 Shakespeare 's use of his poetic dramatic structure ( especially effects such as switching between comedy and tragedy to heighten tension , his expansion of minor characters , and his use of sub @-@ plots to embellish the story ) has been praised as an early sign of his dramatic skill . The play ascribes different poetic forms to different characters , sometimes changing the form as the character develops . Romeo , for example , grows more adept at the sonnet over the course of the play . 
