In this scene we see a very immature side of Romeo. He pines for Rosalyn, proclaiming her the paragon of women and despairing at her indifference towards him. Romeo’s Rosalyn induced histrionics seem rather juvenile. Romeo is a great reader of love poetry, for example, in a sample from the text he says “ alas that love, whose view is muffled still, should without eyes see blindly into his will.” The portrayal of his love for Rosalyn suggests he trying to recreate feelings he has read about. At first glance Romeo appears as a somewhat lovesick and irritating teenager that can’t handle rejection. Knowing Romeo well, you might pass this off as merely a phase. Romeo is surely in love with the idea of being in love.
Act 1 scene 4 introduces a new character, which happens to be Romeo’s best friend, Mercutio. Mercutio is a lively character who is very witty and quick thinking. In this scene Mercutio is very surprised at Romeo’s dull and lifeless behaviour. He wonders why Romeo is not his usual lively self. …”I have a soul of lead so stakes me to ground I cannot move”. These are the words of Romeo when told to dance by Mercutio. Romeo implies that his soul is as heavy as lead, and that he can’t move properly. Mercutio’s witty reply to this is “you are a lover: borrow cupid’s wings and soar above common bound”, meaning Romeo should borrow cupid’s wings and fly off the ground. In this scene Romeo is still quite depressed over Rosalyn. He has his own opinion of love and says… “It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like a thorn.” Romeo depicts love as something evil, something that is out to hurt you. Again Mercutio is quick to respond with a witty answer and he says “ If love be rough with you, be rough with love: prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.” Mercutio is basically saying that if love is hurting you, simply hurt love back. Towards the end of scene however I believe Romeo’s mood changed slightly. After hearing mercutio ramble on about nothing, Romeo can’t take it anymore and says “peace, peace, Mercutio, peace! Though talk’st of nothing”. Romeo is telling mercutio to be quiet as he’s talking utter nonsense, and I believe that the verbal jousting between him and mercutio has helped take his mind off Rosalyn. He is now eager to go to the Capulet ball, and remarks… “Direct my sail, on lusty gentlemen,” meaning he wants his friends to steer him in the right direction, and off they go.
Act 1 scene 5 sees the turning point in Romeo’s character. Upon a first glance on Juliet, he immediately falls out of love with Rosalyn an in love with her. Suddenly, everything has been pushed out of his mind, including Rosalyn, and all his focus is now on Juliet. He even says, … “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight, for I never saw true beauty till this night.” He is saying that he’s not sure that he has loved anyone before seeing Juliet and that he hasn’t seen true beauty till this night. I believe this means that Romeo has come to terms with the fact that he never really loved Rosalyn, and that it was merely a childish crush.
Tybalt, nephew of lord Capulet, sees Romeo and is outraged by his presence at the Capulet party. He remarks, “ This by his voice, should be a Montague”… “To strike him dead I hold it not a sin”. This implies that he is disgusted by Romeo’s sight and that if he were to kill him, he wouldn’t consider it as a sin. His uncle, lord Capulet, is not concerned at all by his presence and says to Tybalt “he shall be endured”. By this, Lord Capulet is implying that Romeo can stay, and that Tybalt is not to disturb the peace and make a mutiny amongst his guests by harassing Romeo. Tybalt of course is infuriated by his uncle’s response but goes along with it.
Meanwhile Romeo and Juliet meet. They instantly exchange their feelings for each other and begin to kiss. In the conversation between the two, Romeo uses a metaphor to say that his lips are “… two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.” Juliet is called away by her nurse, and Romeo is left with a complete character change. After first kissing Juliet, she tells him “you kiss by the book,” meaning that he kisses according to the rules, and implying that whilst proficient, his kissing lacks originality. In reference to Rosalyn, it seems, Romeo loves by the book. Rosalyn, of course, slips from Romeo’s mind at first sight of Juliet. But Juliet is no mere replacement. The love he shares with Juliet is far deeper, more authentic and unique than the clinched puppy love he felt for Rosalyn. Romeo’s inner struggle begins in this scene with him falling in love with Juliet. Their two families, the Capulet and the Montague, hate each other and will not allow their children to socialise. Romeo must decide if he should go against their wishes to see her.
Act 2 scene 2 of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a romantic and poetically lavish scene. This emotionally abundant section of the play contains the love passages and fanciful imaginings of youth lovers. But while it is eloquent and delightful, it is also essential in detailing certain character developments, drawing attention to the recurring themes and setting the tone of the remaining play.
Through out act 1 scene1 the characters of Romeo and Juliet reflect their ignorance about love and the union of marriage. Their immaturity is clearly depicted by Shakespeare, perhaps so act 2 would prove a greater contrast. In juxtaposing act 1 with act 2 we are made aware of the changes that have occurred between the main characters.
During act 2 Romeo retains his flowery and romantic eloquence and he sheds his moody adolescent behaviour. Romeo comes to express his complete devotion to Juliet in act 2 scene 2 thus presenting the audience with a more mature, emotionally honest main character. Romeo demands “Th’ exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine,” declaring his intention to be wed to Juliet and henceforth eternally committed.
The haste in which Romeo and Juliet declare their love for one another and begin to arrange their marriage sets the tone for the rest of the play. The sudden urgency that they must marry and be together brings about their downfall. Constantly ignoring warnings by the friar that they should not rush but go “ wisely and slow/ they stumble that run fast”, Romeo and Juliet become victims of their own doing.
