romeo character traits essay

Romeo and Juliet

William shakespeare, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions, romeo quotes in romeo and juliet.

Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows, Doth with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O any thing, of nothing first created; O heavy lightness! serious vanity! Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms!

Romeo: I dream'd a dream to-night. Mercutio: And so did I. Romeo: Well, what was yours? Mercutio: That dreamers often lie.

Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear, Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear. So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows. The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, And, touching hers, make blessèd my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.

You kiss by th’ book.

My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late!

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; — Thou art thyself though, not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other word would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title: — Romeo, doff thy name; And for thy name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself.

I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptis'd; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

Good-night, good-night! Parting is such sweet sorrow That I shall say good-night till it be morrow.

Romeo, the hate I bear thee can afford No better term than this: thou art a villain.

Romeo: Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much. Mercutio: No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church-door; but 'tis enough, 'twill serve: ask for me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man.

O, I am fortune's fool!

Come, gentle night, — come, loving black brow'd night, Give me my Romeo; and when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of Heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night, And pay no worship to the garish sun.

Wilt thou be gone? it is not yet near day. It was the nightingale, and not the lark, That pierc'd the fearful hollow of thine ear; Nightly she sings on yond pomegranate tree. Believe me love, it was the nightingale.

Then I defy you, stars!

O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. — Thus with a kiss I die.

Yea, noise, then I'll be brief; O, happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rest, and let me die.

For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Romeo Montague

Romeo Montague is one of the main characters in William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet . Read our Romeo character analysis below:

After the brawl between servants of the two feuding families in the market square in Verona we are introduced to Romeo. He’s a teenager with raging hormones, wandering around in a daze, completely lovesick. He has seen a girl, Rosaline , and fallen in love with her. She’s not aware of that, she’s not even aware of Romeo’s existence. And now, he can’t get her out of his mind.

His friends, a gang of teenage boys who hang out in the square together, make fun of him for it. It’s a great, natural, life-like beginning to a play and a fitting first impression of this innocent boy who is going to have to cope with the realities that a hostile universe is going to confront him with.

But in this play it is a particularly apt beginning: this moping for a pretty, unattainable girl is the emotional rock bottom from which Romeo Montague is going to rise, in a very difficult and uncertain climb, to the status of tragic hero .

When Romeo meets Juliet there is a progressive deepening of his character, although his immaturity is evident throughout. Unlike Juliet, who shows a remarkable level of maturity right from the start, he only really gets there in the last hours of his life.

This first sign that he will develop into something more than a teenage hangout is just before entering the Capulet mansion to gatecrash their party, when he seems aware of the heavy weight of Fate hanging over him, and he broods on the future: ‘My mind misgives/Some consequence yet hanging in the stars.’ The Prologue has told us that the lovers are star-crossed , and that is something that’s reflected in the language throughout the text of the play .

Romeo Montague is hasty and impetuous, with quickly changing moods. He serially falls in love at first sight; marries Juliet the day after meeting her and takes revenge for Mercutio ’s death without stopping to consider the consequences. He is banished from Verona and his mother, Lady Montague, dies of grief.

When confronted with the consequences of his actions he’s unable to cope with the trouble he’s landed himself in. After killing Tybalt he flees to Friar Lawrence ’s cell and descends into a childlike emotional state – becoming distraught, crying, and losing control of himself. He behaves like a toddler and his language is pure hysteria.

Then again, in exile in Mantua , Romeo’s impulsivity is once again evident when, on hearing of Juliet’s death, he cries, ‘then I defy you, stars!’ and springs into action. When he’s in the tomb with Juliet he instantly resolves to kill himself there and then, in the tomb with her. However, although too late, at that point, in his soliloquy beside her body (‘ How oft when men are at the point of death /Have they been merry.’) we see a man who has finally arrived at an understanding of himself and a maturity which, apart from a few flashes in his dialogue with Juliet, he has lacked.

Top quotes by Romeo Montague

“Under loves heavy burden do I sink.”

( act 1, scene 4 )

“Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.”

( act 1, scene 5 )

“If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.”

(act 1, scene 5)

“O! she doth teach the torches to burn bright!”

“It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear; Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear.”

“He jests at scars that never felt a wound.”

( act 2, scene 2 )

“But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”

(act 2, scene 2)

“See how she leans her cheek upon her hand. O, that I were a glove upon that hand That I might touch that cheek!”

“Oh, I am fortune’s fool!”

( act 3, scene 1 )

“Then I defy you, stars.”

( act 5, scene 1 )

“Death, that hath suck’d the honey of thy breath hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.”

( act 5, scene 3 )

Romeo Montague woos Juliet Capulet

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Romeo Character Traits

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Published: Mar 13, 2024

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Romeo's impulsive nature, romeo's romantic idealism, romeo's passionate love.

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Romeo and Juliet

William shakespeare.

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Romeo's character analysis

Romeo’s character analysis

Romeo and Juliet is a tale of two star-crossed lovers who in their love for each other were willing to sacrifice their lives.

Romeo is a very temperamental person; his character develops considerably throughout the play in various ways.  In this essay I shall be looking closely at Romeo’s character, his intentions & abilities and his relationship with other characters in the play.

In the conversation between Benvolio and Montague in act 1 scene 1, we learn that Romeo is behaving strangely and avoiding his friends, “Towards him I made, but he was ware of me and stole into the covert of the woods.” In this sentence Benvolio is explaining to Lady Montague that when he walked towards Romeo, Romeo was aware of him and hid in the woods. We know now that he was consumed by his grief about being rejected by Rosaline, he would not confide in his friends or family, as we learn from his father’s words “But he, his own affections councilors, is to himself”. His father also mentions that Romeo stays in his room all day with the curtains drawn grieving alone in his darkened room “Away from light steals my heavy son, and private in his chamber pens himself, shut up his windows, locks fair daylight out, and makes himself an artificial night”. These two sentences given by his father offer a physical and mental portrait of Romeo penning himself away because he did not get what he wanted.

Benvolio tries again to talk to Romeo. He succeeds and asks Romeo why he looked distressed. At first Romeo shied away from giving a straight answer and talks in riddles and double meaning but then with more promptings he unburdens his misery. We learn that he loves a lady who has sworn to remain a virgin. “She’ll not be hit with cupids arrow, she hath dian’s wits”. Meaning that she does not love him and she has Dian’s wit. Dian is the goddess of hunting and chasity, she avoids Cupid’s arrows ; from this we learn that Rosaline has no intention of loving him or any other man. This is further proven when Romeo confirms Benvolio’s question that she has sworn to remain a virgin.

Romeo goes on to say that his love is misplaced because Rosaline has rejected him. Romeo compares his love to Rosaline as a devote religion. His words seem mature which belies his actions, which is often irresponsible and immature.

Even when his love has been rejected, Romeo still feels heavy with the burden of love. His friends didn’t take his love seriously, they thought it was humorous, silly and later on exasperating. Romeo is hurt by Rosaline ‘s rejections and perhaps by his friends’ indifference towards his love. We learn this when he quotes “… love pricks like thorn…”.

But Mecrutio does not feel melancholy about love. He views love in a physical sense more than emotional, he advises rather crudely “ If love be rough with you, be rough with love”.

This is a preview of the whole essay

Romeo’s actions and words in act 1 scene 5 make us doubt if he has been in love at all, or just thinking pretending to be in love. He himself doubts it “did my heart love till now? Foreswear it, sight for I ne, er saw true beauty till this night.” By his words we gather that He cannot believe his eyes that a lady as beautiful as this exists. But on a closer analysis lets pick out the the key words, “…for I ne, er saw true beauty till this night…”we can pick up an underlying message Juliet is more beautiful than Rosaline which completely opposes what he said in act 1 scene 2. “When the devout religion of mine eye maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires; and these who, often drowned, could never die, transparent heretics, be burnt for liars…”saying that if he did see someone more beautiful than Rosaline, his eyes would burn out because they were liars, unfaithful to the true belief: Rosaline’s beauty. (Romeo’s lines seem to be inspired by the practice of burning heretics at the stake) this shows how quickly he changes his mind and forgets about Rosaline.  

Romeo describes his lips as ‘the tools of love’ and compares this to a prayer being the tools of Religion, before he kisses he say’s “thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged.” He is comparing Juliet to a saint, ‘my sin is purged’

Christians go to confessions to purge (cleanse) their sin, he is saying that by kissing her he is doing a holy act and purifying his soul.  , romeo is now in love with juliet, so when mercrutio makes fun of rosaline in act 2 scene 1 to anger romeo, romeo dismisses it in one line (act 2 scene2) “he jests at scares that never felt a wound” just as someone who has never been wounded can jest about a soldier’s battle scars, so someone who has never been in love can finds it easy to joke about the sufferings of a person deeply in love. this is very different from his ‘sufferings’ over rosaline in act 1 scene 1.          .

Romeo uses the sun, moon, stars and heaven to describe Juliet’s appearance. Here are some of the phrases he uses to say how beautiful Juliet is:

        ~ “It is the east and Juliet is the sun…”

        ~ “Two of the fairest star in all the heaven”

        ~ “The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars”      

        ~ “O speak bright angel, for thou art…”

        ~  “As is a winged messenger of heaven”

At a first glance Romeo’s love for Rosaline and Juliet seem the same but on a deeper survey we gather that it does differ. Romeo mainly feels bittersweet lost love for Rosaline and sulked a lot, but with Juliet he is elated and full of energy, the cause for this difference is quite obvious, it simply is that Juliet returns his love but Rosaline does not.

Romeo want’s to get married as soon as possible even though Friar Lawrence has some misgiving about it and asks for him to think deeply before rushing into anything, but Romeo is adamant to have the marriage soon. Friar Lawrence chided Romeo for his fickleness in love “Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts but in their eyes”, meaning Romeo only loves the outer beauty of the girl and changes his mind if a girl more beautiful then the last comes along, he will go after her. Romeo pleads with the Friar, and he gave in, thinking if Romeo and Juliet married then the feud between the families might end. Romeo’s haste revels his immaturity; he wants to marry quickly despite Friar Lawrence’s advice to go slowly.

Romeo’s character is very mature at the start of act 3 scene 1, in contrast to his immaturity in act 2, scene 3, this may be because he has just married Juliet and feels that he should be responsible and grown up, we see signs of his maturity when Tybalt challenges Romeo to a fight, Romeo refuses to accept Tybalt ‘s challenge, and tries to placate him. Mercutio is disgusted and angry at Romeo’s refusal to fight, so he challenges Tybalt. Romeo tries to make peace but his intervention is fatal to Mercutio, Tybalt stabs him (Mercutio) under Romeo’s arm.

Now let’s think about Romeo’s behaviour and words around the time of the fight. “ And so good Capulet, which name I tender as dearly as my own, be satisfied.” Romeo is married to Juliet, so Tybalt is his kinsman now. Romeo tries to make peace with Tybalt even though he had deeply insulted him. I think that if Romeo were not married to Juliet he would have fought with Tybalt, but as he is married to her he feels he should be more responsible and refuses to fight triggering off the events leading to Mercrutio’s death.

Romeo blames himself for Mercutio’s wound and is grief-stricken, and when Benvolio report’s his death he is livid with rage and vows to kill Tybalt. Tybalt returns and Romeo challenges him, they fight and Tybalt is slain. Romeo acts without thinking and he is immediately regretful and conscience-stricken “O, I am fortune’s fool”.

Juliet is distressed upon hearing that Romeo killed Tybalt she wonders if Romeo is really the person she thought he was “O, serpent’s heart, hid with a flowering face!” she says Romeo is deceitful and treacherous but when the nurse agrees with her she rebukes her by saying Romeo was her husband.

Romeo is heartbroken upon hearing the news of his banishment, but I do not find this completely selfish because I would probably react the same, and he also was deeply concerned for Juliet’s welfare, this is evident when Romeo immediately asks the nurse when he sees her “Spakest thou of Juliet? How is it with her?” but he reveals a childish streak when he worries about what Juliet thinks of him “doth not she think me a old murderer”. When nurse says how miserable Juliet is Romeo snatches a dagger and offers to kill himself.

Friar Lawrence rebukes Romeo for his suicide attempt, he tells him to pull himself together and that nothing has been lost “what rouse thee man! Thy Juliet is alive…Tybalt would kill thee, but thou slewest Tybalt; there art thou happy.” meaning that you killed in defence because Tybalt was going to kill you, you both had an equal chance to kill each other.

After this speech has had been soothed to some extent and was happy at the prospect of seeing Juliet, he seems to be easy to please.

After their wedding night together, Romeo and Juliet part before he goes to Mantua in act 5 scene 1. Juliet at first tells him to stay which makes us think she must have still been sleepy and disorganized, because it was almost certainly death if Romeo stayed, Romeo tells her that and she replies by saying it was not morning yet and he does not need to go, so Romeo’s will dissolves and he says he will stay and face capture and death for her, this shows how weak his resolve is Juliet then seems to realizes what she just said and hurries him out and blames the lark (a species of bird)for singing a sweet song ant distracting her. Romeo leaves with lots of kisses and farewells.

