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Romeo and juliet written essay
Romeo and juliet essay writing introduction
Story of Romeo and Juliet writeup
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In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, it has multiple themes including death and rivalry. But the most significant, prominent theme in Romeo and Juliet is the theme of love. It is presented in many different ways and there are many different aspects to it. Shakespeare displays these aspects using lightness and darkness motifs such as the sun, moon and stars. Romeo's love for Juliet shows the more emotional, pure, and true aspects of love. Love is explored through many ways, including lightness motifs. Romeo uses stars and other sources of light to show his love for Juliet. He claims that if “two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, having some business, do entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres till …show more content…
Yet he manages to display the same aspects of love using motifs like night, and other things associated with night. In the balcony scene, Juliet exclaims to Romeo “I would not for the world [the guards] saw thee here” and Romeo responds with “I have nights cloak to hide me from their eyes and but thou love me, let them find me here” (2.2.79-81). Romeo believes the darkness of night is in his favor. His devotion for Juliet is pure and strong, for if the night does not hide him, he will take death if it means Juliet will still love him. When death does occur for Romeo, Juliet gives a speech about him that says, “Give me my Romeo, and when he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heav’n so fine, that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun” (3.2.23-27). As night approaches, stars come out Stars are associated with angels, as angels are associated with heaven. Daytime is the time people can go out and do their daily things, for there is light. But when Romeo does die, Juliet believes that he will become the stars and make night so precious, everyone will want it to be night over
Imagery are words or phrases that create pictures in the mind of the reader. It is a vivid and descriptive language that appeals to one or more senses. In Romeo and Juliet, there are numerous occasions where imagery is used, specifically light and dark imagery. Romeo represents darkness as he is depressed and thinks negatively. Juliet represents light since her beauty is as bright as the sun. In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, it is quite evident that one of the most profound forms of imagery is light and dark imagery, which is shown through the darkness of Romeo and the lightness of Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet is known as one of the greatest love stories, but it has its fair share of tragedy as well. The story riddles with themes throughout. Love is the first theme and there is no greater love than the love Romeo and Juliet share. Shakespeare offers his audiences just as much hate as love in Romeo and Juliet. The families of both Romeo and Juliet involve themselves in centuries of feuding. The ongoing feud between the Montagues and Capulets drives Romeo and Juliet into a life of secrecy, which ultimately causes their deaths. Youth is another theme and ties directly to how young both Romeo and Juliet are both in their age and their relationship. The story of Romeo and Juliet uses sex as a theme as well although not in the intimate details of more modern stories. The two lovers concerns are not with the wishes of their warring families, they just want to be together “Deny thy father and refuse thy name / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn by my love / And I’ll no longer be a Capulet” (2.2.34-36). Love is the first theme Shakespeare displays in this play.
As Romeo professes how the brighter the day shines forth, the darker fall the shadows of their woes; this imagery of darkness in this act shows that the time of night seems to shelter and protects the lovers, while the glare of day threatens to reveal them. Hidden in darkness, Romeo and Juliet's love is free from the family feuds that could separate them. But danger lurks in the light, as the secrecy of Romeo and Juliet's marriage could prove to be highly critical to
Throughout acts one and two Romeo is portrayed as a romantic teen that believes in love at first sight. Before meeting Juliet, he is madly in love with a woman named Rosaline, but it was to his dismay that she did not love him back. One night Romeo decides to go to a party where he first sees Juliet and instantaneously falls in love with her. Romeo expresses his dire love by passionately elucidating “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.” Shakespeare uses metaphors and personification to describe how important Juliet is to Romeo. Romeo uses a metaphor to compare Juliet to the sun, which is in the center of the universe. He also uses personification to give the moon human qualities. Romeo describes the moon as envious, sick, and pale with grief. Shakespeare also expresses the idea of love at first sight, when Romeo is pouring his heart out to Juliet. He lovingly
Throughout the story, the representations of light and dark change on several occasions. First, in the beginning, Romeo is referring to Juliet as an angel and the sun. This light is used to show her beauty and his desire. He also refers to the moon and darkness as unwanted due to its lack of romance (2.2.4). The characters, in the beginning of the story, make light seem desirable and have a positive connotation, where darkness is negative. However, as the story continues, this changes. Shakespeare writes the middle of the story where Romeo and Juliet are falling in love differently. They meet at night because of their secret love. Darkness is shown as being opportunistic and romantic. Light is viewed as a negative aspect due to the problems it brings to the surface. Romeo and Juliet highlights this change, but the transformations do not stop there. The end of the story is where Romeo and Juliet are in the tomb and are then found dead. Light, again, means beauty and pleasantness, whereas dark represents sorrow and gloom. Shakespeare uses this technique of switching to highlight the power of love and the outcomes of the feud. Before Romeo and Juliet were together, the world was as it is usually. When they are together, their worlds are, in a sense, flipped upside down. They have to make what they can out of their relationship, even if it is the
Romeo and Juliet is the tragic love story of two star-crossed lovers. Shakespeare used light and dark imagery throughout the play to make this story more dramatic and to show how their love is the light in the dark abyss of their families feud. Shakespeare uses light and dark symbolism in the book, as well, to display the characters intentions, if the character was against or in favor of the antagonist.
