Locate the list in the text. Parallel phrases always contain a list of at least two items or more, such as in the "Richard II" example, which contains a list of four phrases. Commas or conjunctions (such as "and" or "but") usually separate the items and indicate a list.
Circle or underline each item in the list or series and number them.
Parse the parts of speech in each item. This means, label each word for the part of speech it belongs to. In the same Shakespeare example, you would start by labeling "jewels" as a noun and "for" as a preposition. Proceed in the same manner, labeling all the words in each item of the list.
Look back over the list you have parsed and determine if a pattern exists between the items. That is, determine if there is a similar order of the parts of speech in each item in the series. The items do not have to be absolutely identical, but they should more or less parallel each other.