Premium Essay

Examples Of Irony In Romeo And Juliet

Submitted By
Words 344
Pages 2
The irony in Romeo and Juliet

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare in the 1500s set in the city of Verona. In the play, two young lovers are forbidden to be together because of a feud between their families, this eventually brings them to suicide and the families joining in friendship. Shakespeare uses a considerable amount of irony to show that that love will make you do crazy things. Shakespeare's play includes all three different types of irony: dramatic, situational, and verbal. An example of verbal irony is when Mercutio tells Tybalt “look for me tomorrow and they will find me a grave man,” moments before they fight, meaning he won’t fight tomorrow. This is ironic because Mercutio was killed

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Dramatic Irony In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

...in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. One of the characters, Juliet’s Nurse, is required to keep the secret regarding the marriage between Romeo and Juliet, despite the fact that their families are enemies. Not only do secrets help develop characters and trust and relationships, but they also add dramatic irony, which both affects the plot and contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Secrecy is necessary in Romeo and Juliet because revealing secrets could lead to disastrous consequences. As previously stated, secrecy is sometimes necessary. It’s necessary to keep a secret because secrets...

Words: 695 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Why Is Secrecy Important In Romeo And Juliet

...and Its Significance in Romeo and Juliet Introduction Sometimes it’s absolutely necessary for a secret to be kept. Revealing a secret could lead to consequences that are absolutely disastrous, which is the case in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. One of the characters, Juliet’s Nurse, is required to keep the secret regarding the marriage of Romeo and Juliet, despite the fact that their families are enemies. Thesis: Secrecy is necessary in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet because, in some cases, the effects of exposing or revealing a secret could have disastrous effects. Body Paragraph 1 Topic Sentence: As previously stated, it’s sometimes necessary to keep something secret. I believe that it’s necessary to keep a secret because secrets and trust go...

Words: 580 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Irrationality Of Hate In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

...Though Romeo and Juliet is arguably the most stereotypical love story in the English language, it portrays with a specific kind of love: young, irrational, passionate love. In this play Shakespeare ultimately suggests that, that type of love that Romeo and Juliet feel leads lovers to act out in a selfish isolation from the world around them. The two lovers anticipate officializing their marriage, but it does not define their love. Instead, their young lust is one of the main reasons why their relationship grows so intense so fast. But through all of their love and intense lust their families were still in the dark about the two of them being together and still budding heads even turn they take. Love versus hate and the many forms love takes; its power to challenge hate; the assurance of young love; the irrationality of hate and its capacity to destroy. The tragedy in Romeo and Juliet is that the two lover struggle with the fact that their families have been in a century-long feud. Like different tragedies, which ends in fatality, this play end is the death of the "star-crossed lovers." Throughout the play it creates strong feelings, or moods. In Act Five, Scene Three of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses imagery, symbolism, and irony to create such a tragic mood....

Words: 798 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

How Does Shakespeare Use Irony In The Tragedy Of Romeo And Juliet

...The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Critique The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, set in the city of Verona, Italy, was written in the 1500's by William Shakespeare where two young people fall in love in rebellion to their parent's rules because of a feud that has lasted many years between their two families. In the play, Juliet's furious cousin Tybalt wants to kill Romeo, and in the process ends up killing Romeo's cousin Mercutio. In this series of events, Romeo kills Tybalt for revenge of his cousin's death and is banned from the city. This causes bad communication between the lovers and Romeo kills himself thinking Juliet is dead, which makes her kill herself because she is grieved by the loss of her beloved Romeo.By using irony, Shakespeare's...

