Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration used to achieve an effect. A character might exaggerate to

communicate their strong feelings towards an idea or person. They might also wish to
exaggerate to suggest they have made a firm decision about something. A playwright might
create a character that uses hyperbole to teach the audience something about the
characters personality.
When

Romeo is first introduced, he describes the torment of being in love to

Benvolio:

O brawling love, O loving hate!

anything, of nothing first create!
O heavy lightness, serious vanity,
Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! (1.1, 168-171)
He describes the contrast between the highs and lows of love with exaggerated oxymoron
and exaggerated stress caused by the three exclamation marks. He speaks in such an
exaggerated form to try and convince Benvolio of the depth of his love for Rosaline. This
exaggeration was a convention of courtly love and Romeo thinks it will make him seem a
truthful lover. However, Shakespeare uses the exaggerated speech to characterize Romeo is
a naive lover who really doesnt understand what is to truly be in love. Benvolio certainly
takes this exaggeration as less a sign of genuine feelings and more a sign that Romeo is
being overly dramatic, silly and even a little pathetic. He even goes as far as to suggest that
if Romeo Examines other beauties (1.1, 223) he will easily forget about Rosaline. This
just encourages Romeo to make exaggerated comments about the beauty of Rosaline.
Understatement
Deliberately making something appear smaller or less important than it really is. It can be
used to entertain or to reduce the importance of the truth.
When the unlucky Mercutio receives a fatal rapier wound and is asked if he is hurt, he
replies, Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, tis enough. Obviously, his wound is fatal and
perhaps the understatement is more of a way to comfort himself and perhaps it is a little
bravado. It could also be played as a sarcastic response to Benvolios question What art
thou hurt?(3.1, 88). Mercutio realizes that the word hurt is a ridiculous understatement
for the seriousness of the wound so decides to respond with understatement. This humor,
even in his dying moments marks him out as a witty, fun loving character.
Paradox
A statement that appears illogical or contradictory at first, but may actually point to an
underlying, thought provoking truth.The contradictory concepts are separated by one or
more intervening words. A paradox is used to highlight the confusing, unexpected or
contradictory nature of a situation or emotional reaction.

When Juliet discovers that Romeo

has killed her cousin, Tybalt, she has the following reaction:

O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!

Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?
Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical!
Dove-featherd raven! wolvish-ravening lamb!
Despised substance of divinest show!
Just opposite to what thou justly seemst,
A damned saint, an honourable villain!
Apostrophe
A statement, question, or request addressed to an inanimate object or concept or to a
nonexistent or absent character. is used particularly when a character feels that they lack
control over something or they want to take control
When Julie thinks she is alone on her balcony she calls, O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art
thou Romeo? and then continues to ask him things she might not have had the courage to
do in person.
As soon as Juliet leaves for Mantua, Juliet feels overcome by her bad luck and calls out O
Fortune, Fortune! All men call thee fickle (3.5, 60). She then begs Fortune or Fate to give
up its claim on her Romeo? This shows that she believes the future of her marriage is not in
her hands but is being guided by some higher power. The apostrophe to fate marks out her
sense of helplessness.

Pun
A play on words that have similar sounds but different meanings. Used to show wit, create
humor, and ridicule an idea or to point out flaws someone elses comments.
Before Romeo enters the Capulet party he is complaining that he isnt really in the
mood: Give me a torch: I am not for this ambling./ Being but heavy, I will bear the
light. He plays on the double meaning of light: literal light to make things visible and a light
mood. His statement means he with bear of carry the torch to light the way but it can also
means he will bear or put up with the light mood at the part.
Ambiguity
When a phrase can be interpreted as having two possible meanings, usually one literal and
one figurative.
When one of the meanings bawdy, lewd or rude, the phrase is called
a double entendre(literally double meaning in French) and is considered sexual innuendo
(hinting at rather than openly stating something
about sex).
At the end of his Queen Mab speech, Mercutio says Queen Mab is a mischief-maker who
tangles the manes of horses and the hair of people. She also introduces virgins
(presumably through their dreams) to sex: This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs, /
That presses them and learns them first to bear, / Making them women of good carriage
(1.4.92-94). Good carriage is good deportment, but as Mercutio uses it, its the ability to
carry the weight of a man and then the subsequent weight of a baby.
Mercutio, the Nurse and other servants make constant reference to the physical side of a
romantic relationship. They seem to suggest that this is the true core of a relationship
whereas other characters suggest status or spirituality are the most significant elements.