ArianaLozner

Mrs.Hope
WorldLit
10January2016
RomeoandJulietAllusionsEssay

RomeoandJuliet
byWilliamShakespearehasbeenregardedasthemostimportant
dramasofalltime.Shakespeareoftenincorporatedallusions,orreferencestopopcultureinform
ofaperson,place,orthing,inhiswork.RomanmythologywasverypopularinShakespeare's
timesincetheRenaissanceoftenembracedclassicgreekandromanideals.Therefore,manyof
theliteraryreferencesShakespearemadeinhiswereaboutGreekandRomanMythology.This
included,Cupid,thegodofloveandDiana,goddessofthehunt,moon,andchildbirth.These
mythicalfigureswereallromanticandthereforehelpedtoemphasizethemainthemeofRomeo
andJuliet:love.
OneallusionShakespeareoftendepictedinRomeoandJulietwasCupid,theultimate
symboloflove.Ingreekmythologyhewasoftenportrayedasachubbyyoungboywithabow
andarrowandwhomeverhehitwithhisbowandarrow,wouldimmediatelyfallinlovewiththe
firstpersonhe/shesaw.Thus,CupidwastheGodofaffection.Heismentionednumeroustimes
throughoutthestoryinordertoreiteratetheconceptoflove.HeisbroughtupwhenMercutio
triestoconvinceRomeotogotothepartyattheCapulets.HesaystoRomeo,Youarealover.
BorrowCupidswingsandsoarwiththemaboveacommonground(1.4.1718).Inotherwords,
MercutiowantsRomeotodowhattheaveragemanwouldnotdowhenitcomestolove.Since

Cupidismentioned,MercutioisspecificallyreferringtoRomeogoingoutofhiswayand
searchingforanewlove.AnotherexampleofacupidisallusioniswhenRomeosaysthathis
love,Rosaline,whodoesnotlovehimbackcannotbehitwithCupidsarrow(1.1.199200).
Ingreekmythology,Cupidwasknowntohitpeoplewithhisgoldenarrowsinordertomake
themfallinlove.So,RomeosaysthatRosalinecannotbehitwithCupidsarrowistherefore
cannotfallinlovewithRomeo.
AnotherfigureShakespearecommonlyreferencesinRomeoandJulietisDiana,goddess
ofhunting,themoon,andchildbirth.DianawasoftenportrayedinRomanmythologyashaving
abowandarrowandhuntingboots.Shealsohadtheabilitytotalktoanimals.Therefore,she
symbolizedadventureandwit.RomeocomparesRosalinetothegoddesswhenhesaysthatshe
hathDian'swit(1.1.200).HeissayingthatRosalineiscleverlikeDianawas.Romeo
continuesbysaying
And,instrongproofofchastitywellarm'd.FromLove'sweakchildish
bowshelivesuharm'd(1.1.201).RomeostatesthatRosalinefollowschastity,orabstaining
fromsexualintercourse.So,RomeocomparesRosalinetoDianabysayingthatRosalineisa
virginjustlikeDianawas.
Allinall,WilliamShakespearehasincorporatedseveraloutsidereferencesinRomeoand
Juliet,mostlyderivingfromGreekorRomanMythology.Thiswasused
todistinguishthetime
periodandcomparehischaracterstocommonfiguresinmythology,thatreadersduringthattime
werefamiliarwith.Throughtheuseofallusions,Shakespeareisabletohelpgetthecentral
themeofRomeoandJulietacrossandhelpreadersunderstandandrelatetothecomplex
storyline.

ManyoftheseallusionswereaboutCupid,thesymboloflove,
Love:Themostunusualconcept

popculturereferencecupidsymbolslovemajorthemeinromeoandjuliet

Thereareaplethoraofallusionsdepictedin
RomeoandJuliet

RomeoandJulietbyWilliamShakespere
hasbeensaidtobeoneofthemost
important/eminentplaysinhistory.

getthemessageacross

reiteratethemeoflove

Cupidisalludedtofrequentlywhichsymbolizesandemphasizesthecentralthemeofromeo
andjulietlove.

Paragraph1:Intro

Everyoneisgivenadestiny