Shakespeare shows his dramatic skill freely in Romeo and Juliet, providing intense moments of shift between comedy and tragedy. Before Mercutio's death in Act three, the play is largely a comedy. After his accidental demise, the play suddenly becomes very serious and takes on more of a tragic tone. Still, the fact that Romeo is banished, rather than executed, offers a hope that things will work out. When Friar Lawrence offers Juliet a plan to reunite her with Romeo the audience still has a reason to believe that all will end well. They are in a "breathless state of suspense" by the opening of the last scene in the tomb: If Romeo is delayed long enough for the Friar to arrive, he and Juliet may yet be saved. This only makes it all the more tragic when everything falls apart in the end.
Shakespeare also uses subplots to offer a clearer view of the actions of the main characters, and provide an axis around which the main plot turns. For example, when the play begins, Romeo is in love with Rosaline, who has refused all of his advances. Romeo's infatuation with her stands in obvious contrast to his later love for Juliet. This provides a comparison through which the audience can see the seriousness of Romeo and Juliet's love and marriage. Paris' love for Juliet also sets up a contrast between Juliet's feelings for him and her feelings for Romeo. The formal language she uses around Paris, as well as the way she talks about him to her Nurse, show that her feelings clearly lie with Romeo. Beyond this, the sub-plot of the Montague-Capulet feud overarches the whole play, providing an atmosphere of hate that is the main contributor to the play's tragic end.
Shakespeare uses a large variety of poetic forms throughout the play. He begins with a 14-line prologue in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet, spoken by a Chorus. Most of Romeo and Juliet is, however, written in blank verse, and much of it in strict iambic pentameter, with less rhythmic variation than in most of Shakespeare's later plays. In choosing forms, Shakespeare matches the poetry to the character who uses it. Friar Lawrence, for example, uses sermon and sententiae forms, and the Nurse uses a unique blank verse form that closely matches colloquial speech. Each of these forms is also moulded and matched to the emotion of the scene the character occupies. For example, when Romeo talks about Rosaline earlier in the play, he uses the Petrarchan sonnet form. Petrarchan sonnets were often used by men at the time to exaggerate the beauty of women who were impossible for them to attain, as in Romeo's situation with Rosaline. This sonnet form is also used by Lady Capulet to describe Count Paris to Juliet as a handsome man. When Romeo and Juliet meet, the poetic form changes from the Petrarchan (which was becoming archaic in Shakespeare's day) to a then more contemporary sonnet form, using "pilgrims" and "saints" as metaphors. Finally, when the two meet on the balcony, Romeo attempts to use the sonnet form to pledge his love, but Juliet breaks it by saying "Dost thou love me?" By doing this, she searches for true expression, rather than a poetic exaggeration of their love. Juliet uses monosyllabic words with Romeo, but uses formal language with Paris. Other forms in t
he play include an epithalamium by Juliet, a rhapsody in Mercutio's Queen Mab speech, and an elegy by Paris. Shakespeare saves his prose style most often for the common people in the play, though at times for other characters, such as Mercutio.
第二篇：罗密欧与朱丽叶英文话剧选段
Romeo. A thousand times the worse, to want thy light!-- Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books; But love from love, towards school with heavy looks.
[Retirong slowly.] [Re-enter Juliet, above.]
Juliet. Hist! Romeo, hist!--O for a falconer's voice To lure this tassel-gentle back again! Bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud; Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies, And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine With repetition of my Romeo's name.
Romeo. It is my soul that calls upon my name: How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night, Like softest music to attending ears!
Juliet. Romeo!
Romeo. My dear?
Juliet. At what o'clock to-morrow Shall I send to thee?
Romeo. At the hour of nine.
Juliet. I will not fail: 'tis twenty years till then. I have forgot why I did call thee back. Romeo. Let me stand here till thou remember it.
Juliet. I shall forget, to have thee still stand there, Remembering how I love thy company.
Romeo. And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget, Forgetting any other home but this. Juliet. 'Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone: And yet no farther than a wanton's bird;
That lets it hop a little from her hand, Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves, And with a silk thread plucks it back again, So loving-jealous of his liberty.
Romeo. I would I were thy bird.
Juliet. Sweet, so would I: Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Good night, good night!
parting is such sweet sorrow That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
[Exit.]
Romeo. Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast!-- Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest! Hence will I to my ghostly father's cell, His help to crave and my dear hap to tell.
[Exit.]
罗密欧 晚上没有你的光，我只有一千次的心伤！恋爱的人去赴他情人的约会，像一个放学归来的儿童；可是当他和情人分别的时候，却像上学去一般满脸懊丧。（退后。） 朱丽叶自上方重上。
朱丽叶 嘘！罗密欧！嘘！唉！我希望我会发出呼鹰的声音，招这只鹰儿回来。我不能高声说话，否则我要让我的喊声传进厄科①的洞穴，让她的无形的喉咙因为反复叫喊着我的罗密欧的名字而变成嘶哑。
罗密欧 那是我的灵魂在叫喊着我的名字。恋人的声音在晚间多么清婉，听上去就像最柔和的音乐！
朱丽叶 罗密欧！
罗密欧 我的爱！
朱丽叶 明天我应该在什么时候叫人来看你？
罗密欧 就在九点钟吧。
朱丽叶 我一定不失信；挨到那个时候，该有二十年那么长久！我记不起为什么要叫你回来了。
罗密欧 让我站在这儿，等你记起了告诉我。
朱丽叶 你这样站在我的面前，我一心想着多么爱跟你在一块儿，一定永远记不起来了。 罗密欧 那么我就永远等在这儿，让你永远记不起来，忘记除了这里以外还有什么家。 朱丽叶 天快要亮了；我希望你快去；可是我就好比一个淘气的女孩子，像放松一个囚犯似的让她心爱的鸟儿暂时跳出她的掌心，又用一根丝线把它拉了回来，爱的私心使她不愿意给它自由。
罗密欧 我但愿我是你的鸟儿。
朱丽叶 好人，我也但愿这样；可是我怕你会死在我的过分的爱抚里。晚安！晚安！离别是这样甜蜜的凄清，我真要向你道晚安直到天明！（下。）
罗密欧 但愿睡眠合上你的眼睛！
但愿平静安息我的心灵！
我如今要去向神父求教，
把今宵的艳遇诉他知晓。（下。）