Words: 383 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Poems

...Cable Oliphant May 22, 2013 Romeo and Juliet Literary Analysis While undefined, love can be a fatal attraction. In Romeo and Juliet, two star-crossed lovers race into a relationship without much thought as to what it might do. The family feud between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s restricts Romeo from seeing the “love of his life” in broad daylight which leads him to sneaking around in the middle of the night with almost a complete stranger. When the two decide to get married without anyone knowing, they do it hurriedly and go to Friar Lawrence. The same day the feud becomes out of hand and a brawl is started between Mercutio and Tybalt in which Mercutio is stabbed in the heart. In turn Romeo murders Tybalt in a rage that could not be controlled and is banished from the city of Verona. Juliet is devastated both because her cousin has been murder by her husband and also because her husband has banned from the city. She goes to Friar Lawrence seeking help and they formulate a plan. She is given a potion that will fake her death and shall wake up in 2 days while a letter is sent to Romeo telling him of the plan. But other news reaches him first stating that Juliet has died. When Romeo arrives at the tomb he sees her and he kills himself. Not long after Juliet wakes and sees Romeo dead body lying there on the stone floor. She then takes a dagger and stabs and kills herself. This is when the families arrive and see the horrific scene laid out in front of them...

Words: 1236 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

How Is Dramatic Irony Used In Romeo And Juliet

...1      2.5 The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act IV   Pre‐reading activity: Read about Dramatic Irony on page 893. Think of an example of it from  one of the previous acts. Write your example and tell why you think it is dramatic irony.                  During reading activity:    A. What characteristics do you notice of Paris during his encounter with Juliet in Friar  Lawrence’s cell? List his traits, and include textual evidence to support your ideas.              B. After reading each scene, use the Act IV Summarizing Chart to give a plot summary for  each one.              C. The play is filled with images of death. While you read Act IV, write down three examples  of death imagery.                             Roger Text Box mercutio...

Words: 604 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Does Shakepare Show Romeo and Juliet as Victim of Fate

...far do you think Shakespeare presents Romeo and Juliet as victims of fate? “Romeo and Juliet” is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in 1597, when people believed that their lives were controlled by fate, like a force or spirit that decides the course a person’s life should take. They believed in magic, horoscopes and that the Sun, Moon and stars could change their destiny. In this play Shakespeare presents Romeo and Juliet as victims of fate in many different ways. At the prologue of the play the chorus describes Romeo and Juliet as "star-crossed lovers". This suggests that they fight against (or cross) their fate, which is written in the stars. It means that they are in love but fate is against them, their families have been arguing for years, so they have grown up hating each other, however Rome and Juliet are inseparable. Secondly, the Capulets and Montagues are at odds with each other. After the prologue, members of each house, as well as their servants break into a sword fight, crossing swords with each other. Sampson says "Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy swashing blow." (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 60). The feuding between the two families motivates Sampson to challenge the Capulets. Another example of how the two houses despise each other is what Romeo and his friends have to do to get into the Capulet feast. So they will not be recognized, Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio wear comic masks to hide their faces. Romeo and his friends would never have known...

Words: 1447 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Does Shakespeare Use Soliloquies In Romeo And Juliet

...Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is a play written by Shakespeare,where two teenagers in a rivaling feud between their families fall in love and keep their love a secret , which leads to their death.The play writer uses a range of literary devices, such as, soliloquies, dramatic irony, and allusions.These all help bring the play together. To begin, Shakespeare uses Soliloquies in many different occasions , like when Friar Lawrence is vocalizing the pleasant and the inadequate of both humans and plants.By using this device you get to know a characters thoughts and feelings on certain topics. Another example, is when, Juliet is contemplating on if she should or not drink the potion Friar has given her. She has doubts that the potion...

Words: 352 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Romeo and Juliet

...of love and rebellion in Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado about Nothing. In Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado about Nothing, Shakespeare presents the themes of love and rebellion by the way he presents the characters Juliet and Beatrice. He also does this by using different language and poetic devices such as rhyming couplets and animal imagery. In addition he links in the two plays to comedy and tragedy which helps the reader understand how love and rebellion effects one character more than the other. Furthermore, Shakespeare uses the role of stereotypical women in the Elizabethan Era and how it links into the plays theme of love and rebellion. For example, how Juliet and Beatrice deal with the arranged marriage laws. In both plays, Juliet and Beatrice show a similarity towards love as they are stubborn and independent when it comes to love and marriage. However they show these traits in different ways. For example, in Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is fighting for love as her parents want her to marry Paris even though her heart only desires Romeo. Juliet shows more determination and desperation in declaring her love compared to Beatrice. This is due to her parents controlling her future and Romeo being their family’s enemy therefore they are against their marriage. I know this because of when Juliet speaks to her parents and says, “I will not marry yet! And when I do, I swear, it shall be Romeo”. This quote tells me that she is committed and loyal to Romeo and is willing to fight for...

