Irony In Romeo And Juliet

Dramatic Irony is a literary device normally used by playwrights in their plays. It occurs when the audition understands the implication and significance of a specific state of affairs on stage, whereas the characters are unaware of the gravity of the meanings underlying that situation.

Characterized as one of the hallmarks of Shakespearean tragedies, dramatic irony is used to build and sustain audition's interest thereby keeping them actively engaged in the play. Some of its examples in "Romeo and Juliet" are given below with assay.

Dramatic Irony in Romeo and Juliet

Example #1:

pair of star-cantankerous'd lovers take their life… (Prologue 6)

The aforementioned poetry, taken from the prologue, highlights the first case of dramatic irony in the play. In this line, the chorus asserts that the play about is going to revolve around two lovers who commit suicide.

The irony resides in the fact that this tragic end is revealed to the audience but not to the characters involved in information technology. Thus, from the beginning, the audience becomes aware that Romeo and Juliet'south love is destined to fail whereas the main characters remain oblivious to this fact.

Case #2:

Whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows
Doth, with their decease, coffin their parents' strife. (Prologue 7-8)

The above revelation is made by the chorus in the prologue of the play. Referring to the deaths of the 2 passionate lovers, the chorus emphasizes that the legacy of rivalry between the Capulets and Montagues will just finish after the tragic deaths of their children, Romeo and Juliet.

The irony is inherent in the fact that the unfortunate deaths of two lovers will bring about a peaceful resolution to an otherwise long-continuing disharmonize betwixt their families. The irony is further intensified past the fact that while the audience is aware of information technology, the ii rival families remain obstinately unaware of the consequences of their animosity.

Example #three:

This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, set up stand up
To smooth that rough bear on with a tender kiss. (I.five. 105-107)

These heartfelt lines are uttered by a love-struck Romeo who regards himself as an ardent pilgrim and Juliet as his scared shrine. Equally a self-professed and devoted pilgrim, Romeo pleads that he exist allowed to kiss his holy shrine. The ironic fact about the entire wooing incident is that at this phase Romeo is not enlightened that Juliet is the daughter of the Capulets, his family unit's archrivals. Thus, he unknowingly falls in honey with his nemesis.

Example #4:

Alack, in that location lies more peril in thine middle
Than 20 of their swords! Look thou but sweet,
And I am proof against their enmity. (Ii. ii. 76-78)

These lines are uttered by Romeo to Juliet in the renowned balcony scene. In these particular verses, Romeo is trying to reassure Juliet that she needs non worry about her family unit issuing threats to him. Moreover, Romeo tries to convince Juliet that her sweet and loving gaze volition protect him from all dangers.

Romeo is confident that their love volition win against all odds. Yet, the audience is aware that Juliet's fears are not unfounded. In fact, naught can protect the young lovers from their doomed romance.

Example #v:

Alas poor Romeo! he is already dead;
stabbed with a white wench'southward black middle;
shot through the ear with a love-song; (Ii. four. 14-16)

The aforementioned remarks are made by Mercutio while he is conversing with Benvolio. The chat revolves effectually Romeo's honey-stricken state. The irony resides in the fact that whereas both Mercutio and Benvolio assume that Romeo is peckish for Rosaline, the audience is enlightened that reality is reverse to their perception, and that Juliet is the newfound center of Romeo'southward love and affection.

Example #6:

Ah, well-a-day! he's dead, he's dead, he's dead!
We are undone, lady, we are undone!
Alack the day! he's gone, he's kill'd, he's dead! (III. ii. 42-44)

Juliet'south nurse delivers the aforementioned disturbing news in relation to Tybalt's decease. The nurse only used the pronoun "he" to describe who died. Juliet thought that the nurse was referring to Romeo. She idea that he has been killed. This has made her become engulfed in sadness. As opposed to Juliet, the audition is enlightened that Romeo is still alive which exacerbates the dramatic irony underlying the situation.

Case #7:

Where I accept learn'd me to repent the sin
Of disobedient opposition
To yous and your behests, and am enjoin'd
By holy Laurence to autumn prostrate here,
And beg your pardon… (IV.2. 18-22)

Juliet makes the higher up-mentioned earnest remarks in an try to give her father the impression that she is a dutiful daughter who harbors no intention to contest her parents' wishes. Although Juliet's feigned earnestness convinces her father that she has happily conceded to marry Paris, the reality is that she is but pretending to be an obedient, respectful girl.

The audience is aware that Juliet has already made a prior plan with the Friar to drink the sleeping potion and has no intention of marrying Paris. This contrast betwixt Capulet's naiveté and the actual truth known by the audience, contributes to the dramatic irony and tension of the scene.

Example #viii:

If I may trust the flattering truth of sleep,
My dreams presage some blithesome news at hand. (V. i. 1-two)

Uttered by Romeo, the same verse is replete with manifold layers of dramatic irony. The showtime instance of irony resides in the fact that although Romeo anticipates joyful news, moments afterwards Balthasar ushers in and delivers the news of Juliet'due south death.

This terrible news leads Romeo to commit suicide. Romeo does not know the ultimate reason why Juliet has committed suicide. He did not know what collection Juliet in order to do this human action. Out of his love, he decided to follow and commit suicide too.

Example #9:

I could not send it,- here it is over again, –
Nor get a messenger to bring it thee,
So fearful were they of infection. (V. ii. 14-16)

Friar John fabricated these remarks in response to Friar Laurence's enquiry about the letter of the alphabet supposedly dispatched to Romeo. Romeo is supposed to be informed of Juliet'south plan to take the sleeping potion to escape her union. However, the above revelation by Friar John highlights that plague outbreak made him unable to deliver the letter to Romeo.

The irony is inherent in the fact that due to this failure to deliver the letter of the alphabet, Romeo stays unaware of the fact that Juliet is alive — a fact that would have otherwise saved his life.

Example #ten:

Ah, honey Juliet,
Why art 1000 even so and then fair? shall I believe
That unsubstantial death is amorous,
And that the lean abhorred monster keeps
Thee here in dark to be his paramour?
For fear of that, I still volition stay with thee;
And never from this palace of dim night… (V. iii. 101-107)

Romeo uttered these lines when he saw Juliet lying in the tomb. The dramatic irony implicit in the aforementioned verses evokes sympathy in the audition. Overwhelmed past his dear for Juliet, Romeo makes a pledge to join his honey in the dim dark of death. The fact that Juliet appears cute and utterly untouched past death highlights the dramatic irony underlying this tragic scene, since Juliet is actually sound comatose and not dead.

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