Romeo seems happy and optimistic that he will see Juliet again but Juliet voices her misgivings after he left “ methinks I see thee now, thou art so low, as one dead in the bottom of a tomb.”

Juliet’s words seem uncomfortably like a premonition.

Lots of things happen while Romeo is in Mantua here is a summary:

Lady Capulet tells Juliet that she must marry Paris on Thursday. Juliet, appalled, refuses to do so. Capulet flies into towering rage on hearing of Juliet’s refusal to marry Paris. He threatens and insults her. The nurse’s defence of Juliet further enraged Capulet, he threatens to disown her if she will not obey him and marry Paris. Lady Capulet refuses to help her daughter. Juliet seeks comfort from the nurse who urges her to marry Paris. Felling betrayed, Juliet sends the nurse away, vowing never to trust her again. Juliet resolves to seek Friar Lawrence’s help. Juliet goes to Friar Lawrence’s cell and she finds Paris there she does not wish to talk to him and replies to Paris’s questions with double meaning. After Paris leaves Juliet asks for Friar help, threatening to kill herself if she is forced to marry Paris. Friar Lawrence devised a plan to prevent her marriage to Paris and for her to leave with Romeo without anybody knows. He gives her a portion that makes her seem dead, and she will be placed in Capulet’s vault. Romeo will be with her when she awakens to take her to Mantua. Juliet takes the portion before the day she is to be married. The nurse finds her on the wedding day ‘Dead’. She is put in the vault.

Romeo is unaware of all this in Mantua, Friar Lawrence’s letter does not reach him. Balthasar (his servant) brings him news of Juliet’s ‘death’. Romeo reacts impulsively just like in act 3 scene 1 when Romeo killed Tybalt in rage, which landed him in this trouble. He decides swiftly that he does not want to live without Juliet and he would kill himself, Romeo does ask Balthasar if there was any news from friar Lawrence but as he did not have it Romeo proceeded to his death in Verona.

Romeo acts immature, he wants to kill himself and he does not think of the consequences. He buys poison of a poor apothecary. He treats the apothecary quite kindly; he knows that the apothecary is poor and would have to sell poison to him in order to survive. Even when tragedy strikes him Romeo is considerate towards others, it seems to be his nature as every body (even Capulet in act 1 scene 5 “Verona brags of him, to be a virtuous and well governed youth.”) thinks kindly of him; he also treats his servant Balthasar kindly, unlike how others treated their servants.

  Romeo then goes to the capulet’s vault, but here he is met with a problem, Paris is there to pay respect to Juliet’s ‘dead’ body and he thinks Romeo has come there to do some damage to Tybalt and Juliet’s bodies. Romeo does not want to talk to Paris and tells him to leave him alone but Paris would not let him go and challenges him, Romeo who is depressed and grieving for Juliet so he gets angry quickly and kills Paris, Romeo then realized what he had done and is remorseful.  this shows again how impulsive Romeo is. Romeo goes in sees Juliet and drinks the potion and dies. Juliet wakes up and sees friar Lawrence who had come to check on her, he is nervous and want’s to leave as soon as possible because the alarm has been raised that Paris is dead, Juliet refuses to come with him and he flees, Juliet finds Romeo dead and kills herself with his dagger. Thus the story ends?

Romeo is a complex character; our views of him are often changed by the course of events in this play, at some times he seems impulsive and does not think of the consequences of his actions. But at other times Romeo is thoughtful, responsible and mature.  For every immature deeds he does, there always seem to be a cause, which makes us doubt if the deed was really immature.

Romeo seems to have become responsible after his marriage to Juliet; he seems to feel that that he should take care of Juliet and be civil to her kinsmen. This is arguable however, because he committed suicide, which in my opinion is an easy way out but did he really have anything left to live for? Juliet was ‘dead’, he was banished and his mother was dead (he did not know that). So it must have seemed like his only option. Romeo’s character is very puzzling, was he a selfish and spoilt boy or a man who was too consumed with grief over losing his wife? I’ll leave you to figure that out.

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Romeo and Juliet

By william shakespeare, romeo and juliet essay questions.

In what way do Romeo and Juliet break gender conventions? How do these roles fluctuate throughout the play?