Words: 1476 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

With the Focus on Act 3 Scene 1, How Are Violence, Conflict and Tension Developed by Shakespeare Through Language, Setting and Plot?

...GCSE COURSEWORK- ROMEO & JULIET For my Romeo and Juliet coursework I will try to answer the question: Shakespeare uses many dramatic devices to ensure that Romeo and Juliet is a play full of violence, conflict and tension. With the focus on Act 3 Scene 1, how are these techniques developed by Shakespeare through language, setting and plot? The very hopeful tone of Act II where Romeo and Juliet got married changes dramatically at the beginning of Act III as Romeo becomes entangled in the brutal conflict between the two families. The searing heat “day is hot”, flaring tempers “mad blood stirring” and sudden violence of this scene is a abrupt contrast with the romantic, peaceful previous night. The play reaches a dramatic climax as Romeo and Juliet’s private world clashes with the public feud with tragic consequences- death of Mercutio and Tybalt. Mercutio’s death becomes the catalyst for the tragic turn the play takes from this point onwards. The choice of the setting plays a big part in the development of this tragic turn. Shakespeare shifts the setting from the privacy of Friar Lawrence’s cell where Romeo and Juliet got married to a public place where friends, honour and family ties hold sway. This setting shows that innocent people are getting hurt because of all this feuding; “civil blood makes civil hands unclean”. On top of that it suggests that the families’ feud has reached its ultimatum-it has gone from private to public. We also get the feeling that they are...

Words: 2039 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Romeo and Juliet

...Romeo and Juliet, Act III Directions: Answer the following thoughtfully and thoroughly in complete sentences on a separate sheet of paper. Scene i 1. Explain why you think Romeo should or should not have fought Tybalt after Mercutio's death. 2. Mercutio and Tybalt were both hotheaded. What made Mercutio a more likeable character? 3. Should Romeo go to the Prince and explain his actions, including his marriage to Juliet? Explain you answer. Scene ii 1. How does Juliet feel at the start of this scene? Why does she feel this way? 2. The fact that Juliet feels this way, but we in the audience know that Romeo is in serious trouble, is an example of what literary technique? Consult your dictionary of literary terms if you're not sure. 3. Juliet believes banishment for Romeo is worse than death. Explain why you agree or disagree with her. Scene iii 1. What is Romeo afraid that Juliet feels? 2. What does Romeo mean when he says he wants to "sack the hateful mansion"? (Lines 123-124) 3. According to Friar Laurence, what reasons does Romeo have to be happy? There's more than one. 4. What is Friar Laurence's plan? Explain what you think of his plan. Scene iv 1. What plans does Lord Capulet make for Thursday? 2. Why is this an example of dramatic irony? Scene v 1. What foreboding vision does Juliet have as Romeo is leaving? 2. Why does Juliet's mother think Juliet is sad? 3. Explain how one of Juliet's answers...

Words: 301 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

The Person Who Is Responsible For The Deaths Of Romeo And Juliet Essay

...Pittet 1 Maddie Pittet Mr. Swanson English 1 February 11th, 2016 Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is a tragic story about young love. In the end, their love proves dangerous and there are many theories as to who is at fault for their unfortunate deaths. Many characters throughout the story certainly contributed to the passing of Romeo and Juliet, but who’s really to blame? The truth is, it is not just one person that caused their deaths, but in fact many characters throughout the story. Lady Capulet, Lord Capulet, Lady Montague, and Lord Montague began the feud that eventually forced their children to hide their love for one another. As Lady Capulet once said, “ Marry, my child, early next Thursday morn, the gallant, young and noble gentleman, the county Paris, at Saint Peter’s church, shall happily make thee there a joyful bride.” (Act 3, Scene 5) Forced marriage...

