Romeo And Juliet Figurative Language Essay

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet can be seen as a simple story of star-crossed lovers, but it is clear that every act, scene, line, and word has an intricate meaning. The entire story is laid out for us in the first scene. So, the meaning of the play is not in the plot, but in the words and poetry being utilized. William Shakespeare, writer of Romeo and Juliet, utilized the implications of words being expressed as feelings, in this case violence and pain, the theme of religion and life, and the use of hyperboles to bring the play to life.

William Shakespeare used words to convey varying emotions, actions, and themes along with other qualities to make his stories congenial. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s words in her monologue

“All this is comfort. Wherefore weep I then? Some word there was, worser than Tybalt’s death, That murd’red me.” (III.ii.107-109). Juliet admitted in these lines, that the news of Romeo’s banishment is not only worse than Tybalt being dead, but she says that the news makes her want to die. When Shakespeare chose to write these lines, he deliberately put in the hyperbole so that we could try to comprehend how much Juliet is hurting at that moment. Just because Romeo has been banished, she wants to die, and she feels like the news has already murdered her. Juliet makes Romeo’s banishment all about her, in a somewhat self-focused way. Romeo is the one banished and Tybalt is the one murdered, but she is thinking of her feelings knowing that she will have to live without Romeo. Another use of a hyperbole is when Juliet claimed, “That “banishèd,” that one word “banishèd”, Hath slain ten thousand Tybalts.” (III.ii.113-114). The use of hyperbole in this sentence is very prevalent. Juliet declares that Romeo’s banishment is worse than Tybalt being slain ten thousand times. Romeo is just being exiled, he was not murdered. However, Juliet believes that it is just as if he had been murdered, or just like Tybalt had died thousands of times again and again. She is trying to express that the sadness she felt when she discovered Tybalt died, that one time, is nowhere near how bad she is hurting knowing that her and Romeo will not be able to see each other. “But with a rearward following Tybalt’s death, “Romeo is banishèd.” To speak that word, Is father, mother, Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet, All slain, all dead. “Romeo is banishèd.” There is no end, no limit, measure, bound, In that word’s death. No words can that woe sound.” (III.ii.125-126). This utterance in Juliet’s speech is arguably the biggest