Romeo and Juliet Balcony Essay
A Tragic Story of Two Lovebirds William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a well-known and phenomenal play of tragedy. The reason for its fame is that not only is it just dreadful, but there is also a romantic element as well. The play is set in Verona, Italy during the Elizabethan Age with two young and innocent lovers, Romeo and Juliet, from different wealthy families, Montague and Capulet. However, these two households share a hostile bond with each other that goes deep in Verona’s history.
In one of the acts there is the famous “balcony scene” which takes place at night with Juliet on her balcony and Romeo down at her father’s orchard. This scene stands out from the rest because this is where Romeo and Juliet exchange their vows of undying love. During the balcony scene, Shakespeare uses personification, metaphor, and simile to help convey Romeo and Juliet’s deep affection for one another. While Juliet confesses her private thoughts alone, Romeo describes her stunning beauty and his feelings of love through personification.
As Romeo gazes at her, he describes that her cheeks “would shame those / stars” (2. 2. 19-20). Her looks give off a special radiance that makes him say her cheeks outshine the eternal light given from the stars. By using stars, her beauty gives him hope, light, and a sense of goodness into his existence. This suggests that her brightness gives a certain direction that leads his life in a positive way. Then, Romeo argues that “stony limits” will not stop his love because “what love can do, that dares love attempt” (2. 2. 72. 73). Since Romeo is in his lover’s and foe’s house, he does not mind risking his life for her.
His action is what a true lover does because an ordinary stranger or friend never bothers doing it. If his feelings are a physical object, it can be so strong that not even hard stone can prevent it. Shakespeare’s personification help show that Romeo’s love is pure, which implies Juliet is the one for him. Juliet explains through a metaphor and simile that her feelings will not change even though Romeo is from the enemy’s house. She compares his last name, Montague, to a rose and says that “any other word would smell as sweet” (2. 2. 47).
With the fact the Capulets regard Romeo as an enemy, she still loves him no matter the reason because adding an evil household name to Romeo does not change him at all. By using roses, it symbolizes the sweet and passionate love she has toward him. To prove it even further, Juliet declares her emotions are “as boundless as the sea” (2. 2. 140). This illustrates her love for Romeo is infinite and immeasurable like the sea. In reference to nature, this also represents her adoration is natural, not of greed or lust. By using figurative language, Juliet effectively shows her feelings of love to Romeo.
In the renowned play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare shows the two lover’s devotion through the use of figurative language. On Romeo’s side, he uses personification to praise Juliet’s certain attributes and vividly describe his affection towards her. In Juliet’s perspective, she uses a metaphor and simile to explain her passion for Romeo and how she does not consider him as a rival. Without Shakespeare’s use of figurative language, the audience cannot know how deep and real their innocent love is. In addition, the absence of these literary devices could make the play dull and not as dramatic.
