Literary Devices In Romeo And Juliet

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet tells the tragic story of two young star-crossed lovers whose fates are inevitable. This poetic play reaches a theatrical crescendo in Act 3 Scene 1, a pivotal turning point that leads to the ultimate tragedy of the play. This play incorporates plot, language devices and aesthetic features to explore themes on the forcefulness of love and the inevitability of fate. Shakespeare applies literary devices to portray the instinctive and strong attraction between Romeo and Juliet. Elements of aesthetic features are also included to further create a text that exquisitely expresses the heartbreak of forbidden love and devastating tragedy.

Act 3, Scene 1 takes place in the streets where Mercutio, Benvolio and Romeo encounter Tybalt. Tybalt, who bears a hateful grudge against Romeo, challenges him to a fight.

Romeo, however, does not respond to this duel. An infuriated Mercutio sees this as dishonourable to the Montague household and accepts Tybalt’s challenge. Romeo seeks to reconcile the two enemies, but ironically this provokes the duel even more until eventually, Mercutio and Tybalt are both killed. As a result, this causes the chain of unfortunate events that leads to Romeo’s exile, Friar Lawrence’s ill-hatched plan, and ultimately, the lovers’ dual suicide.

A variety of language devices serves to advance the theme of forbidden love in Romeo and Juliet, which enhances the resulting tragedy.

Personification is integrated in character dialogue between Romeo and Juliet as they express their love for one another. In Lines 5-7 of Act 2, Scene 2, Romeo sees Juliet enter on the balcony and declares, “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.” In these lines, Romeo gives human-like qualities to the moon by describing it as envious, sick and pale with grief. Shakespeare’s effect of this is to highlight Romeo’s sincere belief that Juliet is brilliantly more beautiful than the moon. Hyperbole has been skilfully used in Act 1, Scene 5, Line 45, where Romeo’s love towards Juliet is more heartfelt than his pretentious show of affection towards Rosaline. He emphasises how Juliet’s beauty stands out from the crowd by stating that, “She shows a snowy dove trooping with crows.” This expression and the fact that the both of them come from antagonistic families makes their love more intense, urgent and

desperate.

With the inclusion of a range of aesthetic features, Shakespeare intricately intensifies the catastrophe of this heartbreak story. The tale of Romeo and Juliet is all about inevitability with foreshadowing as a recurring theme. In Line 5 of the prologue, it had already stated, “A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life.” This adds the effect of fate and puts the audience in a state of dramatic irony, since they are aware that Romeo and Juliet’s death is foreseeable. In Act 3, Scene 1, Line 132, Romeo declares, “Oh, I am fortune’s fool!” Romeo is discreetly referencing the prologue, where the audience learns that Romeo and Juliet are fated for misfortune. His words bring the idea of fate and destiny back into the audience's mind.

Romeo and Juliet, with a combination of plot, language devices and aesthetic features is truly a beautifully written text. Scene 1 of Act 3, when the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt act as catalysts that leads to the tragic fate of the star-crossed lovers, is definitely a climactic turning point. Language devices such as hyperbole and personification add to create that of ingenious quality writing. Comprising of aesthetic features like dramatic irony and foreshadowing, William Shakespeare’s most famous love story is beyond doubt, a wonderful work of art that gives an insight into the captivating, passionate and heart-rending romance of Juliet and her Romeo.