Romeo and Juliet Literary Elements

setting 13th-14th century Verona
situation star-crossed lovers from enemy families that get married and end up dying
quest happily ever after
archetypes star-crossed lovers; nurse figure
protagonist Romeo and Juliet
antagonist Tybalt; the feud; the feuding families; Paris
foreshadowing Romeo and Juliet’s deaths
dramatic irony We know that Romeo and Juliet are going to die as soon as the play starts
soliloquy Act 4 Scene 3 (before Juliet drinks the potion)
alliteration from forth the fatal loins of these two foes(Prologue)
allusion Mercutio when he is comparing Romeo to Petrarch
sonnet Prologue
couplet Two households, both alike in dignity(In fair Verona, where we lay our scene),From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
simile fleckled darkness like a drunkard
metaphor it is the east and Juliet is the sun
personification gray-eyed dawn; night is a sober suited matron
tone emo Romeo—>manly Romeo
narrative structure 5 acts—>entire book
parallelism Tybalt and Mercutio
plot The Capulets and The Montagues hate each other but then their children fall in love and secretly get married. Romeo is banished from Verona and Juliet fakes her death to be with him again. They both end up dying.
conflict internal:Juliet freaking out before she drinks the potionexternal:Friar Lawrence marries Romeo and Juliet even though he knows the outcome may be bad for him