Light And Dark Imagery In Romeo And Juliet

In one of William Shakespeare’s most renowned plays, Romeo and Juliet, the main character Romeo is described as being in a dark place, while Juliet tends to be his light. The reader can interpret that Romeo is not really in a dark room, or Juliet is the light that allows him to see, but Romeo is in a sorrowful place and Juliet is his happiness allowing him to get out of this state. As a result of Shakespeare's unique use of language, Romeo and Juliet’s relationship parallels the light and dark imagery in the play, providing the reader with a better understanding of the agony that Romeo and Juliet endure. The characters moving from light to dark is essential to the plot advancement in the play Romeo and Juliet. Within the play the characters’ feelings and attitudes move parallel with the imagery of light and dark. Shakespeare utilizes parallelism for the duration of the entire play, providing the reader or audience with a better understanding of what the characters real emotions are and what they experience. The use of light and dark imagery is a compelling factor within the entirety of the play, but is most significant when introducing the plot. As Romeo is …show more content…
Mercutio’s death enables further darkness to set over both Romeo and Juliet once again. Right after Mercutio’s death, Romeo weeps, “My very friend, hath got this mortal hurt / In my behalf - my reputation stained / With Tybalt’s slander - Tybalt, that an hour / Hath been my kinsman, O sweet Juliet,” (III, i, 117-120). This signifies how Romeo blames the death of Mercutio on himself and how the marriage of him and Juliet has made him weaker and less of a man instead of stronger. The death sends all the characters and the entire play back into a dark state once again. The depressed feeling contained in this quote foreshadows to the reader that the darkness of the play is going to become greater and