Question

Read the excerpt below from Act II, Scene 5 and answer the question.

JULIET The clock struck nine when I did send the nurse; In half an hour she promised to return. Perchance she cannot meet him: that's not so. O, she is lame! love's heralds should be thoughts, Which ten times faster glide than the sun's beams, Driving back shadows over louring hills: Therefore do nimble-pinion'd doves draw love, And therefore hath the wind-swift Cupid wings. Now is the sun upon the highmost hill Of this day's journey, and from nine till twelve 10 Is three long hours, yet she is not come. Had she affections and warm youthful blood, She would be as swift in motion as a ball; My words would bandy her to my sweet love, And his to me: But old folks, many feign as they were dead; Unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as lead. O God, she comes!

How does Shakespeare use literary devices in Juliet’s soliloquy to convey her feelings and frame of mind? In the space below, write a response of no less than 150 words discussing at least three examples of literary devices you find. Define each one, and explain how it contributes to the mood conveyed by her speech. Be sure to include specific lines of text as support for your analysis.

Answer 1

Simile: "as swift in motion as a ball"

Allusion: "And therefore hath the wind-swift Cupid wings."

Metaphor: "Therefore do nimble-pinion'd doves draw love,"

Step-by-step explanation:

The scene described above reports the moment when J * sends a nurse to make sure Romeo is ready for the wedding. Nurse takes too long to bring news which makes J * nervous, impatient and apprehensive. To highlight these feelings, Shakespeare uses some figures of speech such as:

Simile - "as swift in motion as a ball": The simile allows the author to compare two things that are very different from each other and that do not have a well-established relationship.

Allusion - "And therefore hath the wind-swift Cupid wings.": The allusion allows a reference to be made in something that exists in another work, or universe, or even a reference to a person, music, book, among other things.