Romeo & Juliet Critical Terms

Figurative Language

A form of expression that conveys meaning beyond the literal interpretation of words, often used to create imagery or convey emotions.

Quatrain

A stanza or poem consisting of four lines, often with a specific rhyme scheme.

Rhyming Couplet

A pair of successive lines of verse that rhyme and have the same meter.

Iambic Pentameter

A type of poetic meter in which each line consists of ten syllables, structured as five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables.

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor that is developed over several lines or throughout an entire work.

Sonnet

A 14-line poem usually written in iambic pentameter, typically following a particular rhyme scheme.

Soliloquy

A dramatic device in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud, typically while alone on stage, revealing inner feelings and thoughts to the audience.

Pun

A form of wordplay that exploits multiple meanings of a word or similar-sounding words for humorous or rhetorical effect.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction, creating a paradoxical effect.

Hyperbole

An exaggerated statement or claim that is not meant to be taken literally, used for emphasis or dramatic effect.

Characterization

The process by which the author reveals the traits of a character.