Metaphors In Romeo And Juliet

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A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action that is not literally applicable. The British poet, William Shakespeare, who wrote many sonnets and plays in the 16th-17th centuries. Several metaphors were used in this classic play, in which two star-crossed lovers have a four day love triangle that ends in death, but also brings the two quarreling families to end their feud. Creating imagery and emphasizing is Shakespeare’s main purpose for using metaphors. Firstly, “Thou make us minstrels? Here’s my fiddlestick; here’s that shall make you dance” (864) is the first example of metaphor. Mercutio is being harassed and agitated by Tybalt, who is trying to tempt Mercutio to fight him. If he is a minstrel, then his sword is his instrument, and he will use it to make Tybalt dance; in other words, he’ll fight him. Shakespeare used a metaphor here to explain that Mercutio is witty and not afraid to fight Tybalt. …show more content…
Everyone had just found out that Juliet is dead, and they’re all mourning, sharing the news, and planning the funeral. The metaphor is saying that Juliet is dead and, moreover, “death has slept with her,” meaning that death has taken her. This is used to draw attention to how awful and unexpected her death was, as it would be if someone had slept with Juliet the night before her wedding day.
In conclusion, Shakespeare uses many metaphors in his play to create imagery and emphasize. In a play, using metaphors, or any kind of figurative language, are very important. Figurative language can help the audience understand the play or give more insight to a character’s personality. Without figurative language, many plays, books, and stories would be less interesting because there are less words and phrases that can show the audience deeper