How Does Shakespeare Use Juxtaposition In Romeo And Juliet

One of William Shakespeare’s many famous plays, Romeo and Juliet is a dramatic tragedy that is one of the best examples of Shakespeare’s ability to use rhetorical devices to invoke emotion and persuade the audience. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare specifically uses abundant personification and juxtaposition along with dramatic irony in Romeo’s soliloquy of act 5, scene 3. These literary devices are used to create a strong underlying rhetorical effect of doom and inevitability in Shakespere’s audience.
Multiple times throughout Romeo’s soliloquy Shakespeare uses personification of death or impending death to successfully establish a feeling of unavoidable ruin within the audience. One example of this states, “Ah, dear Juliet, /Why art thou

Throughout the soliloquy in scene 3, Shakespeare uses juxtapositions and oxymorons to continue creating an undeniable theme of dread and lingering death. An example of this states, “O, give me thy hand, /One writ with me in sour misfortune’s book. /I’ll bury thee in a triumphant grave.” Here, Shakespeare uses the comparison between the words “triumphant” and “grave” to imply that Romeo is facing an incoming death, but has no problems with dying and is planning his own death. The usage of these words together also establishes that death will end up being triumphant over not only Romeo and Juliet, but 4 other characters in the play. This dual meaning of the line aids in establishing Shakespeare’s efforts to foreshadow the couple’s death and invoke a sense of dread in the audience. Another direct quote using juxtaposition from Romeo’s soliloquy states, “How oft when men are at the point of death /Have they been merry, which their keepers call /A lightning before death! Oh, how may I /Call this a lightning?” Here, Shakespeare juxtaposes the concepts of light with death. This relates to a theme throughout the entire play, of Juliet being the light and Romeo being the dark. By saying that men often see a lightning before death, it would be implied that he would see his lover again- but by stating a moment later that he cannot call what he feels a “lightning,” Romeo is solidifying the fact that he is never going to see Juliet again. Shakespeare is saying that Romeo and Juliet are never going to be together in this line, and by doing so he emphasizes the march towards a tragic ending of the play that is present throughout the soliloquy. A final example reiterating Shakespeare’s intent takes the form of a dramatic irony; stating, “O my love, my wife! /Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, /Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty. /Thou art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet /Is crimson in thy