"Imagery is any piece of language which makes the reader IMAGINE - that is, it makes us form a mental picture or image."
"For example, when Benvolio describes Tybalt in Act I, scene i as"
"* ...fiery Tybalt."
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"we can 'see' clearly something of Tybalt's character."
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"Shakespeare's plays are always interesting for the richness of their imagery, and 'Romeo and Juliet' is no exception. Imagery is also a frequent topic for examination essays."
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"The two most important types of imagery are similes and metaphors. These are common even in everyday speech, but Shakespeare puts them to special use."
"He uses repetition and interweaving of related images to stress the important themes of the play. The most obvious example in 'Romeo and Juliet' is the frequent use of imagery of light and darkness. (See the notes later in this topic.)"
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"SIMILES use the words 'like' or 'as' to help us form a picture in our minds. e.g."
"*It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night"
"*Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear. (I,v)"
"Romeo is trying to explain the way Juliet seems to stand out brilliantly from the background."
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"METAPHORS are examples of figurative language - they are not literally true. For example when Romeo declares"
"*I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes"
"He is referring of course, to the darkness which prevents the Capulets from seeing him. This is one example from the play where darkness seems warm and comforting."
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"Another similar metaphor is in Act II, scene ii, when Juliet refers to"
"*Loving, black-browed night."
"Actually, this is a special type of metaphor called PERSONIFICATION, since night is given the characteristics of a human being."
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"Although 'Romeo and Juliet' is not as rich in REPEATED IMAGES as some of Shakespeare's plays, we may trace at least three image clusters."
"The following notes refer to these three recurring images in the play."
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"*1. LIGHT/DARKNESS"
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"*2. NATURE"
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"*3. RELIGION"
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"*LIGHT/DARKNESS"
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"From the moment Romeo first sees Juliet to the lovers' last moments, they use images of light to describe each other and their love. A few examples follow:"
"*She doth teach the torches to burn bright. (I,v)"
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"*It is the East, and Juliet is the sun. (II,ii)"
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"*...thou day in night. (III,ii)"
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"*...here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes"
"*This vault a feasting presence full of light. (V,iii)"
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"Traditionally, light represents good and darkness stands for evil. This is not always the case in 'Romeo and Juliet'."
"As has already been pointed out, darkness is sometimes seen as a comforting, protective presence."
"In fact, Romeo and Juliet nearly always meet at night."
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"However, in other examples, darkness takes its more usual perspective. e.g. Juliet is terrified of the dark in the Capulets' vault:"
"*The horrible conceit of death and night... ((IV,iii)"
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"It is worth noticing that the most frequent images are not just of light, but of light contrasted with darkness."
"For example, a swan with crows, snow on a raven's back etc."
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"*NATURE"
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"Natural images are used to describe the characters and their relationships. e.g. Montague describes Romeo's troubled nature as"
"*the bud bit with an envious worm. (I,i)"
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"More pleasant is Juliet's declaration"
"*A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. (II,ii)"
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"Later in the same scene, she also use 'bud' imagery"
"*This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath"
"*May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet."
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"Another interesting image is when Juliet twice compares Romeo to a bird in Act II, scene ii. First she sees him as a hunting hawk, and then as a pet bird, spoiled by its mistress."
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"However, Nature is not always kind. Capulet uses a particularly striking image to express his grief at Juliet's supposed death"
"*Death lies on her like an untimely frost"
"*Upon the sweetest flower of all the field. (IV,v)"
"and extends it by saying that Juliet the flower was deflowered by Death."
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"*RELIGION"
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"Throughout the play, the purity and grandeur of Romeo and Juliet's love is emphasised by the use of religious imagery."
"Their first meeting provides the finest example. The two share a witty sonnet, based around a pilgrim (Romeo) worshipping at a saint's shrine (Juliet)."
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"To Romeo, Juliet is an angel (II,ii), while she calls him 'the god of my idolatry'."
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"*OTHERS"
"There are, of course, many other striking images scatterd throughout the play."
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"Romeo describes his climb to Juliets bedroom window on their wedding night using sea-faring terms"
"*...the high top-gallant of my joy. (II,iv)"
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"When he is about to enter the Capulets tomb, which already holds the body of his beloved Juliet, he compares it to a greedy mouth into which he will stuff one more morsel (himself)."
"*Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death,"
"*Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth,"
"*Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open,"
"*And in despite I'll cram thee with more food. (V,iii)"
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"And Friar Lawrence decribes passionate love as"
"*fire and powder/Which as they kiss, consume. (II,vi)"
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"As you read the play and revise it, keep your eyes open for any images which particularly stike you or which seem especially appropriate."
"Note them down for use in exam or term essays."
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"Remember, you can learn many of these quotations, including their context, by playing"
