The symbols of “The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”: “lightness and darkness” and “poison.” William Shakespeare is a famous for English playwright and poet in Renaissance drama. Through the renowned play “Romeo and Juliet,” he uses symbolism to consider lasting themes such as love, fate and revenge. The play, which informs the tragic story of star-crossed lovers from quarreling families, uses a variety of symbols to grow and strengthen the audience’s comprehension of the play. This essay will discuss that two symbols in this story are “lightness and darkness” and “poison.” These symbols provide the feelings of problem and distress present in the play, whether referencing the setting or the tragic end of the title characters themselves. First, …show more content…
Upon first sight of her, Romeo exclaims that she teaches "the torches to burn bright" (I.v.43). She is also "the sun" who can "kill the envious moon" (II.ii.3), and later in this scene, Shakespeare says that her eyes are like "[t]wo of the fairest stars in all the heaven" (II.ii.15). But hers is a light that shows best against the darkness; she "hangs upon the cheek of night / As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear" (I.v.44-45). Also, Romeo is compared with a light that illuminates the darkness; if Juliet dies, she wants Romeo cut "in little stars / And he will make the face of heaven so fine / That all the world will be in love with night? / And pay no worship to the garish sun" (III.ii.22-25). This quote reminds us that their light shines most brightly in the dark — that it is a muted glow associated primarily with stars, torches, and the dawn, rather than with sunlight, which is almost obscenely bright. Like their love, darkness is associated with mystery, emotion, and imagination. In fact, the day works against them. At the end of their honeymoon night, Romeo says, "More light and light: more dark and dark our woes" (III.v.36); they must part before the light arrived so that he is not caught and