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.

Romeo and Juliet

SCENE SUMMARY

Act 1 Scene 4

Characters: Romeo, Benvolio, Mertcutio

Setting: street outside Caupulets mansion.

Mertcutio and Benvolio persuade Romeo to go to the Capulets party, he only decided to go because he thought that God was telling him to go because he had been having dreams of the future and the dream also had his own death.

Quote: “dreams often lie”

Romeo and Juliet

SCENE SUMMARY

Act 1, Scene2

CHARACTERS: Capulet, Paris, Servant, Romeo, Benvolio

Paris wants to marry Juliet, Old Capulet wants Juliet to decide if she loves him herself so he invites Paris to meet her at a family ball. Old Capulet the invitations to a servant who is supposed to deliver them but can not read so asks some people on the street which happen to be Romeo and Benvolio to help him (meanwhile not knowing That they are from the house of Montague), this gives Benvolio an idea to Distract Romeo from his grief and and find him someone else.

KEY QUOTATION:

Romeo: “One fairer than my love! The all-seeing sun Ne’er saw her match since the world begun. Continue reading →

Romeo and Juliet

SCENE SUMMARY

Act 1, Scene 1

This scene starts when the Capulet boys prevoke the Montague boys to start a fight, officers intervene and stop the fight. The old Montague and old Capulet arrive with their wives. The prince of the city comes and warm the families about keeping  their ancient quarrels under control. Old Montague talks to Benvolio and asks him to find Romeo, Benvolio speaks to Romeo about why he was sad and finds him crying over the woman he loves. Benvolio then tells him to get over it.
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