CHARACTERISATION OF ROMEO

1. CHARACTERISATION OF ROMEO

2. From the start of the play, Romeo does not know what is it like to be loved. “Where underneath the grove of sycamore” (1.1.115) This shows Romeo being ‘sick of love’ as his ignorance frustrates him. “You kiss by the book” (1.5.109) Juliet tells Romeo that he reads too much above love without fully understanding it.

3. Romeo develops further into the play, we see this in one of the plays key scenes, Act 3 scene 1. In this scene, Romeo tries to avoid conflict with Tybalt as they are secretly kinsmen. However, Romeo’s attitude changes when Mercutio is killed, “That late thou gavest me, for Mercutio’s soul is but a little way above our heads” (3.1.122-124)

4. Romeo is banished from Verona to a place called Mantua. He feels that being banished is worse than death as it only allows him to see Juliet by the cover of night. “Tis torture, and not mercy. Heaven is here where Juliet lives” (3.3.29-30).

5. Later on in the play we see Romeo heading toward the tomb of Juliet as he hasn’t heard Friar Lawrence’s plan. He sees Paris and they fight. “I’ll bury thee in a triumphant grave. A grave? O no, a lantern, slaughter’d youth” (5.3.83-84). He refers to Juliet’s presence as “full of light”

6. After fighting Paris we see that Romeo would rather be dead than be without his true love, Juliet. He goes straight to her tomb, sits beside her and takes a potion to kill himself. “for fear of that, I will stay with thee” (3.5.106) Throughout the play we are lead to believe that when Juliet dies death will be her lover. Therefore Romeo wants to lay beside her so that death could not be her lover as he was there.

7. “Here’s to my love! O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.” (5.3.119-120). This is what Romeo says as he dies beside Juliet. He drinks this potion because he is unaware that Juliet isn’t actually dead, however, Romeo’s rash thought lead him to believe that he is nothing without Juliet and there is no point in him living.