During this act Juliet herself expresses a warning that their love and impending marriage “is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden”. Hence, Shakespeare intends to advise his audience that something is amiss. This balcony scene, although one of the most romantic within the play may well be the reason the two lovers are unable to marry without disaster. If Romeo hadn’t heard Juliet’s declaration of love they may not have been propelled to wed so quickly. It is during act 2 scène 2 that the drama truly begins. From this part of the play onwards Romeo and Juliet spiral towards tragedy.
Act 2 scene 2 also draws attention to the recurring themes of light and darkness used throughout the play. Romeo draws attention to various symbols such as the moon; the sun, the stars and the night sky to reflect his mood. When introduced to Romeo at the beginning of the play, he is in a melancholy mood as the result of Rosalyn. His reference in act 1 to being a “candle holder” suggests he feels surrounded by darkness while others enjoy the light. Act 2 scene 2 takes this theme further. Romeo describes Juliet as “the sun” at the beginning of the balcony scene, suggesting she has become the centre of his world. He compares her to the moon that is “sick and pale with grief”, and implores Juliet not to be the moon’s maid. This may be a comparison between Juliet and Rosalyn, Rosalyn having chosen to be the moon’s maid and shun romantic love. It becomes clear during this part of the play that Romeo associates love with lights and objects that create it. He likens Juliet’s eyes to “two of the fairest stars in all the heaven” and goes on to suggest that had they been placed in the sky they would “stream so bright that birds would sing and think it was not night”. This use of light to reflect Romeo’s love is set against the night, or time of darkness. The darkness in this in this scene causes Romeo to hear Juliet’s private thoughts and in turn catapults the lovers into a hasty union. Throughout the play Romeo is constantly fighting darkness. He searches for people to create love and warmth in his life, and eventually finds Juliet. In act 2 scene 4 Romeo meets up with his friends again, mercutio and Benvolio. This time when he speaks to them he’s not some lovesick teenager who’s too depressed to talk, he is lively, energetic and happy. It’s almost as though meeting Juliet made his life worth living again. Amongst his friends, especially while bantering with Mercutio, Romeo shows glimpses of his social persona. He is intelligent, quick-witted and fond of verbal jousting. Also in this scene Romeo is more serious and earnest. When the nurse arrived, instead of joining in the merriment at her expense he chose instead to speak to her on his own.
Act 3 scene 1 is where everything starts to go wrong. It starts with the arrival of Tybalt and the arrogance that he shows Mercutio. Of course, with arrival of Romeo the insults shift to him. Romeo attempts to placate the fiery tybalt by saying things like “I do protest I never injured thee… and so, good Capulet, which name I tender as dearly as mine own, be satisfied.” Tybalt won’t hear any of it and continues giving Romeo a beating. No matter how much Tybalt was beating Romeo, Romeo never retaliates once. This shows how much of a strong character has been built inside of Romeo, and all because of his love for Juliet. He has matured so much up to this stage, and it’s like Juliet’s love has changed him and made him take responsibilities for his actions. When Mercutio can’t stand back and watch his friend being beaten to a pulp any longer, he decides to fight for him. He is accidentally killed when Romeo attempts to come between the two. Romeo, justifiably, is incensed and in turn challenges Tybalt to a duel. Romeo says” fire edged fury be my conduct now”, draws on tybalt and kills him without thought about the consequences. Romeo defended his honour, the honour of Mercutio and the honour of all Montague. Realising what he has done, he is forced to flee. His last words ring in the ears of everyone “O, I am fortune’s fool”, meaning he believes he is the most unluckiest person in the world.
Mercutio’s death begins another inner struggle in Romeo’s life. Mercutio’s death leads to Romeo’s killing of Tybalt. That killing leads to Romeo’s banishment. He wants to see Juliet, but is scared he’ll get caught and then killed. Once again he faces new inner struggles, but his final and biggest struggle of all is when he finds out that Juliet, his future, his life essence, is dead, and has to decide whether he should stay alive or die to see her.
When Romeo heard the news of Juliet’s death, without thinking it through properly, bought poison to go and end his life. I believe Romeo’s reaction was too irrational. He never stopped to think the situation through, and instead he followed his feelings, which led to the bitter end. All the maturity that he developed from Juliet’s love died as soon as he found out she was dead. I believe Romeo acted too stupidly and hastily, and it cost him his downfall. But on the other hand I can see why Romeo acted the way he did. Juliet was his life. She was very air he breathed to him. Romeo loved her more than anything, more than life itself. He couldn’t bear never seeing her again, so he ended his life so that he could spend all of eternity with her. I believe that if someone loves someone else as much as Romeo loved Juliet, him killing himself was a justifiable cause.
All this tragedy could have been avoided if Romeo didn’t let his anger take control over him and cause him to slay Tybalt, or if he had just waited a day to kill himself. This is the reason why Romeo and Juliet is not one of the most romantic plays ever, but in fact one of the most sad and tragic ones ever written.
In conclusion I believe there is a feeling of despair and true loss at the end of the play. He had overcome so many obstacles in his life to be with Juliet but in the end it all went to waste. He had tried so hard and come so far, but fate just never allowed him and Juliet to be together. Thanks to a sequence of unlucky events both Romeo and Juliet lost their lives, turning this play from sad to tragic. I believe that Romeo had reacted fairly well to Juliet’s death considering the situation that he was in. The torture he was put through was unfair and no boy his age should go through it. Romeo has come a long way from the unsympathetic lovesick and self-absorbed character that we encountered in the first act. He had truly matured from boyhood to manhood.
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