Friar Laurence's soliloquy from “Romeo and Juliet,” by William Shakespeare, utilizes the two dualities of light and dark and vice and virtue, to given more depth of the soliloquy and connect to the story as a whole, through symbolism.
Light and dark symbolizes the constant clash between mankind by describing the movement of sunrise and darkness. In Friar Laurence’s soliloquy, he described “Chequering the eastern clouds with streaks of light/And flecked darkness like a drunkard reels/From forth day’s path and Titan’s fiery wheels” (II.iii.2-4). Friar is describing a clash between the light and dark. As sunrises, the darks goes away like “drunkard reels.” Light and darkness are essentially intertwined together. The light invading into darkness …show more content…
Even though, there is the constant clash between light and dark, as sunrises and sunsets everyday, light and dark are intertwined. “Titan’s fiery wheels” alludes to mythology, Helios, who brought the sun over the moon, light is invading darkness. Where they are intertwined moves constantly around the globe, as the light takes over, some parts of Earth, while darkness controls the other. Each can’t live without the other. This soliloquy of light and dark symbolizes the clash between Romeo and Juliet. Juliet is the sun (or light), as constantly described by Romeo, and Romeo is the darkness. Relating back to the balcony scene, Romeo is in the dark, while Juliet is bright, giving light off to Romeo. The intertwining clash between light and dark represents Romeo and Juliet. As the fall more in love with one another, the become closer and closer (intertwining together as one). But the clash brings up the family feud between the Capulets and Montagues. As Romeo and Juliet do grow closer, neither of them can be in darkness nor light together, as their family are essentially a bubble that binds the them to their respective place.
Light and dark symbolizes the constant clash between mankind by describing the movement of sunrise and darkness. In Friar Laurence’s soliloquy, he described “Chequering the eastern clouds with streaks of light/And flecked darkness like a drunkard reels/From forth day’s path and Titan’s fiery wheels” (II.iii.2-4). Friar is describing a clash between the light and dark. As sunrises, the darks goes away like “drunkard reels.” Light and darkness are essentially intertwined together. The light invading into darkness …show more content…
Even though, there is the constant clash between light and dark, as sunrises and sunsets everyday, light and dark are intertwined. “Titan’s fiery wheels” alludes to mythology, Helios, who brought the sun over the moon, light is invading darkness. Where they are intertwined moves constantly around the globe, as the light takes over, some parts of Earth, while darkness controls the other. Each can’t live without the other. This soliloquy of light and dark symbolizes the clash between Romeo and Juliet. Juliet is the sun (or light), as constantly described by Romeo, and Romeo is the darkness. Relating back to the balcony scene, Romeo is in the dark, while Juliet is bright, giving light off to Romeo. The intertwining clash between light and dark represents Romeo and Juliet. As the fall more in love with one another, the become closer and closer (intertwining together as one). But the clash brings up the family feud between the Capulets and Montagues. As Romeo and Juliet do grow closer, neither of them can be in darkness nor light together, as their family are essentially a bubble that binds the them to their respective place.