Romeo Character analysis

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Personality

Role

  • He is Romantic- "love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs"
  • He is Hot headed - "fire-ey'd fury be my conduct now!"
  • He is Respected - "a virtuous and well-governed youth"
  • He is Dangerous - Romeo was prepared to fight to the death to avenge Mercutio's death, showing him to be loyal but violent
  • He is always strong and compassionate both in violent duels as well as in love
  • He can be funny and intelligent when around his friends. His humour is "most sharp"
  • He is Spontaneous- e.g. he doesn't stop to think before killing Tybalt.
  • He is headstrong because he doesn't listen to people advice
  • His role in the play is to fall in love with Juliet so that the feud between the Montagues and Capulets to end.
  • Male protagonist

Development (Growth & change)

Other information              

  • He started off at the beginning of the play being completely in love with Rosaline and she isn't interested (unrequited love). He is "in sadness" because she doesn't feel the same.
  • He becomes more realistic as the play goes on. He gives a "faithful vow"  to have organised the wedding "by the hour of nine"- their relationship is more practical and real.
  • His descriptions of feelings seem more honest- "the measure of thy joy to be heap'd like mine"
  • Romeo's love for Rosaline seems childish and unrealistic- Romeo thinks he understands love from reading about it in poetry. Friar Lawrence said "thy love did read by rote"
  • Juliet says Romeo "kiss by th'book" maybe referring to him being a good kisser but doesn't put much real feeling into it.
  • When Romeo is with Juliet he shows a different side to the violence, Juliet had "soften'd" him.
  • Theme - LOVE - When Romeo thinks he is in love with Rosaline, his language is negative and glum. His love for Juliet makes him happy and excited- he uses images of brightness
  • Theme - CONFLICT - Romeo never fights e=without a reason, in contrast to a character like Tybalt, who always seems aggressive. But when Romeo does fight his violence is wild and unstoppable.
  • Theme - FATE - Romeo thinks he can feel "Some consequence yet hanging in the starts" and worries that fate is against him. This darkens the atmosphere of the play, but also suggest that he wont accept responsibility for his own decisions.
  • The son and heir of Montague and Lady Montague. A young man of about sixteen, Romeo is handsome, intelligent, and sensitive. Though impulsive and immature, his idealism and passion make him an extremely likable character. He lives in the middle of a violent feud between his family and the Capulets, but he is not at all interested in violence. His only interest is love and he goes to extremes to prove the seriousness of his feelings. He secretly marries Juliet, the daughter of his father’s worst enemy; he happily takes abuse from Tybalt; and he would rather die than live without his beloved. Romeo is also an affectionate and devoted friend to his relative Benvolio, Mercutio, and Friar Lawrence.

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