At the beginning of the play, the young lovers' behavior reverses common gender conventions – Romeo acts in a way that his friends call feminine, while Juliet exhibits masculine qualities. Romeo is by no means an archetypal Elizabethan man; he is disinterested in asserting his physical power like the other male characters in the play. Instead, Romeo chooses to stew in his pensive melancholy. On several instances, Romeo's companions suggest that his introspective behavior is effeminate. On the other hand, Juliet exhibits a more pronounced sense of agency than most female characters in Shakespeare's time. While the women around her, like her mother, blindly act in accordance with Lord Capulet's wishes, Juliet proudly expresses her opinion. Even when she has lost a battle (like when Lord Capulet insists she consider marrying Paris), she demonstrates a shrewd ability to deflect attention without committing to anything. In her relationship with Romeo, Juliet clearly takes the lead by insisting on marriage and proposing the plan to unite them. As the play progresses, Romeo starts to break out of his pensive inaction to the point that Mercutio notices this change. Romeo also makes a great shift from his cowardly attempt at suicide in Act III to his willful decision in Act V. Overall, Romeo and Juliet are arguably a good match because they are so distinct. Juliet is headstrong, while Romeo is passive until passion strikes and inspires him to action.

Contrast Romeo's attempted suicide in Act 3 with his actual suicide in Act 5. How do these two events reveal changes in his character and an evolving view of death?

Romeo considers suicide in both Act 3 and Act 5. In Act 3, Romeo's desire to take his own life is a cowardly response to his grief over killing Tybalt. He is afraid of the consequences of his actions and would rather escape the world entirely than face losing Juliet. Both Friar Laurence and the Nurse criticize Romeo for his weakness and lack of responsibility - taking the knife from his hands. In contrast, Romeo actually does commit suicide in Act V because he sees no other option. He plans for it, seeking out the Apothecary before leaving Mantua, and kills himself out of solidarity with Juliet, not because he is afraid. While suicide is hardly a defensible action, Romeo's dual attempts to take his life reveal his growing maturity and his strengthened moral resolve.

Several characters criticize Romeo for falling in love too quickly. Do you believe this is true? Does his tendency towards infatuation give the audience occasion to question Romeo's affection for Juliet?

This question obviously asks for a student opinion, but there is evidence to support both sides of the argument. In Act 2, Friar Laurence states his opinion that Romeo does indeed fall in love too quickly. Romeo is arguably in love with being in love more than he is in love with any particular woman. The speed with which his affections shift from Rosaline to Juliet – all before he ever exchanges a word with the latter – suggests that Romeo's feelings of 'love' are closer to lust than commitment. This interpretation is supported by the numerous sexual references in the play, which are even interwoven with religious imagery in Romeo and Juliet's first conversation. However, it also possible to argue that Romeo's lust does not invalidate the purity of his love. Romeo and Juliet celebrates young, passionate love, which includes physical lust. Furthermore, whereas Romeo was content to pine for Rosaline from afar, his love for Juliet forces him to spring into action. He is melancholy over Rosaline, but he is willing to die for Juliet. Therefore, a possible reading is that Romeo and Juliet's relationship might have been sparked by physical attraction, but it grew into a deep, spiritual connection.

Examine the contrast between order and disorder in Romeo and Juliet . How does Shakespeare express this dichotomy through symbols, and how do those motifs help to underline the other major themes in the play?

The contrast between order and disorder appears from the Prologue, where the Chorus tells a tragic story using the ordered sonnet form. From that point onwards, the separation between order and disorder is a common theme. Ironically, violence and disorder occurs in bright daylight, while the serenity of love emerges at night. The relationship between Romeo and Juliet is uncomplicated without the disorderly feud between their families, which has taken over the streets of Verona. The contrast between order and disorder underscores the way that Shakespeare presents love - a safe cocoon in which the lovers can separate themselves from the unpredictable world around them. At the end of the play, it becomes clear that a relationship based on pure love cannot co-exist with human weaknesses like greed and jealousy.

Many critics note a tonal inconsistency in Romeo and Juliet . Do you find the shift in tone that occurs after Mercutio's death to be problematic? Does this shift correspond to an established structural tradition or is it simply one of Shakespeare's whims?

