The light and dark imagery used in the play is parallel to the emotional extremes that Romeo and Juliet feel towards each other. Right from the moment that Romeo sees Juliet, he compares her to the brightness of "a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear", that "teaches the torches to burn bright". This is not warm, soothing light imagery that he uses, but blinding and pure light. Romeo never felt a moment of puppy-crush towards Juliet, but right away fell into deep love. After the party of the Capulets, when Romeo sees Juliet on the balcony, he once again launches into a long litany of light imagery for Juliet, comparing her to the sun, so bright she makes the moon "sick and pale with grief". He compares her eyes to the "fairest stars", which "twinkle in their spheres". The brightest use of light imagery is used to describe their beauty and love for each other. However, at the same time the use of dark imagery is used to describe their times of pain and woe. When Romeo realizes that Mercutio is dead, he says, "this day's black fate on moe days doth depend". This use of imagery illustrates how Romeo and Juliet are passionate people, because it shows how when they are in love, the world seems perfect and whole, but with pain, the world crashes to a halt. They live on emotional extremes, and the extremity of blinding light and pure darkness suit their story.
             The constant use of light and dark imagery serve as a hint as to how the story would play out. We learn to associate light with the joy between Romeo and Juliet when they are together and in love. We learn to associate darkness with sadness because of the contrast between light and dark. However, when we see the type of light imagery that is being used, which is blinding, nearly explosive light, we get a hint that the darkness and the sadness that will follow must parallel this happiness. The light imagery is so concentra...