Explore Shakespeare's presentation of Romeo.

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Sophia Lomer

Explore Shakespeare’s presentation of Romeo:

Romeo and Juliet, the story of “two star crossed lovers”. The story begins by telling us about the Montague’s and the Capulet’s.

 “Two households both alike in dignity”

Meaning the Montague’s and Capulet’s are both at the same social position, which is assumed to be rather high. The families have both been enemies, “From ancient grudge break to new mutiny”.

Romeo attends a Capulet ball, where he meets Juliet, and little does he know that she is a Capulet, he falls in love with her almost immediately. However, shortly after their meeting they both discover each other’s names and realize that they are family enemies.

“My only love, sprung from my only hate”. Juliet says, soon after her meeting with Romeo.

Their family conflict grounds many problems for their doomed love. The two, without knowledge of their parents marry in secret. However Juliet’s father has found the perfect match for her, a “radiant” young man named, Paris. This causes a lot of problems for Romeo and Juliet, and their love for each other, which started out as a happy moment in time, starts to go awfully wrong. Romeo is first introduced as a untroubled and naïve young man, and over the next 3 days he is faced with serious issues and has to deal with some of the major events in his life, such as falling in love, getting married, murder, dealing with banishment and death, and finally taking his own life as he cant live without the girl he loves.

At the beginning of the play Romeo’s father and mother are talking to his Cousin, their nephew, Benvolio. Romeo’s father is concerned about Romeo’s behavior, and says that he seems unhappy.

“Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out, and makes himself an artificial night”

Romeo is behaving in a strange way, but it is clear that he is discontented about something. His father wants to help but Romeo is being so secretive it is impossible to find out what is wrong: “But to himself so secret and so close”

Benvolio tells Romeo’s parents he will go and talk to him, and them that he will try and find out what is wrong with Romeo.

Romeo tells him that he is in love with a girl, but his love is not returned. Romeo seems to be melancholy and confused about this. He tells Benvolio he is hurt. Benvolio asks him what her name is, but he avoids the question but tells Benvolio that she beautiful, “O she is rich in beauty”. Benvolio tells him “Examine other beauties”. He wants Romeo to forget about this girl, there are plenty other beauties. “Be ruled by me, forget to think of her”.

In Act1, scene 2, we find out that the beauty Romeo is in “love” with is called Rosaline. We also discover that the Capulet's are holding a feast, a ball. A servant has a list of names of people invited to the ball. Romeo and Benvolio meet him. Romeo sees that Rosaline’s name is on the list. Benvolio then persuades Romeo to go to the ball, so he can compare Rosaline to other beauties. “Compare her face with some that I shall show, and I will make thee think thy swan a crow” Romeo questions Benvolio: “One fairer than my love?” Romeo strongly disagrees that there will be a girl with more beauty than Rosaline, but Benvolio tells him that he only think she is so beautiful beacause there was nobody else to compare her with: Tut you saw her fair, none else being by”. Romeo agrees to go to the ball to prove him wrong.

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Act 1, scene 4, just before the Capulet ball. Romeo is miserable; he is still upset over Rosaline, and also worried about how they are going to explain themselves for being at a Capulet party without invitations. Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend, and Benvolio try to cheer him up, but with little success. They try to get Romeo to enjoy himself but he is reluctant to enjoy himself as he is feeling so depressed. “Is love a tended thing? It is too rough, too boisterous, and it pricks like a thorn” This is how Romeo is feeling. He has been ...

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