The Character Of Romeo Montague in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Romeo is one of the main characters in Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet” and is portrayed as a tragic figure, who is guided by his destiny. Shakespeare initially introduces Romeo to be a romantic sentimentalist, who is over-obsessed with his own emotions. Romeo, however, loses these personality traits towards the end of the play, and becomes more mature after falling deeply in love with Juliet. His love for her is strong and over-whelming, and Shakespeare vividly represents this by dramatic visual moments throughout the play, culminating in the tragic climax of Romeo’s suicide, to join with his Juliet in death. Shakespeare introduces the audience to Romeo, a son of Lord Montague, whos House is involved in an ancient feud with the House of Capulet. Briefly, Romeo divulges to his friend Benvolio that he has a profound and absorbing love for Rosaline, but his love is unrequited. Shakespeare writes Romeo various oxymoron’s, “Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire”, to show Romeo’s ability to use elaborate language and to express his poetic nature. Romeo talks about the brawl that had previously taken place between the two families, and knows that love and hate are closely related to each other. The audience would witness Romeo’s self-centredness and concern for his own feelings, through the comparisons he makes. Taking these comparisons literally as imagery, we can see Romeo comparing himself to Rosaline; being completely different to each other. Shakespeare also conveys Romeo’s weakness with love, as further on in the play, he rapidly diverts his desi... ... middle of paper ... ...obsessed. He suffers badly from depression and can be easily despondent and downcast when events dictate. Towards the end of the play however, Shakespeare shows Romeo regaining his maturity, which has been shown fleetingly before, when he becomes determined and looses his foppish manner. His passion and regard for Juliet holds no boundaries and he is ready and willing to commit suicide so that they can be together in death. Romeo never looses his love for Juliet even when circumstances become intolerable. From a callow youth, Romeo changes into a strong-minded brave young man, sincere and genuinely concerned for Juliet’s welfare. When all is lost and Juliet appears dead, Shakespeare exhibits Romeo’s passion and wish to be with her always, which helps him to end his life, in the knowledge that they will never be parted.
Romeo and Juliet, a play by William Shakespeare, is about the tragedy of two lovers. The two lovers are from families that hate each other. Romeo is a Montague, whilst Juliet is a Capulet. Romeo had loved another girl, only to find she was to become a nun. He then went to a party hosted by the Capulets, and fell in love with Juliet. He met up with her, as she also liked him, and they eventually got married. Their happiness did not last long, however, as Tybalt, a man from Juliet’s house, killed Mercutio, a relative to the prince and Romeo’s friend. Romeo then proceeded to kill Tybalt, which lead to his banishment. Juliet put herself in a death-like state to be with Romeo, who found out and actually killed himself. Juliet
can see his importance in the title of the play; he is named in the
Romeo acts irresponsibly throughout the play refusing to accept responsibly for his own actions. This is highlighted by his reckless behaviour towards Tybalt in the street brawl and at the party which he irresponsibly attends. Romeo also persuades Juliet out of her morals and beliefs throughout the play, especially in the balcony scene where Juliet shows apprehensions but Romeo acts persuasively towards her making her forget her doubts, highlighting Romeo’s controlling and doctorial behaviour. Romeo is seemingly responsible because his actions are self centred throughout, instead of talking to Rosaline about why she has rejected him he falls in love again immediately at the party for Juliet, highlighting his selfishness and inability to have compassion for others. Romeo lacks self control because he gets hot tempered easily, especially in the street brawl were he knows he will get banished if he hurts Tybalt , but being the self centred person he refuses to care for his actions killing Tybalt. This has a chain reaction effect on Juliet because her parents wish to make her happy after the loss of Romeo and encourage her to marry Paris, but Juliet has to refuse because she is already married to Paris, upsetting her
Even at the very beginning of the play, Romeo is already deeply depressed, and is having a lot of big emotional problems dealing mostly with love. Romeo has fallen in love with a girl named Rosaline, and is in a very difficult situation in which he cannot seem to get her attention. This has caused him to exile himself in his room, and write poetry to help him get out his feelings. He has also been seen taking long walks in the woods very early in the morning with tears in his eyes. ( I, 1, 134-135) “Many a morning hath he there been seen, With tears augmenting the fresh morning’s dew” Montague says after seeing Romeo crying in the early morning. This is another reason as to why he is sentimental for lingering over these types of problems for long periods of time, thus showing how much he is in love with Rosaline for not wanting to forget about her. His love has also made him very confused. To show this, he says a speech about love and hate that contains many opposites that don’t make sense. (I, 1, 185) “Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,” is one of the things that he says in the speech. He later falls in love with Juliet. He is therefore very emotional because he is constantly falling in love, and is always unable to be with the person whom he loves.
