Romeo And Juliet Tragic Hero Essay

651 Words2 Pages

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a tragic play filled with death. Any tragedy needs a tragic hero, and that hero is Romeo. In order for a character to be classified as a tragic hero they must be dignified and high ranking, have a flaw which leads to their eventual downfall, and gain self-knowledge or wisdom although they are defeated. Romeo possesses all of these traits. Romeo Montague is the tragic hero of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is dignified, courageous, and high ranking like a tragic hero must be. One example that proves this is when Romeo pays off the apothecary to sell him poison even though it’s illegal and the punishment is death. “Hold, there is forty ducats. Let me have / A dram of poison, such soon-speeding gear (Shakespeare 5.2.63-64)”. Romeo must have enough money to pay someone to risk death. Another example is what Lord Montague says after he hears the story of Romeo and Juliet. Montague says, “For I will ray her statue in pure gold (Shakespeare 5.3.310)”. This shows that the family has enough money to build a solid gold statue. Finally, the Montague parents are referred to as “Lord” and “Lady” which would only be used in regard to those of high stature. The tragic hero of this play, Romeo, fits the high class …show more content…

Before Romeo kills himself to rest with Juliet, he talks to the deceased Tybalt and apologizes for his past mistakes. In his rambling, Romeo says, “O, what more favor can I do to thee / Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain / To sunder his that was thine enemy? / Forgive me, cousin (Shakespeare 5.3.98-101)”. By saying this, Romeo is recognizing that it was a mistake to kill Tybalt and is repaying him by killing himself. He even asks Tybalt to forgive him while referring to him as “cousin”. Romeo gains self-knowledge and wisdom moments before his death, rendering him a tragic

More about Romeo And Juliet Tragic Hero Essay

Open Document