Romeo's Use Of Oxymorons In Romeo And Juliet

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In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo expresses himself through the use of an oxymoron because it portrays him as a sensitive individual. He does this while informing Benvolio of his unrequited love for Rosaline: “O brawling love, o loving hate, o heavy lightness, serious vanity, feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health” (I. i. ll 171-175). This demonstrates that Romeo is extremely torn apart by his own emotions and has trouble being of level head and calm mind. Because of this use of oxymorons, Romeo provides a benchmark for how he will act in future situations and what drives him.