William Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet - 1094 Words

â€Å"Tempering extremities with extreme sweet.†(pro.14) The Act II prologue of Romeo and Juliet uses quite a few extreme words, which, being a romantic tragedy written by William Shakespeare, has many hidden meanings, many of which are demonstrated through foreshadowing. Shakespeare, a playwright from the Elizabethan era who wrote many famous plays, was well know for his play on words, which often prefigures a later event in the play. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the Act Two prologue foreshadows the extreme themes of death and blindness, love versus lust, and passion versus power, all of which will become visible in Act II. The prologue is constructed of three quatrains and a couplet, and within the first line of the Act II†¦show more content†¦Blindness is a serious condition which affects many on different levels, but it was implied when Mercutio says it that he was referring to someone completely blind because they â€Å"cannot hit the m ark.†(II.I.36) This is the utmost state of blindness, and is once again an example of the use of extreme words in the prologue and Act II. This quote also proves itself relevant when Friar Lawrence said, â€Å"burning eye.†(II.III.6) A burning eye would become blind, and this, therefore, subtly alerts the audience that the lovers are blind to the danger they will encounter by loving each other and getting married. This comparison echoes the prologue reference toâ€Å"extremities,†(line 14) because total blindness is the most severe state of being blind. While the use of negative extreme words may be frequent, the concept of loving one for their looks rather than for their personality was enforced throughout the prologue and continues into Act II. In the second quatrain, the word â€Å"bewitched,†(line 6) is used as an explanation for Romeo and Juliet’s sudden love interest. When a person is bewitched, he/she is tricked, enchanted, or deceived ; this is very similar to Romeo and Juliet’s romance which they believe to be love. It has been evident from the moment they met that the assumed â€Å"love† between young Montague and Capulet was lust rather than love because it was purely based on each other’s