Where is there pathetic fallacy in Romeo and Juliet?

Pathetic fallacy is a literary device in which human emotions or characteristics are attributed to inanimate objects or nature. Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy in Romeo and Juliet to reflect or enhance the emotional state of the characters. Here are a few instances of pathetic fallacy in the play:

1. Prologue:

- "Black and portentous must this humour prove, / From forth the fatal loins of these two foes / A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life.”

- The prologue foreshadows the tragic fate of Romeo and Juliet by attributing human characteristics and emotions to the stars and fate, making it seem like a malicious force guiding the lovers towards disaster.

2. Act 1, Scene 5 (Romeo and Juliet's first meeting):

- "What light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."

- Romeo's famous line, comparing Juliet to the sun, highlights his overwhelming infatuation and sees her as a source of radiant light and warmth, mirroring his intense feelings for her.

3. Act 2, Scene 2 (Juliet's balcony scene):

- "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."

- Juliet echoes Romeo's earlier comparison, indicating a mutual recognition of their love as something radiant and profound, with Juliet being the source of light and warmth in Romeo's life.

4. Act 3, Scene 5 (Romeo's banishment):

- "Heaven is here / Where Juliet lives."

- Romeo uses pathetic fallacy to express his emotional turmoil after being exiled from Verona. To him, Juliet's presence makes Verona Heaven, reflecting the intense hold she has over his emotions.

5. Act 4, Scene 5 (Juliet's apparent death):

- "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!"

- Lord Capulet, unaware that Juliet has taken a potion to mimic death, describes Juliet's beauty even in her apparent death. The use of pathetic fallacy here serves to emphasize the depth of Juliet's beauty, making her death even more tragic.

6. Act 5, Scene 3 (Romeo's suicide):

- "I defy you, stars!"

- Romeo, distraught and consumed by grief over Juliet's apparent death, angrily defies the stars, blaming fate for their tragic love.

These instances of pathetic fallacy in Romeo and Juliet enhance the emotional impact of the play, mirroring the intense feelings and turmoil experienced by the characters and emphasizing the tragic consequences of their love story.