificial darkness he creates for himself. Shakespeare uses light and dark imagery in many ways, including setting the mood, capturing the characters’ personalities, and developing the characters
Besides poison representing death, Shakespeare also uses images of death which symbolize sorrow. One example of such imagery involves the time when Romeo leaves the Capulet party and leaves Juliet behind. He uses images of a lifeless body and death to show the sorrow he feels when he is not with his beloved Juliet.
... a dark setting used which involved supernatural events, while the light setting was used for last battle, when Macbeth was slain at the end to show the restoration of peace and honesty. Thus the symbolism of light and darkness representing good and evil in the play emphasizes the theme of corruption of power.
The imagery used gives color to the language and there are certain images, which reappear more often in the play, so called iterative imageries, one of. these are light and darkness. This image gives a strong contrast used. to describe Romeo’s and Juliet’s love for one another. The less important characters, which most of the time are the lower class, such. as servants or musicians, do not have such richness in their word.
Linked with colour is the important use of light and dark ni the play to
Light and darkness represent the tragedies that took place throughout the play. Light represents the good things that happen and darkness represents bad or evil things. One example of light is when Macbeth was given the thane of Gladis he was very elated and there was sunshine at that time. But for darkness its the opposite all the bad events took place during the night for example when Macbeth goes to kill king Duncan because of greed he wasn't happy with the position he received he wanted to be king so he can have more power . Another example of Darkness is when the witches come to tell him his prophecy (I, iii, 125). This is a type of tragic situation because if the witches hadn't appeared and told Macbeth that he would be king he wouldn't have so much lust. In this scene Macbeth describes the witch as an ugly old lady dressed in black. The color black represents the witch’s evil nature. Shakespeare used this traditional symbol through the play to focus on the Elizabethan concept of the Great Chain. When the chain is in order everything is good and there is light. When the chain is violated bad things happen and there is evil and darkness. When Macbeth committed the act of killing Banqu...
Also the night will shield them from anyone seeing when they make love to each other. From this we can tell that darkness is one of the main themes in the story as it revolves around tragedy and misfortune because many characters die. Juliet shows us that she wants the darkness to come when she says: 'And bring in cloudy night immediately. Spread thy close curtain, love performing night' Not only does this quote indicate to us that Juliet wishes for the night to come however, it tells us that she wishes to make love to Romeo: 'So tedious is this day' Also this quote tells us that she cannot wait for the day to be over.