Question

what oxymorons do you see in juliets monologue?
select the correct details in the passage.

o serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!
did ever a dragon keep so fair a cave?
beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical!
dove-featherd raven! wolvish-ravening lamb!
despised substance of divinest show!

Explanation:

Define oxymoron

An oxymoron is a figure of speech pairing two contradictory or opposing terms directly together.

Analyze the passage for paired contradictions

• "Beautiful tyrant": Pairs "beautiful" (positive/attractive) directly with "tyrant" (cruel/oppressive ruler).
• "fiend angelical": Pairs "fiend" (evil spirit/demon) directly with "angelical" (angelic/heavenly).
• "Dove-feather'd raven": Pairs "dove-feather'd" (gentle/white bird imagery) directly with "raven" (predatory/dark bird imagery).
• "wolvish-ravening lamb": Pairs "wolvish-ravening" (predatory/ferocious wolf) directly with "lamb" (innocent/gentle prey).

Exclude non-oxymorons

• "O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!" and "Did ever a dragon keep so fair a cave?" are metaphors/paradoxes of hidden deception, but do not pair contradictory words side-by-side.
• "Despised substance of divinest show!" is a contrast, but not a direct two-word oxymoron pairing.

Answer:

The oxymorons in Juliet's monologue are:

• Beautiful tyrant
• fiend angelical
• Dove-feather'd raven
• wolvish-ravening lamb