Shakespeare uses the archetype, “Star-crossed lovers,” to develop the main protagonists, Romeo and Juliet, consequently constructing them relevant to modern society. This archetype is used to create Romeo and Juliet into tragic lovers. Romeo and Juliet fit this archetype, as they are fated to fall in love but also destined to experience tragedy. In the beginning of the play, Romeo’s importance as a star-crossed lover is emphasized in Act one, scene five; “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! / For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night”(). Romeo sees Juliet for the first time in this scene, and he immediately develops passionate feelings for her. As soon as Romeo sets his eyes on Juliet, he forgets his previous obsession with Rosaline. This scene indisputably foreshadows that Romeo is destined to fall in love with Juliet. Despite the love exhibited by Romeo in scene five, the lovers are destined to experience tragedy. The first event signaling Romeo and Juliet’s downfall is when Tybalt, of the Capulets murders Mercutio in a confrontation; “I am hurt. A plague a' both your houses! I am sped. Is he ...
Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous love tales, but what if the play is not actually a tale of love, but of total obsession and infatuation. Romeo has an immature concept of love and is rather obsessive. Romeo is not the only person in the play who is obsessed though. Many people throughout the play notice his immaturities about love. Very rarely was true love actually shown in the play. attention. Romeo childishly cries to his friend, Benvolio because Rosaline will not love him back and says " She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow/ Do I live dead that live to tell it now" (I i 219-220). Romeo is stating that he's ready to die for loving Rosaline. This is exactly the same attitude Romeo had towards Juliet a little later in the play. During Scene I, Act ii, Romeo's friend, Benvolio tries to get him to go to the Capulet's party to help him get over Rosaline and meet other women Romeo gets very angry and emotional when he suggests this. “Now Romeo is beloved and loves again, / Alike bewitched by the charm of looks” (II 5-6). The chorus expresses Romeo’s juvenile way...
Romeo Montague is the quite possibly the most flawed character in all of literature. His own selfishness seals others and his own fate. He even goes on a selfish farewell speech before he kills himself over “love.” Romeo’s farewell speech illustrates this fate that is decided by his actions towards others as demonstrated by Tybalt, Mercutio, and most of all Romeo himself. Romeo is the character with the most fateful consequences throughout the play. Romeo's eventual fate is predictable and caked in Romeo's vivid personality traits made clear throughout the play. Mercutio and Tybalt’s fates are defined by their actions toward the Capulets and Montagues respectively. Which was leaving dead by the hands of the rival family in are scenes that
In Act One of William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, we meet Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt. Right away, we get an idea of who these characters are and what kind of role they will play throughout the story. Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt share many distinctive characteristics and personalities in the story. We learn that Romeo is the romantic and handsome son of the Montagues. In the beginning of the story, he was depressed, but his mood quickly changed as the story went on. We also learn that Mercutio is Romeo’s closest and good friend who tries to make Romeo forget about his first love, Rosaline. He is a great entertainer and he’s very sarcastic too. Instantly, we learn that Tybalt is a Capulet and Juliet’s cousin. He is very hot-headed, aggressive, and violent. He loathes the Montagues very much. Finally, in Act One of William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, we meet three characters, Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt and we directly get an idea of what the characters are like.
“We met, we woo'd and made exchange of vow, I'll tell thee as we pass; but this I pray, That thou consent to marry us to-day.” (Shakespeare II.III. 60). Romeo’s impulsiveness is clearly shown through this quote that he states. The reason for Romeo’s impulsiveness is because he just recently met Juliet and he decides to marry her very quickly. Also this quote reveals to the audience Romeo’s hamartia. Since he is too quick and rash it will inevitably lead him to his fatal death; and through this quote you could see where Romeo went wrong and how it will greatly affect him. Furthermore Romeo leads the audience to believe that he is just infatuated by Juliet’s looks; due to the fact he was strongly in love with Rosaline and then all of sudden falls in love with Juliet and forgets about Rosaline which he claimed to be his one and only love. “Young men’s love then lies Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.”(II.III.65). This quote that Friar Lawrence states planted into the readers mind that Romeo might not be truly in love but rather infatuated. This tragic play takes place in fair Verona where a quarrel between two families takes place due to an ancient grudge. Both families, Montague and Capulet hate each other with a great passion. Two lovers named Romeo and Juliet are both from the two opposing families and they love and marry each other in secret without their families knowing. Because of their impulsiveness and rash decisions it causes them to lead themselves to die a tragic death. Foil characters aid to heighten or highlight an attribute in another character which furthers the plot. Romeo is heightened and influenced by secondary characters that eventually brings out his hamartia, peripeteia, and anagnorisis. These chara...
