John Steinbeck once said “It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone”. In order to appreciate something for all that it truly is, one must learn to compare it to its opposite. These opposites both complement each other and bring out the worst in one another. Moreover, they also produce energy through the tension they create. This is true of opposition everywhere, literature included. Authors often make use of it, thus making their works more interesting and relatable. In the play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare uses light and dark imagery to create a tension that mirrors the energy we encounter in our everyday lives. In particular, this energy is found in setting, characterization, and the theme of love.
All of the scenes in the play take place in either the light of day or the darkness of night. Although this may seem obvious, the opposition between these settings plays an important role in conveying the mood of both characters and events. Traditionally, the brightness of sunlight is used to represent hope and joy. Nevertheless, Shakespeare often uses the light of day to create irony by setting a dark ambience. In the opening scene of Act 1, Lady Montague is looking for her son. When Benvolio says that he saw him walking towards the woods, Montague responds with,“Many a morning hath he there been seen. / With tears augmenting the fresh morning’s dew” (1.1.128-129). Montague is stating that Romeo is crying in the forest, as he does most mornings. This relates his sadness to daybreak, and establishes that the brightness of day often carries a solemn feeling. Similarly, it creates irony in the fact that although the setting is bright and joyful, Romeo’s mood is somber. The signifi...
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...they hadn’t appeared he could have stayed along Juliet’s side. This is important to the play as a whole for envy is a dangerous thing; it is the resentfulness brought on by something owned by another. When faced with this feeling, one can sometimes be pushed to do complete cruel actions, and even take that which they do not own. Here, Romeo and Juliet’s ability to be together is being taken away, for their love is one that most would not understand. The other Capulets and Montagues, who have never looked passed their name barriers, have never been able to experience love without boundaries the way Romeo and Juliet have learned to.
In the play Romeo and Juliet, an energy that duplicates that of our everyday lives is created through William Shakespeare’s use of light and darkness. This imagery is distinctly found in setting, characterization, and the theme of love.
An example of this is “Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night, That runaways’ eyes may wink and Romeo leap to these arms, untalk’d of an unseen”. Juliet is longing for Romeo to come and consummate their marriage at night, which is when they can be together, as their relationship is too unnatural for them to meet at day, due to the hatred of their families. It is further proven that the dark imagery represents passion. Juliet is passionate about Romeo, as she has made up her mind to give her maidenhood to him, which is something she can never undo. An additional quote is “Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops. I must be gone and live, or stay and die… Let me be ta’en, let me be put to death; I am content, so thou wilt have it so“. Romeo has just consummated his marriage with Juliet. He says that the stars are gone, and that daylight is coming. Romeo must leave, as Verona is waking up, and he will be killed if he is seen with Juliet. Even with this risk, he considers staying with Juliet, as he enjoys being with her. Dark imagery is used to show how passionate Romeo is about Juliet. He made their marriage legal, and is even considering risking death to stay with her longer. He has permanently committed to her, and cannot go back. As the evidence presented shows, the dark imagery in Romeo and Juliet reflects the theme of passion.
Being one of the most debated texts in history, Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, has the power and ability to divide audiences. Throughout the play, it is seen that Shakespeare has left the audience to contemplate the underlying cause of the Romeo and Juliet tragedy. Shakespeare begins by showing the reckless actions and choices of the lovers, illustrating one of the main contributing factors to their deaths. Friar Lawrence plays a large role in the deaths of the lovers as he is the main instigator, greatly contributing to the deaths. Also, demonstrated through the play is that the lover’s destiny is written in the stars. Without
In Act I of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare demonstrates different forms of love that characters face. From the beginning, Romeo struggles to find true love and what love really is. As for Juliet, she also struggles on what love is, but also finding her own voice. And when finally finding true love they discover that they have fallen in love their own enemy. They both realize that the idea of love can be amazing, but also a painful experience. Shakespeare demonstrates love versus evil and the forms love takes that is acknowledged as an universal issue that connects different types of audiences. Audiences are captured by relating on love and the emotions that are displayed. From Romeo and Rosaline’s unrequited love, Paris and Juliet’s false love, and Romeo and Juliet’s ill-fated love, create the forms of love that establishes love as a leading theme in Act I.
On first seeing Juliet, Romeo exclaims, "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! / It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night / Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear; … So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows" (Act 1 Scene 5 Lines 44-48) Romeo describes Juliet's beauty in terms of light and dark. "She doth teach the torches to burn bright" means both that her beauty is brighter than the light of any torch and that she makes the whole room light up. The brightness of Juliet's beauty is made even brighter by the contrasts with the blackness of the "Ethiope" and the blackness of crows. The use of antithesis with the "snowy doves" and the "crows" creates a powerful opposing force showing how she stands out from the others. Another interpretation of the dove is that it is a symbol of peace and sets in place an image of Romeo and Juliet's love creating peace between the two rival families. Another moment is when Juliet is waiting for Romeo to come to her bed. In her imagination, the night will bring her love. She goes on to say, "Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night, / That runaways' eyes may wink and Romeo" (Act 3 Scene 2 Lines 5-6). Juliet is seeing things as though she is in bed, the curtains are closed, creating a dark atmosphere where they act their love. In the dark, the pair will create their own light, because "Lovers can see to do their amorous rites / By their own beauties" The use of courtly love is very common in theatres at the time of Romeo and Juliet because in those days people would dream and fantasize about courtly love and was an entertaining
The prosperous and vibrant Elizabethan Age made England the heart of all commerce, culture, and most importantly, theatre. Romeo and Juliet, the masterpiece tragedy by William Shakespeare, takes place in this time period and relays the story of two young lovers whose ill-fated deaths eventually end an ancient family feud. The two, Romeo and Juliet, come from quarreling families who adamantly disapprove of their union. Thus, after knowing each other for only a few days, the star-crossed pair marries in secrecy and continues their furtive relationship. The situation complicates as the story progresses, with a previous love, arranged marriages, a perilous plan, and several deaths. Ultimately, Romeo and Juliet both fall to the consequences of their actions and have a pain-filled and sorrowful demise. Shakespeare’s use of various tactics in developing Romeo’s character in the play Romeo and Juliet shows that Romeo has an impulsive and emotional disposition. Romeo’s inner feelings, his actions and responses, and others’ opinions about him all help shape his character. William Shakespeare’s methods all combine to draw Romeo’s disposition.
