How does shakespeare use imagery in this excerpt Romeo and Juliet?

I must up-fill this osier cage of ours


with baleful weeds and precious-juiced flowers,


The earth that's the nature's mother is her tomb;


What is her burying grave that is her womb,


And from her womb children of divers kind


We sucking on her natural bosom find,


Many for many virtues excellent,


None but for some and yet all different.


O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies


In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualitites:


For nought so vile that on the earth doth live


But to the earth some special good doth give,


Nor aught so good but strain'd from that fair use


Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse:


Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied;


And vice sometimes by action dignified.


Within the infant rind of this small flower


Poison hath residence and medicine power:


For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part;


Being tasted, slays all senses with the heart.


(I ran out of room so i'll link to the rest)

How does shakespeare use imagery in this excerpt Romeo and Juliet?
The key phrase is "In man as wel as herbs". Keep in mind that the Friar is going through his garden looking at plants. He sees in these plants the same qualities that he sees in humanity. The differences, how both a plant and a man can be both good and bad.


Go out for a walk - see a tree and say this oak is stout, or a flower and say this is beautiful, but it makes me sneeze.
Reply:How doesn't he? In almost every line he provides some sort of imagery to amplify what he's trying to express. Try having someone read it to you, while you have your eyes closed and imagine the lines in your head.
Reply:The earth that's the nature's mother is her tomb


the earth - is a tomb/womb/mother( its making you picture the earth as a mother, womb and tomb)





almost every line in there is imagery