How does Shakespeare use imagery in his plays, Romeo and Juliet, to intensify the drama, create atmosphere and illuminate his central themes?

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How does Shakespeare use imagery in his plays, Romeo and Juliet, to intensify the drama, create atmosphere and illuminate his central themes?

“It is the east and Juliet is the sun, arise fair sun and kill the envious moon.” Romeo is standing underneath Juliet’s balcony, Romeo sees Juliet as the centre of his universe thus emphasising the importance of Juliet in his heart. He describes Juliet as being the sun and as she rises she kills the envious moon. Shakespeare uses a lot of imagery and literary techniques to make his plays a lot more. The relevance he used astronomical references in his plays as his audience were Elizabethan, and were keen astronomers. Romeo compares Juliet to the sun; and it is as if Romeo cannot live without Juliet just like he needs the sun, this fits with the end of the play as at the end of the play Romeo thinks that Juliet is dead and with that Romeo kills himself.

When Romeo first sees Juliet he expresses her beauty with several comparisons and describes her as someone that stands out in front of the crowd. He does this in this speech

“O she doth teach the torches to burn bright.” This expresses that she is a leader as she teaches other torches to burn bright and that she is bright and glowing. Shakespeare like to exaggerate the description of the sentence, he also uses a vast array of oxymorons. The sentence

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“O she doth teach the torches to burn bright.” Is very important as Elizabethan audience didn’t have any scenery to look at so they would have to imagine it all in their minds. This sentence’s impact gives the audience a picture of a softly lit dim hall.

“So shows a snowy dove trooping with the crows” This sentence emphasises that she stands out from the crowd of ‘Crows’. This sentence makes a comparison between light and dark. This type of comparison is use through out the play.

In the beginning when Romeo meets Juliet, Romeo Speaks to Juliet and ...

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