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Romeo And Juliet Dramatic Irony Essay

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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is developed through tragedy, romance, and most importantly dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something the other characters do not know. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to create suspense and to help create action in the play. In Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare uses dramatic irony such as Romeo and Juliet’s feuding families, Juliet’s arranged marriage to Paris, and Juliet’s death to keep readers on edge and wanting to read more. In Verona, where the play takes place, the Montague and Capulets are feuding families. The Capulets are hosting a party and that is where Romeo and Juliet meet. When Juliet is finding out that Romeo is a Montague the Nurse states “His …show more content…

Juliet is devastated so she goes to Friar Lawrence for help. Friar comes up with a plan for Juliet to take a potion to make herself seem dead for two and forty hours, when Juliet awakes Romeo would be there to take her to Mantua. Juliet’s parents can believe that she is dead because “Each part, deprived of supple government,/ Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death” (Shakespeare 5.1. 102-103). As part of Friar Lawrence’s plan, he sent Friar John to tell Romeo about the plan, but word got to Romeo about Juliet’s death before Friar John could tell Romeo about the plan. As it is made obvious, everyone thinks that Juliet is actually dead except for Friar Lawrence, Friar John, and Juliet. Obviously, William Shakespeare uses dramatic irony such as Romeo and Juliet feuding families, Juliet’s arranged marriage to Paris, and Juliet’s death to keeps reader on edge and wanting to read more. Finding out that Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet shows there is going to be trouble throughout the play. When Juliet is crying over Romeo's banishment, her father tells her to marry Paris to make her happy again. Since Romeo has been banished Juliet fakes her death so she can run away with Romeo. All these examples of dramatic irony heightens the tragedy, and keeps the reader on

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