Romeo in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

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Romeo in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Romeo Montague is a character who evolves considerably through the Shakespearian play “Romeo & Juliet”, from his unrequited love with Rosaline to his banishment, including his strong love for Juliet and his reaction about Mercutio’s death. When we first meet Romeo in the scene one of Act I, he expresses his sadness because he is in love, but Rosaline, the girl he likes, doesn’t return his love: “out of her favour where I am in love”. The oxymorons he uses, “Why then, o brawling love, o loving hate, […] cold fire, sick health”, show us that he is very confused by emotions, both love and hate; love because of Rosaline, and hate because of the fued between his family, the Montagues, and the Capulets. When he talks about Rosaline, we can see he is very romantic: “love is a smoke made with the fume of sights […] and a preserving sweet” and he is also unwilling to look at other girls “’tis the way […] thou canst not teach me to forget”, even though Benvolio is telling him that there are a lot of other beautiful girls “by giving liberty unto thine eyes. Examine other beauties”. When Romeo answers: “One fairer than my love? The all-seeing sun ne’er saw her match since first the world begun”, we understand he likes pretty girls. Romeo has decided to go to the Capulet’s party because Rosaline will be there, but he feels miserable because of his unrequited love “I am too sore empierced […] do I sink” and has a premonition that things will go wrong “I fear, too early […] on lusty gentlemen”. But once he is at the Capulet’s party, he forgets Rosaline very quickly because he sees the most beautiful girl he has ever seen: “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it sight, for I ne’er saw true beauty till this night”. But it is Juliet Capulet. The fact that he falls in love so quickly with Juliet when we thought he deeply loved Rosaline show us that he is fickle.

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