Language and Dramatic Devices in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Language and Dramatic Devices in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Introduction

Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is known as a love tragedy and

features many rhymed verses, especially when Romeo and Juliet first

speak. The plot is based on a true story, and takes place over three

days.

The play is about two teenagers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet,

who fall deeply in love but their families are in constant dispute.

The play ends in tragedy when Romeo and Juliet give their lives for

one another. The essay will be exploring how the use of language and

dramatic devices convey Romeo’s development in attitudes concerning

love.

Act 1 Scene 1

When we are first introduced to Romeo, we find that he is deliberately

isolating himself from the outside world. His father Montague defines

him as disturbed by something that he knows nothing of, this is

illustrated by,

“I neither know it, nor can learn of it” (Act 1 Scene 1, Line 143)

This quotation proves that Romeo is being secretive about his

troubles, therefore placing difficulty in identifying them.

He is in this state because of he is infatuated with Rosaline (a

relative of the Capulet‘s) but she will not return his affections as

she has sworn to stay chaste. This is illustrated by,

“She’ll not be hit with Cupid’s arrow. She hath Dian’s wit” (Act 1

Scene 1, Line 289)

“She’ll not be hit with Cupid’s arrow” suggests that nothing will make

Rosaline feel the way that Romeo does for her. He talks of her as wise

as well as a portrayer of beauty when he expresses the phrase, “She

hath Dian‘s wit“

In this part of the play, the audience feel pity for him because they

assume that his love for Rosaline is true and observe the ways in

which the situation has affected him.