In a piece of literature authors often use light and dark imagery to express emotion, displaying the positivity that light holds versus unsafetiness that lies in the dark. In Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the affectionate lovers defy their parents’ everlasting strife and seek out the darkness as a haven where their marriage can thrive. In order to keep their forbidden relationship under wraps, the amorous couple avoids the daytime and the exposure that lies with it. Throughout the play, Romeo constantly refers to brightness to express his adoration for Juliet and her radiance. Shakespeare reverses the typical stereotype of light and dark imagery, showing danger in the daytime in contrast to protection that night offers while using
To Romeo, Juliet shines brighter than any other girl: “It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. / Arise, fair sun and kill the envious moon” (2. 2. 3-4). This powerful comparison to light shows the magnitude of Romeo’s love for Juliet. Throughout the play, Romeo continues to praise Juliet for her beauty and brilliance. These continued comparisons emphasize the intensity of their love. Additionally, Romeo’s fixation with Juliet being his light demonstrates how his whole life revolves around her, similar to how planets revolve around the sun or moths swarm to a light. Light, however, does not just demonstrate the intensity of Romeo and Juliet’s love, but also the severity and importance of keeping their relationship a secret. Unlike darkness, with light comes to the ability to see the truth. Romeo and Juliet know that they themselves are in peril when the world is light: “Your lady mother is coming to your chamber. / The day is broke, be wary, look about. / Then, window, let day in, and let life out” (3. 4. 39-41). In the case of Romeo in Juliet’s bedroom, light coming through the window directly correlates with the risk of them being discovered. As it gets lighter, the sooner Romeo has to leave. By it not being night, the cover for Romeo and Juliet’s love is no longer there, leaving their love transparent and visible. Therefore, as night disappears, Romeo must
As Romeo is getting ready to leave, he remarks, “Look, love, what envious streaks / Do lace the severing clouds in yonder east” (III.v.7-8). Romeo paints a picture that is dually beautiful and gloomy, dark with light seeping through, or light covered by clouds of darkness. Little bits of sunlight are filtering through the slowly parting clouds in the east, but those streaks are "envious" because they mark the end of Romeo and Juliet’s happy time together and the beginning of their sad, separate lives. This effect of sad beauty grows in what Romeo says next: “Night’s candles” [i.e. the stars] "are burnt out, and jocund day / Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops. / I must be gone and live, or stay and die" (III.v.9-11). The day is perched on the top of the world, ready to announce its triumphant arrival, but for Romeo it means being forced to either leave or be executed—either way he may never see Juliet again. Seeing the sky get lighter as the time passes by, Romeo sums up the sad irony of the situation: "More light and light; more dark and dark our woes!" (III.v.36). The world around Romeo and Juliet is light and happy—it is a beautiful day, and the Capulets are eagerly anticipating Juliet marrying Paris. However, for the two lovers, it seems like everything is just getting darker—to be together again seems impossible, as Romeo
In scene two of Romeo and Juliet, through the use of motif, Shakespeare symbolizes, light describes love and darkness represents hate: “Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face.” (p. 75 line 90). The word “night” in the line symbolizes darkness through night, creates a force consuming everything. But the word “mask” suggest light can therefore become hide through darkness, as a mask can endure to hide one’s self and one’s true intent. The words “mask of night” suggest deception through the veil of hate which consumes these two households. It additionally symbolizes the need for secrecy, as mask and night conceal one’s intent from others. Night represents hate therefore creating a mask of hate. The next word “face” shows the love revealed
Light and dark imagery affects the overall atmosphere of the play. This is demonstrated by Romeo’s emotions influencing other character’s moods. Juliet mirrors Romeo’s joyous attitude when they are together, because she is elated by his presence, as he is by her’s because her “...true love is grown to such excess I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth”(Act. 2, Sc. 5, ln 35-36). Unfortunately, Juliet also mirrors Romeo’s darker emotions. As Romeo gazes upon what he believes to be Juliet’s corpse, his mindset turns dark, violent, and even desperate. “For fear of that I still will stay with thee And never from this palace of dim night Depart again. Here, here will I remain With worms that are thy chambermaids. O, here Will I set up my everlasting rest And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars”(Act. 5, Sc. 3, ln 109-115). As a result, he “[Drinks.] O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die [Falls]”(Act. 5, Sc. 3, ln 122-123). Juliet awakens to find Romeo now deceased, and her actions emulate his. “Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end. O churl! drunk all and left no friendly drop To help me?”(Act. 5, Sc. 3, ln 175-177). She acts on her suicidal, desperate thoughts as she cries “...O happy dagger! [Snatches Romeo’s dagger.] This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die [She stabs herself and falls]” (Act. 5, Sc. 3, ln
Throughout Romeo and Juliet love and hate are combined. However even though they are combined love still remains the principal theme in the play. Although in the play the theme of hatred can be just as important and sometimes it intensifies the theme of love. For example Romeo and Juliet’s love wouldn’t have been so extreme and powerful unless there was the hatred between the Montague’s and Capulet’s.
Shakespeare emphasised how each of the young lovers thinks of the other as light. Romeo’s overwhelming attraction towards Juliet on their first encounter is depicted in his exclamation. “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright/It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night/Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear. It is metaphorically representative of Juliet’s possession of eternal radiance. However, it
To conclude, with Shakespeare’s use of light and dark imagery, the reader is able to better understand the abundant love between Romeo and Juliet as well as being able to identify the importance of the nighttime. Through using this type of imagery, Romeo was able to express his love for Juliet’s beauty as well as his affection towards her by comparing her to the sun; she is his light in the darkness. Ironically, the light that brightens the world, the sun, is symbolic for their tragic ending.
In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, love is exemplified more ways that we can imagine, from the undying love of two people to parental love. Love celebrated by the protagonists with playful sonnets to express their endearment and love for one another. Love that transcends from such powerful gazes and translates into an undying love. Society’s encroachment to a very innate and fundamental aspect of our being is met with violence and death. We must not forget that the very essence of love is that you cannot control love. It is innate, a reflex if you will, and for everyone the Holy Grail of life.