Final answer:
The line 'Two households, both alike in dignity,' from Romeo and Juliet uses the literary device known as repetition to emphasize the theme of the families' equal status and rivalry.
Step-by-step explanation:
The opening lines of the prologue, "Two households, both alike in dignity," in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, serve as an example of the literary device known as repetition. Repetition in literature is a technique where words or phrases are repeated to emphasize certain ideas and themes. In this instance, the phrase speaks to the theme of the equal status but rivalry of the two families, the Capulets and the Montagues.
Repetition is a common device used in literature to help convey and reinforce the significance of certain themes or concepts within the text. It is different from metaphors and similes that make comparisons, often using 'like' or 'as' for similes, while metaphors state that something is another thing for effect. Alliteration is also a form of repetition, but instead of words or phrases being repeated, it is the initial consonant sounds that are repeated to create a musical effect in the writing.