Words: 643 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

How Does Fate Play a Part in ‘Romeo and Juliet'?

...How Does Fate Play A Part In ‘Romeo and Juliet'? ‘Romeo and Juliet' was written during a period when Shakespeare had found the strength of his writing, it is believed that it was written around 1595 and he would have been about 26 years old when he wrote it. The play is a widely known tragedy concerning the fate of two young "star-cross'd lovers". It is one of the most famous of Shakespeare's plays and one of his earliest theatrical triumphs. In ‘Romeo and Juliet', fate plays an extremely powerful role throughout the story. Romeo and Juliet are "star-crossed lovers," as the prologue at the start of the play indicated, they had fate against them. In that time, people were very wary of what the stars said. If two people's stars were crossed in the sky, they would never remain together. Obviously, Romeo and Juliet did not live happily ever after, as they both died at the end of the play. The prologue also shows fate was against Romeo and Juliet through the negative language and the foregrounds of their deaths: "The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could remove" This insight into the plot provides the audience with the anticipation of the finale and causes them to think negatively throughout the play. It also allows Shakespeare to make use of dramatic irony, as the audience knows something that the characters do not. This increases dramatic tension for the audience, which in turn...

Words: 549 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Compare the Way Shakespeare Creates a Sense of Sorrow in Romeo's Speech and 'After a Journey' by Thomas Hardy

...showing his regrets about how he treated her when she was alive. Both the Shakespeare play and the poem have a strong sense of sorrow, Romeo’s sorrow is created by the use of dramatic irony throughout his last speech, whilst ‘After a Journey’ contains a lot of contrasting imagery of Emma when she was alive and then later as a ghost. In Act 5 scene 3, Romeo has just found Juliet in the tomb following her funeral. Romeo is struck by the way Juliet's beauty appears to defy death she still looks alive to him, "Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe That unsubstantial Death is so amorous?" These rhetorical questions create a sense of sorrow for Romeo as he appears to believe that her beauty preserves her from dying. The dramatic tension is emphasised by the reader’s awareness that Romeo is seeing the physical signs of Juliet's recovery from her sleep. Secondly, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to create a feeling of horror and despair. For example ‘Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide. Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on The dashing rocks thy seasick, weary bark. Here’s to my love!’ The reader is aware that Juliet is not dead and can only watch with horror when Romeo is drinking the poison. ‘The dashing rocks thy seasick, weary bark’ foreshadows Romeo’s death, as in Act 1 Scene 1 Romeo also mentions a boat knowing that this boat will not be guided well by God if he went to the Capulet’s party. Now, his bark has been destroyed into pieces as God has guided him into...

Words: 501 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Poem

...ROMEO & JULIET Prologue (ACT 1) As a prologue to the play, the Chorus enters. In a fourteen-line sonnet, the Chorus describes two noble households (called “houses”) in the city of Verona. The houses hold an “ancient grudge” (Prologue.2) against each other that remains a source of violent and bloody conflict. The Chorus states that from these two houses, two “star-crossed” (Prologue.6) lovers will appear. These lovers will mend the quarrel between their families by dying. The story of these two lovers, and of the terrible strife between their families, will be the topic of this play. ANALYSIS This opening speech by the Chorus serves as an introduction to Romeo and Juliet. We are provided with information about where the play takes place, and given some background information about its principal characters. The obvious function of the Prologue as introduction to the Verona of Romeo and Juliet can obscure its deeper, more important function. The Prologue does not merely set the scene of Romeo and Juliet, it tells the audience exactly what is going to happen in the play. The Prologue refers to an ill-fated couple with its use of the word “star-crossed,” which means, literally, against the stars. Stars were thought to control people’s destinies. But the Prologue itself creates this sense of fate by providing the audience with the knowledge that Romeo and Juliet will die even before the play has begun. The audience therefore watches the play with the expectation that it must...

Words: 15625 - Pages: 63