Analysis Essay – Metaphor in Romeo and Juliet

How does Shakespeare use metaphor to show Romeo’s inner thoughts in Act 1, Scene 4 of ‘Romeo and Juliet’?

STATEMENT (topic, point)  –  In his play, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Shakespeare uses a range of metaphors to help the reader understand what’s going on in the characters minds and their inner thoughts. In Act 1, Scene 4 Romeo talked about a bad dream he experienced, which told him that something bad would begin and would begin that night that would continue on to Romeo’s “untimely” death.

EXAMPLE  –  In this scene, Romeo expresses his thoughts to is friends and says “He that hath steerage of my course, direct my sail”. The metaphor Shakespeare has used draws a picture in your mind that Romeo is like a boat, by using expressive language like “steerage”, “course” and “sail”. Shakespeare suggests to the reader that, by the use of a capital “H” in the word “He”, he is referring to God as the captain of the boat who will determine Romeo’s fate, the course of his life and the untimeliness of his death.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *