Romeo and Juliet: Character Analysis of Romeo

5/7/15

Romeo and Juliet

In the tragic love story, "Romeo and Juliet", Shakespeare shows love from many different perspectives. In the book/play Romeo is hung up on Rosaline who he claimed to have loved, but forgets her once he lays eyes on Juliet. Some may argue that Romeo truly loves Juliet, but as the story develops, Romeo shows how he is making rash decisions and does not love Juliet.

Firstly, Romeo shows how he does not love Juliet because he has forgotten about Rosaline too fast. In act 2, scene 3, lines 48-49, Romeo says, "With Rosaline? No, I have forgot that name and that name's woe." Romeo says this after seeing Juliet, but moments before he was still declaring his love for Rosaline. Clearly, Romeo did not love either Rosaline or Juliet because when he claims to love Rosaline, he gets over his heart break too fast to have been in love.

Secondly, Romeo says words that reveal he is in love with being in a relationship instead of Juliet. When he says "Then love-devouring death do what he dare, it is enough to call her mine." in act 2, scene 6, lines 7-8, he shows that he loves to call Juliet his own. "it is enough to call her mine" means that with Juliet he has finally got someone who loves him, compared to Rosaline who did not love him back. Romeo love the idea of love, but does not actually love Juliet.

Ultimately, Romeo could love Juliet with time, but in the moment he is acting with impluse and is not thinking his actions through. Sometimes in life, we do things because they give us a feeling that we have been rejected by; as Romeo did with Rosaline. But we must look before we jump and make a situation have even worse consequences.