Terms for Reference in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

1. Terms for Reference in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare • Character foil – a character whose personality or attitude is in sharp contrast to those of another character in the same play or novel. By using a foil, Shakespeare highlights the other character’s traits or attitude in contrast. For example, Tybalt is angry and hot-blooded. His foil is Benvolio who is thoughtful and peaceful. • Tybalt- Juliet’s cousin Benvolio-Romeo’s cousin

2. Allusion- a brief reference, within a play, novel or poem, to something outside the work that a reader or audience is expected to know. Reference could be to a historical event, famous person, etc. Best allusions are indirect or a subtle hint toward rather than directly stated. • Example- • Mercutio: “Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word/One nickname for her purblind son and heir/Young Adam Cupid, he that shot so trim/When King Cophetualoved the beggar maid” (II, I, 13-16). • Do you see the words in bold? They are allusions. • Venus Cophetua and maid Cupid

3. Soliloquy MONOLOGUE • A speech given by ONE character Speech given by ONE character • ALONE on stage. often to a crowd. Not dialogue.

4. Aside- Character’s remark to the audience or another character which other characters on the stage are not supposed to hear. Somewhat like a stage whisper. Its purpose is to reveal a character’s private thoughts to the audience. Asides are usually spoken to the audience. Speaker may cup hands to suggest a whisper. Plays will note when words are an aside [aside]. Words will not be an actual whisper as then no one could hear the words!!!!

5. Blank verse iambic pentameter- unrhymed lines that have TEN syllables per line. The ten syllables are divided into five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables. T o d a y (which part is stressed,emphasized? Yes, ‘day.’ • But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?When spoken it looks like this:"But SOFT what LIGHT through YONderWINdowBREAKS?"Separated into feet it looks like:"But SOFT | what LIGHT| through YON|der WIN| dow BREAKS|? • Count the syllables. Are there ten? Are there five pairs of unstressed/stressed?"

6. Personification-giving an inanimate (lifeless) object the same qualities a human has. For example, “…the worshiped sun /peered forth the golden window of the East” (I, I, 26-27). Can the sun peer? No, but do you see that the sun seems to be looking at us?

7. Pun-the play on word meaning here two words may sound the same or have multiple meanings. Often used for humorous effect. Often to add comic relief in the middle or at the end of dangerous/sad situations. • “Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man” (III, i, 103-104). What does he mean? • Grave = serious grave = tomb

8. Dramatic irony- when reality is the opposite from what it seems. Irony is a cousin of sarcasm: people say “Lovely weather” when it is pouring with rain. They don’t mean it; in fact, they mean the opposite. Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something important that a character does not know. In “The Prologue” we find out that both Romeo and Juliet will die by suicide. Later, we hear Juliet say: “…all these woes shall serve/For sweet discourses in our time to come” ((III, v, 53-54). ‘Discourses’ means conversations.

9. Imagery-refers to the five senses-what we can touch, taste, see, smell, and hear. Uses adjectives, colors, etc.

10. Motif-a recurring (repeated) image which we see over and over again in a play or novel. Remember shoes in The House on Mango Street? In this play, the motifs include: sun, moon, stars, birds, night/day. Do you remember the allusion to Venus? It is also a motif, isn’t it?

11. Oxymoron- two strangely paired or incongruous words such as “civil war’ or ‘humane slaughter.’ Often used for humorous effect or for emphasis.