Literary Elements In Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet has been performed in 24 different countries within the last 10 years. This shows that Shakespeare's play is still a timeless classic even though it was written in 1595. William Shakespeare uses 3 important literary terms in his play Romeo and Juliet to help keep the play interesting and relatable for people of all time eras: suspense, character motive, and dramatic irony.
The first device that is introduced in Romeo and Juliet is suspense, this element immediately draws in an audience with excitement and makes them anxious. The first scene opens up with the Capulet and Montague families fighting. Obviously, this is a very catchy way to start a story, this scene helps add suspense for when it is revealed that the Montague boys are planning to crash the Capulet’s party. The audience isn’t certain how the situation will
turn out since the two families are sworn enemies, and earlier the Prince warned the two families that fighting will result in great punishment. We see the evidence that this is a serious and on-going feud on page 945 scene 1 act 1 lines 89- 96 “If ever you disturb our streets again, Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. For this time all the rest depart away. You, Capulet, shall go along with me; And Montague come you this afternoon, To know our further pleasure in this case, To old Freetown, our common judgement place. Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.” There is also a great deal of suspense, when Paris and Romeo are fighting in Juliet’s tomb. It is suspenseful because Juliet could wake up at anytime, and interrupt the two boys fighting. Although throughout the story suspense didn’t continuously build, it did on the other hand have a reoccurring theme throughout the entire play- fighting-that helped develop the story and keep it very exciting, as well as also causing the reader to feel anxious for the results.
Throughout the entire play all of the characters are faced with decisions- whether or not Romeo and Juliet should love each other- that keep the play relatable with issues that are similar to things we experience in our lives- befriending someone or liking someone who isn’t in the right “clique”- and the reasons they make the decisions that they do is called character motive. The first time we really hear of Juliet questioning why it should matter that she likes Romeo, who is from the Montague family, is after the party when she is on her balcony and she says, “‘Tis but my name that is my enemy. Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name; And for that name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself.” (A2.S2.L38-48).This illustrates that Juliet, even though she knows that Romeo isn’t who she should’ve fallen in love with, is still going to love Romeo, because it isn’t his name or his background that matters. This is her character motive for following her heart in loving Romeo. It isn’t justifiable to hate someone for their name. Just how in the lives of teenagers they may find themselves suppressing their feelings for someone because of the “friend group” or “clique that they may belong to. This further shows that Romeo and Juliet is such a timeless and relatable play, because of the characters reasons for doing what they do.
Mainly in the end we see a lot of dramatic irony surrounding Juliet’s “death”, this particular sense of dramatic irony adds a lot of sadness to the play, and really makes it a tragedy.
It is ironic because the audience is aware that Juliet isn’t truly dead, only under the effects of an herbal solution given to her by the Friar. Romeo says, “A dateless bargain to engrossing death! Come, bitter conduct; come, unsavory guide! Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on The dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.” (A5.S3.L115-120). This is evidence that Romeo has killed himself, and later on Juliet is so upset over his horrific death and the misunderstanding that she too, kills herself. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to draw in his audience to complete the idea of his tragedy.
Romeo and Juliet is timeless and interesting, because of Shakespeare’s use of suspense, character motive, and dramatic irony. This play has been performed for 412 years, and I believe that it will be performed for another 412 years. Romeo and Juliet may have died as characters but the play Romeo and Juliet will never
die.