Literary Devices In Romeo And Juliet
See if you can identify the literary devices used in this lines from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Questions and Answers
- 1.
And, as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly. This is the truth, or let Benvolio die. These two lines are an example of...
Explanation
The two lines provided form a rhyming couplet because they have end rhymes, with the words "fly" and "die" rhyming together. A rhyming couplet is a pair of lines that have end rhymes and usually share the same meter, creating a sense of completion and closure. In this case, the couplet emphasizes the truth of Romeo's actions or the consequence of Benvolio's death.Rate this question:
- 2.
Oh, find him! Give this ring to my true knight, / And bid him come to take his last farewell. These lines by Juliet demonstrate the techique called...
Explanation
In these lines, Juliet is asking someone to find her true knight and give him a ring as a farewell gift. This suggests that something significant is about to happen, possibly indicating that the knight will face danger or even death. This use of foreshadowing builds anticipation and sets the stage for future events in the story.Rate this question:
- 3.
Poor living corpse, closed in a dead man's tomb! The term "living corpse" is an example of...
Explanation
The term "living corpse" is an oxymoron because it combines two contradictory words. "Living" implies being alive and having life, while "corpse" refers to a dead body. By using these contrasting words together, the phrase creates a paradoxical and contradictory image.Rate this question:
- 4.
For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night / Whiter than new snow upon a raven's back. These lines contain an example of...
Explanation
The given lines compare the whiteness of the wings of night to the whiteness of new snow on a raven's back. This comparison is not meant to be taken literally, but rather to create a vivid image and convey the idea of extreme whiteness. This use of comparison without using "like" or "as" is characteristic of a metaphor.Rate this question:
- 5.
Indeed, I never shall be satisfied / With Romeo, till I behold him-dead- These lines that Juliet says contain an example of...
Explanation
In this excerpt from Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet expresses her desire to see Romeo dead, which creates dramatic irony. The audience is aware that Romeo is not actually dead, as Juliet believes, but is instead in hiding. This contrast between what the characters know and what the audience knows creates tension and suspense, making it an example of dramatic irony.Rate this question:
- 6.
Therefore do nimble-pinioned doves draw love, / And therefore hath the wind-swift Cupid wings. These lines with a reference to Cupid, show an example of...
Explanation
The given lines from the poem mention Cupid, which is a reference to the Roman god of love. This reference to Cupid is an example of allusion, as it draws upon a well-known figure from mythology to convey the idea of love and its association with doves and the wind.Rate this question:
- 7.
These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which, as they kiss, consume The second line of this passage, contains an example of...
Explanation
The second line of the passage compares the way these violent delights end to the way fire and powder consume each other when they come into contact. This comparison uses the word "like" to establish a similarity between the two actions, making it an example of a simile.Rate this question:
- 8.
With purple fountains issuing from your veins, / On pain of torture, from those bloody hands / Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground. These lines by the Prince show an example of...
Explanation
The given lines by the Prince create a vivid image in the reader's mind by describing purple fountains issuing from someone's veins and mistempered weapons being thrown to the ground. This appeals to the reader's senses and helps them visualize the scene. Therefore, these lines demonstrate the use of imagery, which is the use of descriptive language to create mental images and evoke sensory experiences.Rate this question:
- 9.
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night / As a jewel in rich Ethiope's ear This is an example of...
Explanation
The given line compares the way "she" hangs upon the cheek of night to a jewel in rich Ethiope's ear. This comparison uses the word "as" to establish the similarity between the two things. This is a clear example of a simile, which is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using "like" or "as".Rate this question:
- 10.
Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes / With nimble soles; I have a soul of lead / So stakes me to the ground I cannot move These lines contain an example of...
Explanation
The given lines contain a pun. The word "soles" in the line "You have dancing shoes with nimble soles" is a play on words, as it refers to the soles of the shoes being nimble and also suggests the word "souls" which refers to the speaker's lack of agility or lightness. This creates a humorous contrast between the nimble shoes and the heavy soul, making it a pun.Rate this question:
- 11.
Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate, / O anything of nothing first created! / O heavy lightness, serious vanity, / misshapen chaos of wee-seeming forms. These lines contain several examples of...
Explanation
The given lines contain several examples of oxymoron, which is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. The phrases "brawling love," "loving hate," "heavy lightness," "serious vanity," and "misshapen chaos" all juxtapose opposite or contradictory words to create a vivid and paradoxical image. These oxymorons highlight the conflicting and contradictory nature of the speaker's emotions and the chaotic state of their surroundings.Rate this question:
- 12.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief That thou her maid art far more fair than she These lines contain an example of...
Explanation
The given lines contain an example of personification. Personification is a figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to non-human things or abstract ideas. In this case, the sun and the moon are given human qualities - the sun is asked to "arise" and "kill" the moon, and the moon is described as being "sick and pale with grief". This personification helps to create vivid imagery and convey the speaker's emotions towards the sun and the moon.Rate this question:
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Aug 28, 2023Quiz Edited by
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May 30, 2012Quiz Created by
L_brownell