1. Romeo & Juliet
Literary Devices

2. Iambic Pentameter Iambic pentameter
is a line of poetry made up of five iambs:
an iamb
is a metrical foot
consisting of one unstressed syllable
followed by one stressed syllable;
the pentameter line has five metrical feet;
Shall I / compare / thee to / a sum/mer’s day? u /
Shall I
com
pare
thee to a
sum
mer’s
day?

3. Romeo & Juliet: The capulets
Lord Capulet: Juliet’s dad. Loves Juliet and wants to see her marry well, but thinks she is too young to marry yet. Expects obedience.
Lady Capulet: Juliet’s mom. Manages the Capulet household. Like most wealthy women at the time, does not actively participate in Juliet’s upbringing, so they have a distant relationship.
Juliet: 13 year-old daughter. Has been brought up to be a lady and be obedient to her father’s will. Like most women of the time, Juliet has lived a sheltered life.
Tybalt: A hot-tempered cousin who’s always looking for a fight.
Nurse: Juliet’s caretaker since birth. She had a daughter, Suzanna, who was Juliet’s age, and served as a wet nurse for Juliet . She is responsible for Juliet’s daily upbringing and becomes her confidante.
Peter: The Nurse’s servant.
Samson & Gregory: Capulet servants.

4. Romeo & Juliet: The montagues
Lord Montague: Romeo’s father and head of the Montague family.
Lady Montague: Romeo’s mother who is worried about Romeo’s depression at the beginning of the play.
Romeo: The Montague’s teenaged son. At the beginning of the play, he is sad because Rosaline has rejected him. He vows he will never love again.
Benvolio: Romeo’s peaceful and encouraging cousin. Benvolio tries to break up fights and encourages Romeo to play the field to get over his heartbreak.
Balthasar & Abraham: Montague servants

5. Romeo & Juliet: other characters
Church
Friar Laurence: Religious advisor to Verona. Like many monks of the time, Friar Laurence is also a scientist whose expertise is in herbology. He has frequently advised Romeo to give up his failed courtship of Rosaline and serves as Romeo’s confidant.
Friar John: Another monk who visits the sick.
Royalty
Prince Escalus: Ruler of Verona. Early in the play, he establishes the law that anyone who reignites the feud will be put to death.
Mercutio: Romeo’s best friend. Mercutio is moody and erratic.
Count Paris: A member of the royal family who is trying to make arrangements with Lord Capulet to marry Juliet.

6. Drama Genre meant to be performed by actors in front of an audience.
Ex: Romeo and Juliet, The Crucible

7. tragedy
Sub-genre of drama in which events turn out disastrously for the main characters, often in death, caused by fate or a character’s tragic flaw. Ex: Romeo and Juliet

8. prologue
A brief opening of a play spoken by the “chorus” that settles the audience and previews the plot.
Ex: “Two households, both alike in dignity…”

9. pun A play on words that sound alike but have different meanings.
Ex: Did you hear about the sleeping man who got run over by a car? He was tired and exhausted!

10. oxymoron Two juxtaposed words that mean opposite things.
Ex: sweet sorrow
loud silence
jumbo shrimp

11. alliteration
Repetition of similar consonant sounds in the same proximity.
Ex: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
 Ex from R&J: “I’ll look to like if looking liking move” (Juliet Act 1, scene 3)

12. Monologue A long, dramatic speech delivered by one character.
Ex: Prince Escalus addresses the crowd after the fight.

13. sonnet
A 14-line lyrical poem written in iambic pentameter and following the rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. EXAMPLE: ???

14. Imagery
Language that appeals to the five senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.
Ex: The hot pizza burned his mouth but tasted great as it filled his growling stomach.

15. Personification
A figure of speech in which an object or idea is given human qualities.
Ex: The grass danced in the wind, happy to receive a spring breeze.

16. Simile A figure of speech that compares two things using like or as.
Ex: She floated in like a cloud on a breezy day.

17. Metaphor A figure of speech that directly equates two unlike things.
Ex: The book was a passport to adventure.

18. Aside
Words spoken that other characters on stage do not supposedly hear.
Ex: Juliet speaking about Romeo, but her mother not hearing.

19. Soliloquy
A long speech in which a character, usually alone on stage, reveals thoughts and/or feelings. No other characters are meant to overhear a soliloquy.
Ex: Romeo talking about how beautiful Juliet is while hiding beneath her balcony.

20. Monologue A long, dramatic speech delivered by one character.
Ex: Prince Escalus addresses the crowd after the fight.

21. Malapropism
Absurd or humorous misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of similar sound. Not a pun – often a mistake.
When the Nurse says “I desire some confidence with you.” She should have said conference.
EX: When the oven caught on fire, my brother had to use
the fire distinguisher to put it out.  
"He was a man of great statue."    Thomas Menino, Boston mayor  
"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child."    Dan Quayle, Vice President

22. Foreshadowing
Clues in the text to suggest what is going to happen later.
Ex: Act 1, scene 4
Romeo: “I feel to early, for my mind misgives some consequence yet hanging in the stars…”

23. Dramatic Irony
The audience knows something the characters do not know.
Ex: We know the killer is in the closet, but the soon-to-be victim does not.
Romeo and Juliet example:
?????????

24. Foil Character
A character that contrasts the personality traits of another character, usually opposites.
Ex: ????

25. Apostrophe Occurs when a speaker addresses something nonhuman.
Ex: Juliet talking to her tears.

26. Allusion
A reference to a person, place, or thing in literature or culture that the writer expects the reader to understand.
Ex: She is as mysterious as the Mona Lisa’s smile.

27. Comic Relief
Humor in a play to break a serious mood or relieve tension.
Ex: The musicians making puns with Peter after Juliet is found dead.

28. Hyperbole An exaggeration or overstatement used for effect.
Ex: My backpack weighs a ton!

29. Situational Irony
The situation turns out differently than the audience expects.
Ex: A wife sells her hair to buy her husband a watch chain, but he has sold his watch to buy combs for her hair.

30. VERBAL IRONY
Saying one thing but meaning another, often sarcastically.
Ex: You have a broken leg that really hurts but you say, “I feel like I could run a marathon!”

31. Motif Recurring idea or element (symbol, character, etc.) in a work.
Ex: Various bird references appear in To Kill a Mockingbird.

32. Symbol
Represents something beyond itself, usually abstract or complex.
Ex: The American flag symbolizes freedom and democracy to many people.

33. Theme A stated or implied underlying meaning or message of a work.
Ex: Dorothy learns that “there’s no place like home” in the Wizard of Oz.

34. Act 3-5 Quiz Plot developments for Acts 3, 4, and 5 (multiple choice)
Literary Devices – Review all (matching)
One short answer (big points)
This will cover Act 3, scene 1
Romeo’s tragic flaw
Tragic turning point: Things take a serious turn for the worse; all downhill. This is the dramatic & tense moment when the forces of conflict come together.
The role of fate/fortune in this scene.
If you’ve missed class, or are confused, go to No Fear Shakespeare online. MODERN ENGLISH.