Examples Of Figurative Language In Romeo And Juliet

Love and hate are very closely related emotions, while they make you feel different, they are expressed in a similar manner. Often times, both emotions can cause you to make irrational decisions and extreme behavioral adjustments. However in the case of classic work Romeo and Juliet, love is more prominently illustrated over hate. The author William Shakespeare uses figurative language and dramatic irony to portray how beautiful love can be, or rather how much of a disaster. It can cloud your judgment and cause much confusion or it can make you the happiest you will ever be.

When the play starts off, Romeo is almost immediately acting in an impulsive manner. When he first meets juliet, they are quick to jump into their relationship because

The couple is unaware of their true identities when they first meet. Romeo states his depiction of love he says “Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purged a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes.” (I.i lines 190-191) In this scene the lovers are immediately infatuated with one another, they are clueless as to what each others names are yet they continue to converse and claim their love for each other. They are impulsively making a decision to share their feelings. Shakespeare is using figurative language here, more specifically a metaphor. Romeo is comparing love to a fire, saying that love is tiring and saddening but when all the smoke clears, you see your lover with a new passion, with fire burning in their eyes, yearning for you. While yes, love is a struggle it is all worth it in the end. Love clouds your vision for a while but as time goes on things start to become clear. Shakespeare also uses dramatic irony, in scene 2, Romeo and Juliet express their love for each other while Juliet stands on her balcony. She says “Deny thy father and refuse thy name.” (Ii.ii line 34) Because of their undying love Romeo and Juliet are willing to leave their families and completely disregard their entire lives