Literary Analysis of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

External and Internal Structure

External Structure: The play is written in prose, with lines divided into parts. Each turn is divided into two parts, featuring both narration and dialogue.

Internal Structure: The internal progression can be grouped into three parts. First, Juliet expresses her hopes before Romeo's departure. Second, Romeo cautiously asks Juliet to wait until his return to make her his wife. Finally, in the third part, Juliet and Romeo decide to wait, providing their reasoning.

Technical and Stylistic Elements

The author gives voice to the characters through dialogue. When the protagonists speak at length, these can be considered authentic monologues, which the author uses to develop the psychological depth of the protagonists and reveal their characters and passions.

Poetic Language and Figures of Speech

The text is supported by poetic language, abounding in figures of speech such as:

• Interjection: Used to indicate strong emotion (e.g., "Alas!").
• Personification: Giving inanimate objects human traits (e.g., "Day and night surrounded by misery").
• Hyperbole: An exaggeration used for effect (e.g., "Drowning in tears").
• Metaphor: Establishing an identity relationship between people, things, or ideas (e.g., "A noble heart was a hostel of godliness").
• Anaphora: When two or more sentences start with the same word.
• Rhetorical Question: An inquiry that expects no response and assumes the answer.

Linguistic Cohesion and Social Context

The language used is cultivated, belonging to the social level of the characters of that time. The language ultimately intends to address the reason, feelings, imagination, and senses of the viewer. The author characterizes the characters, society, and the transgression of social and moral norms, which causes the dramatic conflict.

Consistency is maintained through the use of relative pronouns and connectors such as prepositions (at, above, under, with, against, from, in, between, to, for, without, after, during) and conjunctions (so, that, and, or, moreover, but, because, since, like, despite) to link sentences.

Author, Context, and the Elizabethan Era

In conclusion, the style is a clear example of the tragic style (specifically Romantic in Romeo and Juliet) and the language of the upper class. This is evident in Juliet's expressions of pain, such as "as hard heart..."

This piece belongs to the genre of tragedy, a drama where characters are dominated by excessive and uncontrolled passions that lead them to self-destruction. The author is William Shakespeare (1564-1616), the preeminent English playwright of the Elizabethan theater.

His work is primarily characterized by dispensing with the three classical unities (unity of time, place, and action). Monologues abound, and characters possess significant psychological depth, reflecting the tragedy of human existence.