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Examples Of Motifs In Romeo And Juliet

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Motifs in Romeo and Juliet In the novel Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, there are many recurring motifs, the three that stood out to me are birds, light and darkness, and opposites. In the novel Romeo and Juliet there is a lot of “ill-fated” situations, that these three motifs go with.. The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet’s death is expressed by these motifs.

The motif in Romeo and Juliet that was relevant to the story was the different birds used to describe people. When Romeo was at the Capulet party and barley over Rosaline he says:

So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows
As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand,
And, touching hers, make blessèd my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night. (I,v,46-51). …show more content…

The dove symbolizes a beautiful and graceful person. While the crow symbolizes an ugly and mean person. Benvolio is foreshadowing that quote by saying that Romeo would find a dove at the party. Benvolio says that if you come to the party that Rosaline will become a crow, ugly and mean, compared to the girls that will be doves, beautiful and kind, and that's what happened. The bird is a very symbolic motif in the novel.

The second motif that was important in the novel Romeo and Juliet is light and darkness. The light was to symbolize the leaving and bad times; the darkness is the happy time that everything goes right. The day after their honeymoon Romeo says: “More light and light, more dark and dark our woes!” (III, v, 36). Romeo says that because he must leave before the capulets find and kill him. At night Romeo and Juliet could see each other, but in the morning they must separate. Light and darkness is very crucial to Romeo and

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