Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Identifying Literary Devices

pun use of the word choler(meaning angry) and collar(a hangman’s noose) at the same time
allusion Romeo alludes to the mythological goddess Diana when he describes Rosaline’s intelligence. “She hath Dian’s wit….” (1.1.202)
oxymoron “O brawling love! O loving hate!… O heavy lightness! Serious vanity!” (1.1.169-171)
metaphor I will make thee think thy swan a crow” (1.2.87) Benvolio tells Romeo if he looks at other beautiful girls, Rosaline will seem ugly.
dramatic irony The Capulet servant invites the enemies of Capulet(Romeo and Benvolio) to Capulet’s party
metaphor “Read o’er the volume of young Paris’ face, And find delight writ there with beauty’s pen” (1.3.82-83). Lady Capulet tells her daughter Juliet to seriously consider marrying Paris, whom she compares to a book.
extended metaphor a fanciful comparison developed at great length
oxymoron a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction
pun a play on words
allusion an indirect reference to a well-known person, place, thing, or other literary work
personification giving human qualities to non-human things
oxymoron short, contradictory phrases; a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms
paradox statements that are seemingly contradictory but yet contain some truth
foreshadowing when the author hints about something that will happen
pun Soles/soul: “you have dancing shoes/with nimble soles; I have a soul of lead….” (1.4.15-16) Romeo explains to Mercutio that he is too sad to dance.
foreshadowing “I fear…some consequence, yet hanging in the stars/shall bitterlybegin his fearful date with this night’s revels….(ending in) ultimately death” (1.4.106-111) This is Romeo who thinks someone will die.
paradox “My only love, sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late!” (1.5.136-137) Juliet discovers that she has fallen in love with a member of an enemy family.
July 20, 2019