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Romeo And Juliet Literary Techniques Essay

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“Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs; Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers ' eyes; Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears. What is it else? A madness most discreet, A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.” This is a quote from one of the most well-known love stories of all time, Romeo and Juliet, from Act 1, Scene 1, lines 187 to 191. Love is a theme strongly present in Romeo and Juliet and developed by the multiple literary techniques of Shakespeare. Of the various techniques, the three of the main techniques used are metaphors, juxtaposition, and imagery. These three are even found in the previous quote, love is compared to the smoke of sighs to create a metaphor, juxtaposition is found when love is described as a choking gall and a preserving sweet creating a side by side contrast and imagery, which depicted love in vivid images such as the sea of loving tears. Metaphors are a double edged sword, when used well it can drastically improve a piece but a bad metaphor can change the piece negatively or be humorous. …show more content…

Equally as important, imagery is a technique that’s consistently present in Romeo and Juliet. “The dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark!” This is said by Romeo in act 5, scene 3, line 118. Romeo is distraught over the death of Juliet, this imagery evokes the tragic image of a weary boat intentionally destroyed by a desperate captain. This is the result of the progression of the two lovers, they loved each other in a desperate and passionate way. This imagery connects the intense grief he described on 37 to 39, act 5, scene 3. “The time and my intents are savage-wild, more fierce and more inexorable far than empty tigers or the roaring sea.” The raging grief is fiercer than the roaring sea. Romeo also creates the image of Death as a lustful monster, in act 5 scene 3, lines 103 to 110, that confines Juliet to the tomb. Romeo to commit suicide to stay in the tomb with Juliet to be with her and to protect her from the monster,

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