Light and Dark Imagery

Maria Virzi

Knezevich

English 9HNRS

March 4, 2009

The contrast between light in darkness in Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, makes several appearances during the play. It has no particular metaphorical meaning, Light is not always good and dark isn’t always bad. In most cases, light is used to symbolizes beauty and darkness is meant to represent the secrecy of Romeo and Juliet‘s love.

William Shakespeare has used light to refer to beauty. To begin with, when Romeo first sees Juliet, he compares her to the brilliant brightness of the torches that illuminate the Capulet's ballroom. "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!" (1.5.51) Juliet is the light that frees Romeo from the darkness of his endless depression. Romeo also describes Juliet's beauty as a source of light that burns brighter than any other. In addition, after Romeo wonders what it would be like if the stars and Juliet’s eyes traded places, he decides that the brightness of her cheeks would outshine the stars. "her eye in heaven/ Would through the airy region stream so bright / That birds would sing and think it were not night."(2.2.21-23) Juliet is so radiant that she is more magnificent than heaven. Romeo compares her beauty to the sunlight; he says that her beauty is much more pronounced and she could make an artificial daylight (which is contradictory to the beginning of the play when Romeo makes himself an artificial night). furthermore, during the balcony scene, when Juliet first speaks, Romeo compares her to an angel. "O speak again bright angel, for thou art/ As glorious to this night, being o'er my head/ As is a winged messenger of heaven/ Unto the white-upturned wond'ring eyes/ Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him."(2.2.29-33)Romeo truly believes that Juliet’s beauty is really angelic. She is so breath takingly beautiful, it is almost as is an angel has made an appearance. Her beauty is brighter than an angels halo would be against the nights sky.

Shakespeare’s night...