Irony In "Romeo and Juliet"

Irony occurs when there is conflict about what was stated and what something really means. There are three main types of irony. Irony can make the difference in a good book, and a great book. It is in just about every scene of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare uses different types of irony for many reasons.

The first type of irony is verbal irony. It starts being used in the very beginning of the play when the chorus says “Two households, both alike in dignity” (prologue). The chorus states they are dignified, but they are really very undignified. Another example is when Juliet says “ I never shall be satisfied with Romeo until I behold him –dead – is my poor heart for a kingsman vex’d” (III, ii, 93-94). Juliet’s mother believes she wants to see Romeo die, but the audience knows she means her heart is dead if Romeo is dead. There are also many other examples of verbal irony such as when the nurse and Juliet are talking at the Capulets party, and Juliet tells her that her grave will be her wedding bed. Of course the audience already knows that her wedding bed really will be her grave because she marries Romeo and it literally kills her.

Another basic type of irony in Romeo and Juliet is situational irony. This type of irony occurs when something that someone attempts to do turns out exactly opposite of what is expected. A couple of examples of situational irony are when Romeo goes to that capulets party to see Rosaline, then falls in love with Juliet whom is a capulet herself, and when Romeo says he would rather die than be banished. It turns out that he does. Also Juliet says “ it is an honor that I dream not of” ( ). Juliet is telling her mother she does not dream of being married, but ironically is married in th...

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...r, verbal irony is when one thing is said, but the opposite thing is meant. Situational irony is when one thing is intended to happen, but the opposite occurs, and dramatic irony, commonly known as tragic irony is when the audience or reader knows something important that the characters do not.

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Wilhelm, Jeffery D. et al. Romeo and Juliet. Glenco literature the readers choice. Course 4. Glenco;Newyork, 2009