Rhetorical Devices in 'Romeo and Juliet'

The first encounter of Romeo and Juliet (in the movie).

Finding a rhetorical devices such as metaphors and similes in the play Romeo and Juliet is quite an easy task to do because I've read only the first and second acts and I have already encountered numerous clever rhetorical statements. For example, during Romeo and Juliet's first encounter at the Capulet's feast, Romeo went there to try to forget about his love Rosaline. It was a masquerade so nobody actually recognizes each other. Capulet heard Romeo's voice so Romeo ran into Juliet, then they fell in love with each other. They talked, complimented each other, and then right before the moment they kissed, Romeo and Juliet had a foreplay, which is the rhetorical part. Romeo compared himself to a pilgrim who wants to erase his sin and Juliet as a saint. Then the romantic part comes, Romeo convinces Juliet to kiss him because it might be the only way to erase his sin. This conversation extended, with Romeo holding Juliet's palms because apparently "palm to palm is holy palmer's kiss." This conversation is an example of a metaphor in the play, a Christian metaphor to be exact. This metaphor holds very important functions. The religious overtones of the encounter imply that their love can only be described with the vocabulary of religion, which is a very sacred thing. The metaphor Romeo and Juliet used is also a blasphemy towards God, but they didn't care because they are in love: Juliet willingly took the role of a sacred and holy saint while Romeo played the role of a sinful pilgrim.

This encounter is also, in written form, a very beautiful implication of a sonnet, a perfect, idealized poetic form of writing specially used when writing about love. Putting the moment of Romeo and Juliet's love and first encounter within a sonnet is a clever match between literary content and formal style. The metaphor used in Romeo and Juliet's first encounter also served a very important role, which is describing the roles Romeo and Juliet will take throughout the play.

Reading and understanding the play will make you realize that everything that Shakespeare uses in the text of the play have important reasons. He is also clever enough to use these in a fun to read manner.

(source: Sparknotes and the book Romeo and Juliet)