Romeo&Juliet Analysis

Character Analysis

Romeo is an essential character worth analyzing in William Shakespeare’s famous play, Romeo and Juliet. One way to describe Romeo is determined. Throughout Act 1 in the play at and after the party, he is determined to get Juliet. “What lady’s that, which doth enrich the hand of yonder knight? ” (I. ib. 46-47) In this line, Romeo is the party and it is “love at first sight. ” Romeo is very in love with Juliet. When Romeo first sees her at the Capulet ball, he completely forgets about Rosaline and falls in love with Juliet at first sight.

When he meets her, Romeo quotes, “My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss” (I. iv. 97-98). By this line, Romeo is discussing how each of his lips is ready to kiss Juliet. Romeo is so much in love with Juliet that he becomes very romantic forgetting all about Rosaline. Romeo loves Juliet. “O. she doth teach the torches to burn light! ” He says this in  (I. v. 49) after he sees her at the party. Romeo tries to talk to her all night. The first thing Romeo tells Juliet that he wants to kiss her. He gets into fights with people over her.

Romeo marries Juliet in secret and even eventually kills himself because he thinks that she is dead. Even when Romeo is banished for killing Tybalt, he cannot bring himself to leave Juliet, and even sneaks with determination back to Verona to facilitate their getaway. Romeo is determined to have Juliet, but at the beginning of the story, Romeo is very depressed. Montague quotes, “Away from light steals home my heavy son and private in his chamber pens himself, shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out, and makes himself an artificial night”(I. i. 138-141).

Montague is talking about how Romeo looks so sad that it seems as if he does not want to come home. Romeo would rather be locked up in a room with shut windows blocking daylight in or out. Romeo was sad because he loved a girl named Rosaline. However, Rosaline didn’t love him back. She believed in chastity and Romeo just wanted her. “Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes With nimble soles; I  have a soul of lead So stakes me to the ground I cannot move. ” (I. iv. 14-16) In this line, Romeo and his friends are going to the party. He is telling them that he does not want to go because he is depressed, and misses Rosaline.

An additional way to describe Romeo is daring. This is easily seen by his sacrifices for Juliet. In addition to his tremendous sacrifices,  he is also undaunted about marrying into a rival family. In fact, he tells Juliet that he would rather die than have her not love him–that is daring! His fearless attitude is demonstrated when he says, “And but thou love me, let them find me here. My life was better ended by their hate, Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love” (II. ii. 85-87). By marrying her, he is being very brave and daring, too. He knows how much trouble the marriage could bring, especially since they have to marry in secret.

There are many physical descriptions of Romeo as a handsome, young man. In Romeo, Shakespeare created a physically desirable character. “ Well, you have made a simple choice; you know not how to choose a man: Romeo! no, not he; though his face be better than any man’s, yet his leg excels all men’s; and for a hand, and afoot, and a body, though they are not to be talked on, yet they are past compare: he is not the flower of courtesy, but, I’ll warrant him, as a gentle as a lamb. ” This is the nurse talking to Juliet in (II. v. 41-47). The nurse is telling Juliet that Romeo is handsome and better than any other man on the earth.

Also, “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. ” (III. ii. 22-26). This quote is Juliet talking about Romeo. She is explaining what will happen when Romeo dies. When she says “… he will make the face of heaven so fine… ” Juliet’s language conveys the message that he is very handsome. Romeo is a character in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. He is depressed, determined, daring, and handsome. These traits only scratch the surface of what an interesting character Romeo is.