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Romeo And Juliet Symbolism Essay

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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

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He is telling Juliet that she is so beautiful that she is bight and shines like a torch. When Romeo gets banned from Verona he says more light and light more dark and dark our woes. He is saying that Verona is his light and that he doesn’t know anything but the city Verona. So his dark will be where even he goes to live next. Another example of light is when Romeo says but soft what light through yonder window breaks?

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In the tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” there are many ways Shakespeare represents Romeo and Juliet's love for each other throughout the story. One example is using images of light to express how they feel for each other. There are many different examples of light being used to express their love for each other. Most of the comparisons are made by Romeo, when he compares Juliet to various beautiful light forms. Shakespeare uses images of light to highlight Romeo’s love for Juliet while comparing her to these pleasing light forms.

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Who is already sick and pale with grief" (2, 2, 4-5). Through this quote, Romeo asks the sun to rise and replace the moon so he and Juliet can have more time together. For Romeo to ask this signifies that his love for Juliet appears so strong, he wants to spend every waking moment with her. Romeo views Juliet as the light that overshines all the darkness in his

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(2.2.20-23). Shakespeare comparing Juliet’s cheek’s brightness to a star is proving that he uses stars as a standard of beauty. This comparison would suggest that a person’s cheek is so bright and beautiful it would put the stars to shame, showing how Juliet’s beauty is so remarkable it challenges the stars, proving their love is destined and fated to be extraordinary. When Romeo hears of Juliet’s death, he becomes devastated and heartbroken. Romeo screams, “Is it e’en so?

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Even though it is late night, Juliet’s extravagant beauty makes Romeo picture her as the sun. Romeo also personifies the moon, saying it is “already sick and pale with grief,” because the sun, Juliet, is brighter and more beautiful than the moon. Romeo used to compare Rosaline to the moon, but now his love for Juliet outshone the moon. The sun makes “...birds [sing] and think it [is] not night” Romeo also compares Juliet’s eyes to the twinkle of the stars, by saying, “to twinkle in their spheres till they return.” In ancient times, people used to worship the sun and gaze in awe.

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It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear." - This is Romeo’s description of Juliet upon his first time seeing her at the Capulet’s Ball. "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!” Here, Romeo is referring to Juliet’s beauty by comparing her to the lights. He is saying that her radiance surpasses the torches in the room through the phrase, “she teaches the torches to burn bright”.

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Romeo initially describes Juliet as a source of light, like a star, against the darkness: "she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night. " Romeo no longer symbolises a Petrarchan lover, but has now experienced true love with Juliet. Romeo believes that he can now distinguish between the artificiality of his love for Rosaline and the genuine feelings Juliet inspires.

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As Romeo watched Juliet from below he claimed, "The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars. " Romeo exaggerates Juliet's beauty and claims that her cheeks are so bright, it shames the stars above. The reader can feel how strong Romeo's interest in satisfying his physical urges when he said, "...kill the fair sun.. pale with grief.." and "..her maid art far more fair than she."

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Romeo calls “thou day in night,” Romeo associates Juliet with light from his first sight of her: “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!” This phrase means that even if the stars were taken away in the sky then Juliet’s eyes would still shine bright. Keep in mind Romeo has only known Juliet for a few hours in this scene. Juliet was only 13 years old and Romeo was 16 years old, the two did not realize that they have all their lives to find love and happiness.

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This dramatic irony could connote how juliet knows that their love will end in tragedy but she is willing for that to happen if it means she can be with Romeo forever. However, this quotation could also suggest that juliet wants the “ancient grudge” to be over as she wants people to “pay no worship to the garish sun”. This could suggest that just like night is important to the couple as it is a place where they can be together and Romeo can “leap to these arms”, Juliet wants the hatred to vanish so that the couple can be together in the free and not in secret because their love is true and unwavering. However, in this scene, the darkness is seen as, almost ironically, something Juliet is eagerly waiting for. The darkness is almost like a safe haven for the couple as “ if love be

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When Romeo first sees Juliet he says, “Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night… Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne 'er saw true beauty till this night.”

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