Humor in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Although heartrending and disastrous in nature and conclusion, Romeo and Juliet is filled with humor brought to the reader with a variety of literary devices. This is very evident throughout the play because William Shakespeare, through the immense use of puns and sarcasm, creates comedic effects in tragic plays such as Romeo and Juliet.

Creating and establishing humour has a very important role in plays for it prepares the reader or audience for the tragic events that will occur later on in the story. Just one of the many literary devices being used are puns. Puns are a play on words and language that are used with intent to create humour. Through the conversations the character of Mercutio has with other characters, the audience can see that he is a humorous character that uses puns very often. In this specific case he is having a conversation in when. Romeo tells Mercutio about a dream he had, to which Mercutio replies, “And so did I” (1.4.50). When Romeo asks Mercutio what his dream was about, Mercutio says, “That dreamers often lie” (1.4.53). In this instance, the play on the word “lie” is witty and clever. Mercutio is stating that dreams “lie” as dreamers “lie.” Although humorous and comedic, this is thematically important, as it stresses the fabrications as well as the deceptions in dreams. Through the use of this pun we acquire that Romeo and Juliet choose to pin their hopes on a dream, and we later learn, that these dreams and hopes end with tragic results. Earlier on, the introductory scene of the play is full with a wide variety of puns as servants, Sampson and Gregory, indulge in a verbal duel as well as a fight with swords. When Sampson declares, "Gregory, upon my word, we'll not carry coals,” (1.1.1) he is stating...

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...William Shakespeare intentionally made this fragment of speech by Juliet overly sarcastic for it creates humour for the audience, because through her tone of voice or the placement of words, the viewers can be acquainted with the knowledge that Juliet is being sarcastic and mocking the nurse. Through the conversations Juliet and Lady Capulet have with the other characters, it is evident that their use of sarcasm created a comedic effect for the viewer of the play.

William Shakespeare is a very talented playwright who was able to create humour and comedic effects through various characters that use puns and sarcasm in their exchange of dialogues, arguments, and conversations. Even in such a tragic play such as Romeo and Juliet, it is evident that through the use of various types of literary devices such as puns and sarcasm, Shakespeare was able to establish humour.