Romeo and Juliet Blog 1

In the first 65 lines of the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the scene is set at the house of the Capulet. Sampson and Gregory

Repetition is a common literary device used in these first lines. The idea of carrying coals is repeated many times in the first 5 lines. Also the reoccurance of bitting a thumb shows up multiple times. This idea of bitting a thumb is like flicking someone off or showing them the bird. Another literary device used is alliteration. Examples are, "pretty piece of flesh," "weakest goes to the wall," and "we'll not carry coals." All of these examples of alliteration add emphasis on the words and their meanings. Emphasis is another strong literary device that can be used when reading shakespeare, especially when acting it out. When Abraham and Sampson are bickering about biting their thumbs, certain emphasis can be placed on different words so that the meaning of the sentences change. When one emphasizes, "I am not biting my thumb at YOU." This still infers that Sampson is biting his thumb; but, when he says "I am NOT biting my thumb at you," this could mean that he is not biting his thumb at all. Conceits are also used in this scene in one of Sampson's lines when he says, "True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall." The parenthetical phrase is "being the weaker vessels." The first 65 lines of the first scene start off the play with a bang including a ton of fighting and tensions that have potential to escalade.