This situation affects his behavior badly. His feelings are ambiguous and he compares being in love as being mad or in prison, “ Not mad, but bound more than a madman is; Shut up in prison, kept without my food” this shows that he is infatuated with courtly love because of the way he speaks about it.
He feels this way because he is in love with a young woman, Rosaline who doesn’t feel the same way about him. He tries everything to convince Rosaline but all conventional approaches fail. Even though Romeo’s love is like a religion and anybody who denies this, he thinks is a false believer. At the time men and women believed that such thoughts and feelings were acceptable for ‘true love’ they believed that a young man fell in love with a women with little hope of the love being returned.
We can see that the language used by Romeo when speaking to Rosaline and Juliet juxtapose each other. I think that the play needed to include vital points such as when Romeo talks to Benvolio about Rosaline to make it clear to the audience How Romeo’s attitude towards women changes, when he describes Rosaline and Juliet. It also proves that Romeo’s love for Juliet is profound and true whereas with Rosaline he only sees her as a sexual object. “Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold” this shows that Romeo only wants to have sex with her and thinks that her virginity can be bought only with gold and not love.
In act 1 scene 5 we realize that Romeo’s love for Juliet is genuine because of the language in which he uses to describe her when they first meet, “Beauty too rich for use, for earth to dear” “So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows” this confirms that Romeo uses fancy imagery to describe Juliet’s beauty and that’s she stands out from everyone else. Shakespeare used such imagery because a man would have played Juliet and the audience needed to understand her beauty. Romeo makes Juliet feel incomparable because he says to her “did my heart love till now? Forswear it sight, for I ne’er saw true beauty till this night” meaning that for the first time Romeo is in love instead of using courtly love and pretending he is in love with women he can’t have so Shakespeare presents a love that confounds convention. This went against the rules, against what was expected at the time.
When Romeo and Juliet speak to each other they use religious imagery to a large extent and sonnet form. When the first speak they use sonnet form. This is unusual in the play because a sonnet is normally spoken by one character. When Romeo and Juliet speak they both share the sonnet the structure of a sonnet represents their relationship because like a sonnet their relationship is tight and close, “If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle sins this,” this illustrates that the words associated with religion shows the relationship between the two is spiritual not physical. I think this has an auspicious effect on the audience simply because in the Elizabethan era due to society’s beliefs sonnets and courtly love was a popular convention.
In the balcony scene act 2 scenes 2 Juliet differs to Romeo. Romeo is very long winded when using his great religious imagery speeches whereas Juliet is more sharp and to the point. I feel this is because Romeo wants to overwhelm Juliet with his words but Juliet is worried about their relationship being discovered by her family. I think that Juliet also behaves in this way because she wants to break free from the male dominated society she lives in and wants to prove her independence. I think that Shakespeare wanted to show this comparison that at the time society was very male dominated at the time and this is why Shakespeare is still relevant today.
In the fight act 3 scene 1 I think that Romeo’s uncontrolled and immoral behavior becomes evident but I don’t think that he can be blamed for his actions. I think that in the present anybody would act in the manner that Romeo did. Also that in Shakespeare’s time revenge could have been seen as honorable. I think traditionally Tybalt is perceived as the villain and Mercutio as the hero. I don’t feel Mercutio should have been involved in the conflict I understand that his death was an accident by Tybalt’s feud was with Romeo and shouldn’t have involved Mercutio.
I feel that Romeo’s behavior was acceptable and wasn’t surprised with his reaction because he didn’t realize that Mercutio’s death was an accident and possibly used it as a accuse to kill tybalt. A few hours before when he had married Juliet he probably forgot his troubles but after seeing the fight he was soon reminded of the ancient grudge. I also feel that Romeo felt betrayed after all the pleading and trying to reconcile the situation and realizing that Mercutio’s death could have been avoided. “I do protest I never injured thee, but love thee better than thou canst devise” This shows that Romeo would say and do anything to avoid Mercutio being involved. Romeo uses the language of revenge because he’s frustrated and realizes what happened so kills Tybalt to calm his conscience.
I think Verona sparks this confrontation between Tybalt and Mercutio because Verona is such a close community and also because the hot weather fires their emotions. I think Shakespeare includes this scene because it makes the story more interesting, at the time the audience loved a good fight and it highlighted the contrast between love and hate.
In act 3 scene 3 I do sympathize with Romeo because he seems to be caught in a vicious circle, when he feels he is doing something right it turns out for the worst. I don’t think Romeo over reacts with the friar. I fee the friar patronizes Romeo because he has never experienced what Romeo has so he doesn’t have a right to tell what to do. I think this is another point in the play where we realize how much Romeo loves Juliet and can’t bare to be without her.
So far I have painted a positive picture of Romeo but I feel that Paris’s murder is unforgivable. Even when Paris provokes Romeo outside the tomb Romeo should learn from his mistakes and refuse to fight with Paris. I do feel though that this point again proves his love for Juliet. He is desperate to enter Juliet’s tomb to see her and is determined not to let anything get in his way. Paris realizes this but continues to provoke him. When Romeo has killed Paris he respects his wishes and lays him next to Juliet which shows that although he has killed him he still respects Paris and shows that he is still Virtuous.
When Romeo decides to commit suicide I feel that in one respect it shows his love for Juliet. Even when he thinks she’s dead he continues to speak in religious imagery showing that his love really is profound. He talks about sealing them with death, “The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A dateless bargain to engrossing death” this shows that Romeo makes an eternal bargain with death to take all the possessions of their life’s and seal with a symbol of love, a kiss. Romeo also regrets what he’s done and maybe sees suicide as an escape, ”and shake the yoke of inauspicious stars” he wants to shake off the burden imposed by fate and be with Juliet. I have mixed feelings about Romeo committing suicide but truly feel that he wanted to be with Juliet because their love was true and profound and Juliet helped him realize what true love was, with her.
Over all I still feel that Romeo’s is presented as virtuous and well governed and that he wasn’t to blame for his actions since he was governed by forces beyond his control. Even though they were doomed from the start the ancient grudge didn’t stop them from discovering the one thing that was most important to them being in love.