The love shared between Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet is one of the most prominent emotions in the play that continues to influence behavior. When Juliet asks Romeo how he was able to climb her balcony, he responds, “With love’s light wings I do o’erperch these walls,/For stony limits cannot hold love out,/And what love can do, that dares love attempt” (Rom. 2.2.71-73). Romeo expresses the strength and influence love has on his behavior in order to be with Juliet. But when Friar Lawrence attempts to be optimistic about his banishment, Romeo obstinately asserts that, “Thou canst not speak of that thou dost not feel./Wert thou as young as I…”(3.3.67-68). While love can provide strength, it can also prompt, especially amongst young lovers, irrationality. It is evident that “His [Romeo’s] whole love affair betrays a cast of mind that is hopeful against obstacle and impatient of cold reason” (Draper 122). This “cast of mind” is a portion of the human nature that Shakespeare clearly conveys in the play. Shakespeare, through Romeo, portrays the positive and negat...
Imagine living a tragic existence, not even two entire decades long. Imagine being controlled by an invisible, yet limitless puppet string conducted by “the stars”. When fate is your enemy and time reveals each unraveling tragedy to your dismay, you understand how it feels to be the protagonist’s of Shakespeare’s most famous love story, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Tradition, heredity, and ancestry symbolize the celestial psychology that is the stars. Controlling every miniscule detail of the play from human behavior to action sequences, to the ultimate climax of the tale. The power that fate has is surprisingly destructible yet inevitable to audiences as they come to realize the given characteristics that cannot be changed, even to avoid death. The moment Romeo and Juliet initially saw one another, they were sure their love was meant to be. This feeling was brought on because their love was the solution of the stars, or forefathers, to cure the rivaling families’ animosity. Fate contributes to the development of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by relating to astrological terms, human behavior, and fate as an agent of destruction.
The Effects of Imagery in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Works Cited Missing Shakespeare used many aspects of language particularly imagery in many forms to make Romeo & Juliet more dramatic, exciting and interesting for his audience. He managed to make the play more accessible to his audience. Some of whom, in the sixteenth century, somewhat ill-educated. He used language to convey the main concerns of the public i.e. death, love, violence, avarice and wealth.
Techniques and Devices Shakespeare Uses to Show the Power and Beauty of the Love Between Romeo and Juliet
In the play “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare shows that love has power to control one’s actions, feelings, and the relationship itself through the bond between a destined couple. The passion between the pair grew strong enough to have the capability to do these mighty things. The predestined newlyweds are brought down a rocky road of obstacles learning love’s strength and the meaning of love.
Shakespeare emphasizes the optimism of the scene by using language that creates positive connotations of the dark - to contrast the depressive connotations of act one, scene two. Romeo is grateful for 'night's cloak' which allows him to visit Juliet in secret without being captured and killed by the guards. This notion is developed later in the play - Romeo and Juliet meet primarily in the night-time whilst the main acts of violence occur during the day. this manipulation of stereotypical imagery, combined with the sense of contrasting and conflicting emotions.
First of all, the themes of Romeo and Juliet such as love and hate are essentially the same in all its facets and colours whether it is in the 1500’s or the present time. The play is still accepted universally because people can closely relate to themes such as love and hate, and life and death, and these themes are the basis of the play. For example, there is the i...
“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?/ 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/ That thou her maid art far more fair than she/ Be not her maid since she is envious/ Her vestal livery is but sick and green/ And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off!/ It is my lady. Oh, it is my love/ Oh, that she knew she were!” (Shakespeare II ii 2-11).
In the tremendous play of ‘Romeo & Juliet’, Shakespeare’s ways engages the audience straight away. The astounding methods he uses hooks the audience into the play and allows them to read on, wondering what will happen. The tragic love story of Romeo & Juliet, as mentioned in the prologue, sets a variety of themes throughout Act 1 Scene 5. Many of the recognisable themes are: youth and age, revenge, forbidden love, fate, action and hate. The main idea of the play is a feud that had been going on between two families, The ‘Montagues and Capulets’, the son of the Montagues and the daughter of the Capulets fall in love and the story tells us how tragic, death, happiness and revenge find them throughout the play.
Literary devices play a crucial and essential role in almost all works of literature. Literary devices are techniques used by the writer in order to conjure moods and ideas within the reader. Writers use different literary devices for different purposes. One very important literary device is imagery. In imagery, words are used to invoke an image in the reader's mind. One writer that utilizes a great deal of imagery is William Shakespeare. In William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses images of poison and death to create moods of death and sorrow.