How Is Irony Used In Romeo And Juliet

William Shakespeare uses a very complex series of literary devices in all his plays, especially Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet is about a pair of “star-crossed lovers” whose families are enemies; they eventually end up taking their own lives despite not being able to be together. The playwright puts on a series of counteracting events and uses many versions of irony to help show how Juilet is growing up mentally and finally becoming independent. Shakespeare uses many different literary devices to develop Juliet as a strong female character throughout the story–Irony and elocution being the largest ones present. Dramatic, situational, and verbal irony enhances the script, as well as Juliet’s speech pattern evolving throughout the play. Throughout

In actuality, Juliet fakes her death to avoid marrying Paris. She is telling her mother the opposite of what she means. Another example of verbal irony is seen again after Romeo purchases poison from the apothecary. Romeo refers to the poison as cordial when he says “Come, cordial and not poison, go with me // To Juliet’s grave, for there must I use thee.” (Act 5, Scene 2, Line 90-91). A cordial is a sweet liquor or medicine, and the irony in this line is that the poison is not a sweet liquor, but a bitter poison. He says it is cordial because the liquid is going to let him and Juliet be together forever so, no matter what it is, it will be sweet; telling us that Romeo would do anything to be with Juliet. Dramatic irony takes a big role in Romeo and Juliet, for there are many things that happen, that the characters do not know. One huge example of dramatic irony is when Lady Capulet thinks Juliet is crying over Tybalt’s death, but is in actuality crying over Romeo’s banishment. “Indeed, I never shall be satisfied // With Romeo till I behold him—dead” (Act 3, Scene 5, Line 98-99) Juliet gives the impression that she wants Romeo dead but in fact she just wants

Another example of dramatic irony is in Act 3, scene 2. The nurse is weeping over Tybalt's death, but Juliet is under the impression that Romeo has died and is crying over his death. “Though heaven cannot be. O Romeo, Romeo, // Who would have thought it? Romeo” (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 47-48) is what the nurse said to Juliet, giving her the impression that Romeo had died. This causes Juliet extreme distress since she thinks her lover has passed. Despite that, finding out Romeo was alive but he killed Tybalt left Juliet in a stressful, internal conflict. She had the dilemma of choosing her family or Romeo. Another one of Shakespeare's literary devices is situational irony. Situational irony helps greatly with the rising & failing of the climax of this story. When Romeo goes and shes Juliet dead and then decides to kill himself, but truly Juliet is not actually dead but sleeping. Juliet wakes up and finds Romeo dead, and then kills herself. “For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes this vault a feasting presence full of light” (Act 5, Scene 3, Line 85-86) is Romeo seeing what he presumes is Juliet’s dead body but is just her sleeping