After the Prologue until the point where Mercutio dies in Act III, Romeo and Juliet is mostly a comic romance. After Mercutio dies, the nature of the play suddenly shifts into tragedy. It is possible that this extreme shift is merely the product of Shakespeare's whims, especially because the play has many other asides that are uncharacteristic of either comedy or tragedy. For example, Mercutio's Queen Mab speech is dreamy and poetic, while the Nurse's colorful personality gives her more dimension than functional characters generally require. However, it is also possible to see the parallels between this tonal shift and the play's thematic contrast between order and disorder. Shakespeare frequently explored the human potential for both comedy and tragedy in his plays, and it is possible that in Romeo and Juliet , he wanted to explore the transition from youthful whimsy into the complications of adulthood. From this perspective, the play's unusual structure could represent a journey to maturity. Romeo grows from a petulant teenager who believes he can ignore the world around him to a man who accepts the fact that his actions have consequences.

Eminent literary critic Harold Bloom considers Mercutio to be one of Shakespeare's greatest inventions in Romeo and Juliet . Why do you agree or disagree with him? What sets Mercutio apart?

One of Shakespeare's great dramatic talents is his ability to portray functional characters as multi-faceted individuals. Mercutio, for example, could have served a simple dramatic function, helping the audience get to know Romeo in the early acts. Then, his death in Act 3 is a crucial plot point in the play, heightening the stakes and forcing Romeo to make a life-changing decision. Mercutio barely appears in Arthur Brooke's Romeus and Juliet , which Romeo and Juliet is based on. Therefore, Shakespeare made a point of fleshing out the character. In Mercutio's Queen Mab speech, Shakespeare has the opportunity to truly delve into the bizarre and often dangerous sexual nature of love. Further, Mercutio's insight as he dies truly expresses the horrors of revenge, as he declares a plague on both the Montague and Capulet families. He is the first casualty of their feud - and because he transcends functionality, the audience mourns his untimely death and can relate to Romeo's capricious revenge.

How does Shakespeare use symbols of gold and silver throughout the play? What does each element represent?

Shakespeare uses gold and silver as symbols to criticize human folly. He often invokes the image of silver to symbolize pure love and innocent beauty. On the other hand, he uses gold as a sign of greed or desire. For example, Shakespeare describes Rosaline as immune to showers of gold, an image that symbolizes the selfishness of bribery. Later, when Romeo is banished, he comments that banishment is a "golden axe," meaning that banishment is merely a shiny euphemism for death. Finally, the erection of the golden statues at the end of the play is a sign of the fact that neither Lord Capulet nor Lord Montague has really learned anything from the loss of their children. They are still competing to claim the higher level of grief. Romeo, however, recognizes the power of gold and rejects it - through him, Shakespeare suggests a distinction between a world governed by wealth and the cocoon of true love.

Do a character analysis of Friar Laurence. What motivates him? In what ways does this motivation complicate his character?

Friar Laurence is yet another character who transcends his functional purpose. When Romeo first approaches the Friar to plan his marriage to Juliet, the older man questions the young man's sincerity, since Romeo openly pined for Rosaline only a few days before. However, the Friar shows a willingness to compromise by agreeing to marry the young lovers nevertheless. What ultimately motivates Friar Laurence is his desire to end the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues, and he sees Romeo and Juliet's marriage as a means to that end. While his peaceful intentions are admirable, his devious actions to achieve them – conducting a marriage that he explicitly questions – suggests he is more driven by politics than by an internal moral compass. The fact that a religious figure would compromise one of the Church's sacraments (marriage) further suggests that the Friar wants his power to extend beyond the confines of his Chapel. He also displays his hubris by helping Juliet to fake her death, rather than simply helping her get to Mantua to be with Romeo. While Friar Laurence is not an explicit villain, his internal contradictions speak to Shakespeare's ability to create multi-faceted characters.

Should Romeo and Juliet be considered a classical tragedy (in which fate destroys individuals)? Or is it more a tragedy of circumstance and personality? Moreover, could the tragic ending of Romeo and Juliet have been avoided?

In classical tragedy, an individual is defeated by Fate, despite his or her best efforts to change a pre-determined course of events. A classical tragedy both celebrates an individual's willpower while lamenting the fact that the universe cannot be bested by mankind. The tragic elements in Romeo and Juliet are undeniable - two young lovers want nothing more than to be together and fall victim to an ancient feud and rigid societal conventions. However, while Romeo and Juliet's deaths result from human folly, the immovable power of fate also has a hand in sealing their destinies. For instance, Romeo and Juliet had many opportunities to simply run away together instead of being separated after Romeo is banished from Verona. Furthermore, many of the tragic occurrences are contingent on antagonistic characters running into one another, and then choosing to pursue vengeance rather than simply walk away. Based on this evidence, it is possible to read Shakespeare's intent as suggesting that behavioral adjustment can often prevent tragic events.

