How Does Shakespeare Use Dramatic Irony In Romeo And Juliet

When you know something about someone it can make you change the way you think about them. If you don’t know it you could accidentally hurt someone you care about. The same is true for the play Romeo and Juliet. In the play Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to both drive the play forward and to present a message or theme. A few examples of these are when we know who Romeo and Juliet's parents are when they meet but they don’t, when the audience knows about the marriage but no one else does, and when we know Juliet is faking her death but no one else does. When Romeo and Juliet first met they had no idea that they were on oppisite sides of the Capulet and Montagues fued. They met and ended up falling for each other before learning their true identities. For example when Romeo learned that Juliet was a Capulet he responded “Is she a Capulet? O dear account! My life is my foe's debt!” (I.v.115-116)Meaning that he is mad that he is fell for the daughter of his enemy. Juliet responded similarly by saying “my only love sprung from my only hate.

The audience and a few others are aware of it but many in the play are not. This rings true when Tybalt tries to fight Romeo. Tybalt calls him a villain and Romeo responds by saying “Tybalt, the reason I have to love thee Doth much excuse the appertaining rage.” (III.I.58-59)He is saying we are supposed to be friends, You don’t know why but this is the reason I will not fight you. Also If Juliet’s parents were aware of the marriage they most likely would not have made her marry Paris. Juliet having to marry Paris was what inspired the plan that led to Romeo and Juliet's untimely demise. In this instance Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to drive the plot forward. If the characters in the play were aware of the marriage then they would get mad, and many of the things that led to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet wouldn’t have happened, including the Friar's plan to have Juliet fake