Romeo and Juliet is a play about two young lovers, whose love was destined for destruction from the beginning because of the hatred between the two families, Montagues and Capulets. Shakespeare juxtaposes the themes of love and hatred. He continuously puts them side by side, and even though they are opposites, when seen together you realise that they are driven from the same thing; passion. Shakespeare uses many different language and dramatic techniques to convey this idea.
Romeo, son of Montague and Lady Montague, is introduced into the story as a depressed, upset young man, moping over a girl who will never love him back. As he says to Benvolio, “She’ll not be hit with Cupid’s arrow. She hath Dian’s wit, and, in strong proof of chastity well-armed, from Love’s weak childish bow she lives uncharmed” (Romeo and Juliet I i 203-206). Romeo states that his true love will not love him as he thinks of her, as she intends to stay chaste and turn into a nun, thus upsetting Romeo and putting him in a depressed state of mind. He is a very extreme person, and in a way, that contributes to the hastiness of the whole play, as Romeo is always at either of his two extremes; his mood either quite happy or relatively dismal. He shows that in his thoughts, as he is at first convinced he should never love another woman, but then he meets Juliet only days afterward and forgets about his previous love. His encounter with Juliet is hasty, but he claims he “never saw true beauty till this night” (Rom I v 52). Romeo reveals his personality, and how quickly he is able to get over someone whom he thought he was in love with. However, after encountering Juliet and falling in love once more, Romeo develops an obsession of sorts w...
Romeo as a Typical Courtly Lover in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is portrayed as a typical courtly lover. In my essay I will be examining the first act of the play and exploring Romeo as a courtly lover and his transition from loving Rosaline to loving Juliet. In traditional medieval literature there were often fictional characters who were known as courtly lovers. At the start of the play Shakespeare has portrayed Romeo as a traditional courtly lover because he follows the rules of courtly love.
Although the lovers are both fairly impudent throughout the play, Romeo, the male lead, is even more so. Through out the play of Romeo and Juliet, the Montague heir has ceased maturity over the course of the Shakespearean tragedy. First of all, it was “Rosaline” (II.iii.67). whom Romeo “didst love so dear” (II.iii.67). at the beginning of the play as he “groaned . . . woes for Rosaline” (II.ii.74-78) however, he easily fell out of lover with her and in love with the “fair daughter of the rich Capulet” (II.iii.58) like he was changing his mind on a meal he’d order. Also, he fell out of love with Rosaline because she did not “doth grace for grace and love for love allow.” (II.iii. 85-88) which basically meant that Romeo didn’t love Rosaline because she didn’t love him back, which is very childish in hindsight. Another way that Romeo is immature is that he doesn’t have a sense of reality fore, he’s always either extremely depressed, like when Rosaline wanted to remain chaised for life or extremely elated like when he met Juliet, while having no real middle ground for his emotions. These are all reasons why Romeo is immature: he’s always heads over heels in love for trivial reasons and he has no to little sense of reality.
The Character of Juliet in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. In the play Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare. character Juliet progresses throughout to become mature and wise. young lady.
Romeo and Juliet is a romantic love story about a young lad named Romeo who has fallen in love with Lady Juliet, but is unable to marry her because of a long-lasting family feud. The play ends in the death of both these characters and the reunion of the friendship between the families. Romeo is in love with Juliet, and this is a true, passionate love (unlike the love Paris has for her or the love Romeo had for Rosaline) that nothing can overcome, not even the hatred between their two families that is the reason for the death of their two children. Throughout the play, Shakespeare thoroughly explores the themes of both true love and false love and hatred. Without either of these themes, the play would loose its romantic touch and probably would not be as famous as it is today.