By Yutong Chen

Emerging in the 1920s, the New Criticism movement placed significant emphasis on the intrinsic value of a literary work by focusing on its language, form, and the subtle rhetorical tropes employed by authors. New Criticism regarded poetry as a self-sustained entity, separate from the author's biography or historical context, urging critics to analyze the text. One of the foremost figures in this critical movement, Cleanth Brooks, in his seminal work The Well Wrought Urn, asserts that "the language of poetry is the language of paradox". Brooks contends that paradox is not merely an ornamental device in poetry but an essential feature of great literature, which unifies seemingly contradictory ideas into a harmonious whole. For Brooks, the paradox is pivotal in creating a deeper understanding of poetic works.

In his exploration of paradox, Brooks argues that seemingly oppositional elements such as irony and contradiction within a poem contribute to its organic unity rather than indicating disarray. This essay applies Brooks's framework to analyze the paradoxical language and irony in Juliet's monologue in Act 3, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet, where she eagerly calls upon the night to hasten her reunion with Romeo. By examining the paradoxical elements of Juliet's speech, this analysis demonstrates how Shakespeare uses paradox to express complex emotions and highlight the tension between love and societal constraints. Juliet's language contrasts light and dark, modesty and desire, life and death.

Come, civil night,

Thou sober-suited matron all in black,

And learn me how to lose a winning match

Played for a pair of stainless maidenhoods.

Hood my unmanned blood, bating in my cheeks,

With thy black mantle till strange love grow bold,

Think true love acted simple modesty.

Come, night. Come, Romeo. Come, thou day in night,

For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night

Whiter than new snow upon a raven's back.

Come, gentle night; come, loving black-browed night,

Give me my Romeo, and when I shall die,

Take him and cut him out in little stars,

And he will make the face of heaven so fine

That all the world will be in love with night

And pay no worship to the garish sun.

Juliet's invocation of the night as a maternal and sensual figure is an immediate paradox. She calls the night to "Come, civil night / Thou sober-suited matron all in black". On one level, Juliet welcomes the night as a "matron," a figure traditionally associated with motherhood and experience. In Shakespeare's time, the term "matron" often referred to a woman with experience, particularly in matters of pregnancy and childbirth. In this context, the night is personified as a seasoned, almost maternal figure who will guide Juliet through the loss of her virginity, teaching her "how to lose a winning match". This paradoxical fusion of maternal and sexual imagery suggests that Juliet's desire for Romeo is not only an act of love but also an initiation into a new, more complex stage of womanhood.

Juliet's paradoxical relationship with the night is illustrated through her description of it as a "sober-suited matron." The term "sober" traditionally suggests restraint, seriousness, or melancholy, yet it is contrasted with the promise of passionate, almost reckless love. Shakespeare creates tension between the night's symbolic role of social decorum and Juliet's intense, unrestricted desire. This paradox deepens as Juliet personifies the night as a time of day and a transformative force. She calls it to "hood my unmanned blood, bating in my cheeks," requesting the night to hide her youthful innocence and blush. In this sense, the night functions as both a concealing and liberating force, hiding her innocence while allowing her to fully embrace her desires for Romeo. This paradox highlights the conflict Juliet faces between her role as an innocent maiden and her yearning to transcend societal constraints through love, with the night symbolizing sexual awakening.

The paradox continues to unfold as Juliet imagines Romeo as a figure who will "lie upon the wings of night / Whiter than new snow upon a raven's back". This image of Romeo as a symbol of purity ("whiter than new snow") juxtaposed with the dark night ("a raven's back") creates another layer of paradox. Romeo, as a figure of love and purity, is intimately connected to the night, which in Juliet's mind is both a symbol of her sexual awakening and a realm where societal judgment is suspended. This paradox reinforces the idea that love, while traditionally associated with purity and light, can also exist and thrive in the darkness of secrecy and rebellion.

Juliet's final paradoxical invocation of the night reaches its peak when she imagines Romeo becoming part of the night sky: "Take him and cut him out in little stars, / And he will make the face of heaven so fine / That all the world will be in love with night / And pay no worship to the garish sun." At this moment, Juliet elevates Romeo to a celestial status, envisioning his love as so pure and beautiful that it would overshadow the sun, which symbolizes the harsh reality of the day. This paradox suggests that their love is both transcendent and all-consuming, existing in a realm beyond ordinary experience. It can only thrive in the night, a space where it is shielded from the judgment of society and the blinding "garish sun."

In conclusion, Juliet's monologue in Romeo and Juliet Act 3, Scene 2, well demonstrates Shakespeare's use of paradox to convey the complexity of human desire and the tension between societal constraints and individual desire. By applying Cleanth Brooks's concept of the language of paradox, we can see how Juliet's speech encapsulates the contradictions inherent in love, innocence, and sexual awakening. The paradoxes embedded in her invocation of the night illustrate how Shakespeare explores the depth of Juliet's emotions and her desire for Romeo, creating a poetic tension that enhances the dramatic intensity of the play.

Yutong Chen is currently an assistant instructor at BNU-HKBU United International College.

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