Important literary devices:1. Prose and verse
R&J is mostly written in verse, but prose is also used. Prose is used for more common situations or people (such as the nurse).
* verse = has a set rhythm and structure
* prose = conversational way of speaking (no rhythm)
2. Antithesis (oxymoron)
In Romeo’s ‘Banished’ speech in Act 3 Scene 3, he uses antithesis to describe how it feels to be separated from Juliet. ''Tis torture and not mercy’ (Romeo, 3:3) is just one example. Opposites like light and dark and heaven and hell are used a lot in Romeo and Juliet.