How is Romeo and Juliet a criticism of organized religion? Examine the play's secularism to develop your answer.

While Romeo and Juliet does not present explicit attacks against religion, Shakespeare reveals his skepticism of Christianity in subtle ways. In many ways, Romeo and Juliet must reject the tenets of Christianity in order to be together. In their first meeting, they banter, using religious imagery to share their sexual feelings. In this exchange, the lovers acknowledge the omnipresence of Christianity, but cheekily use religious images in an unexpected context. Further, Christian tradition would have required Juliet to submit to her father's desire, but instead, she manipulates his expectations to distract him from her real agenda. Even Friar Laurence, an explicitly religious figure, uses Christianity as a tool towards his own ends. In this way, the play implicitly suggests that the rigid rules of religion often work in opposition to the desires of the heart - and to pursue true happiness, one must throw off the shackles of organized faith.

Romeo and Juliet Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Romeo and Juliet is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Can you find verbal irony in the play? Where?

One example of verbal irony would be Romeo's reference to the poison he has purchased as a "sweet medicine". A cordial is a sweet liquor or medicine.

Come, cordial and not poison, go with me To Juliet's grave; for there must I use thee.

What do we learn about Mercutio in queen man speech?

The whole speech is based on pagan Celtic mythology. Mercutio’s speech is laced with sexual innuendo. The words “queen” and “mab” refer to whores in Elizabethan England. As his speech goes on we notice the subtext get increasingly sexual...

What does Romeo fear as he approaches Capulet house? What literary device would this be an example of?

Romeo feels something bad is going to happen.

I fear too early, for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars

Looks like foreshadowing to me!

Study Guide for Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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Essays for Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

• Unity in Shakespeare's Tragedies
• Fate in Romeo and Juliet
• Romeo and Juliet: Under the Guise of Love
• The Apothecary's Greater Significance in Romeo and Juliet
• Romeo and Juliet: Two Worlds

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Romeo and Juliet Character Analysis Essay

The character I have chosen for my essay from Romeo and Juliet is Romeo. Romeo is the main character of the story, the hero and the protagonist. Romeo’s role in the story is defined by his search for love, first with Rosaline where his heart is seemingly broken, then with Juliet who puts back together his love. When Romeo saw Juliet he loved her instantly but he has to go through massive amounts of tribulations just to be with Juliet. Romeo is part of the Montague family and Romeos love Juliet is a Capulet, the very family his family is feuding with. Romeo is on a quest to be with Juliet no matter what the cost and many things get in his way.

Romeo has many positive characteristics as well as many flaws. Romeo’s positive traits include his great passion, his incredible loyalty to his friends and family, his ability to love and his desire for peace in both families. Romeo’s flaws include loving too strongly too fast, he is overly dramatic, he is a murderer who has killed two people, he is impulsive, immature and he’ll put his desire for revenge above Juliet’s feelings.

Romeo’s core quest in this story is to find love, which he does twice in this particular book but discovers later his only real love is Juliet. Romeo is willing to do anything it takes to love Juliet. When Romeo was fighting Talbot he continued to say nothing but nice things and showed great respect to Talbot. Romeo killed Talbot because he didn’t take in consideration Juliet’s feelings above his own desire for revenge. This action shows that Romeo is well-meaning but impulsive and selfish in his actions.

Romeo has many interactions with others where he speaks of romantic love calling Juliet his “bright angel” and a “dear saint” speaking of Juliet he is generally spiritual, intense and innocent. Characters like Mercutio and Nurse speak of love in crude sexual ways. Romeo is in love with being in love in this book. At first he seems devastated by Rosaline’s resistance to a relationship and then almost in the same day falls in love at first sight with Juliet.

During the course of the story Romeo overcomes a great deal and matures some. In the beginning Romeo is in love with the concept of love but he doesn’t actually love Rosaline. As the story goes on Romeo matures and realizes that his love for Juliet is real but the city of Verona has a feud going on and their tragic story of love can never really fully bloom because they cannot be together. By the end of the play Romeo has been banished and is isolated from his friends and family causing him to mature very quickly. There is no true resolution to the character’s emotional or spiritual growth because Romeo impulsively drinks the poison that causes him to die before Juliet wakes up, that is why the play is a tragedy.