How Does Shakespeare Use Metaphors In Romeo And Juliet
Granberry 1
Brett Granberry
Miss Fuhrman
Honors English I
16 November 2011
Star-crossed Lovers
This play is a tale of two lovers, tied together by death due to ancient family hostility. Throughout the play, this couple, madly in love, made every effort to see each other. The love-struck pair secretly wed and planned to escape Verona together. Despite their families’ many quarrels, true love prevailed; they died in each other’s embraces and the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets came to an end. In Romeo and Juliet, a sweetly painful drama, Shakespeare uses metaphors, oxymorons, and foreshadowing to convey powerful emotions.
William Shakespeare incorporated several poignant metaphors throughout Romeo and Juliet. A metaphor is a comparison between two things, but unlike a simile, the words “like” or “as” are not used. Relating back to the play, Mercutio says, “True, I talk of dreams; which are the children …show more content…
Shakespeare often uses oxymorons to convey the characters’ feelings. After Juliet hears that Romeo killed her cousin Tybalt, she lets out her conflicted feelings in a ramble of oxymorons (Shakespeare 3.2.73-79). Some examples of the oxymoronic things she says are “damned saint” and “honorable villain”; these contradictory statements reflect her confused thoughts towards the situation. When Romeo was feeling melancholy because Rosaline did not return his love, he says “Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!” (Shakespeare 1.1.177-178) using oxymorons to describe his new outlook on love. The most famous oxymoron of Romeo and Juliet is “Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow” (Shakespeare 2.2.185). This is stated by Juliet before the balcony scene ends to show how her love for Romeo makes it hard for them to part. In summary, Shakespeare effectively uses oxymorons to emphasize
Brett Granberry
Miss Fuhrman
Honors English I
16 November 2011
Star-crossed Lovers
This play is a tale of two lovers, tied together by death due to ancient family hostility. Throughout the play, this couple, madly in love, made every effort to see each other. The love-struck pair secretly wed and planned to escape Verona together. Despite their families’ many quarrels, true love prevailed; they died in each other’s embraces and the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets came to an end. In Romeo and Juliet, a sweetly painful drama, Shakespeare uses metaphors, oxymorons, and foreshadowing to convey powerful emotions.
William Shakespeare incorporated several poignant metaphors throughout Romeo and Juliet. A metaphor is a comparison between two things, but unlike a simile, the words “like” or “as” are not used. Relating back to the play, Mercutio says, “True, I talk of dreams; which are the children …show more content…
Shakespeare often uses oxymorons to convey the characters’ feelings. After Juliet hears that Romeo killed her cousin Tybalt, she lets out her conflicted feelings in a ramble of oxymorons (Shakespeare 3.2.73-79). Some examples of the oxymoronic things she says are “damned saint” and “honorable villain”; these contradictory statements reflect her confused thoughts towards the situation. When Romeo was feeling melancholy because Rosaline did not return his love, he says “Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!” (Shakespeare 1.1.177-178) using oxymorons to describe his new outlook on love. The most famous oxymoron of Romeo and Juliet is “Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow” (Shakespeare 2.2.185). This is stated by Juliet before the balcony scene ends to show how her love for Romeo makes it hard for them to part. In summary, Shakespeare effectively uses oxymorons to emphasize