Skip to main content

What are some of Romeo's faults in Romeo and Juliet?

One could argue Romeo is the most flawed character in the entire play. Let's take a closer look at some of Romeo's character traits and how they detrimentally affect him:

- Romeo is fickle in love and chooses to embark on conquests doomed from the start. Romeo begins the play with what he proclaims to be an undying love for Rosaline. This is problematic for two reasons. First, Rosaline is the niece of Lord Capulet and, thus, a member of a rivaling family. Second, she decided to take a vow of chastity, meaning that she is literally unavailable—physically, emotionally, AND spiritually. Within the space of a single act, Romeo experiences a radical shift in emotion, and sets his sights on Juliet Capulet instead. Again, this is an ill-fated conquest. Juliet is the daughter of Lord Capulet, who hopes Paris will be Juliet's husband. Romeo makes poor choices in women, selecting only those obviously out of his reach. This self-sabotaging behavior is compounded by Romeo's inconsistency; the only thing consistent about Romeo is how often he changes his mind!


- Romeo makes rash decisions, often as a result of his unchecked emotions. Romeo's impulsivity causes a lot of major problems throughout the play. His ridiculous lust for Rosaline leads him to foolishly attend the ball of a family who would have him murdered if they could get away with it. Romeo's hot-headed nature after Mercutio's death causes him to thoughtlessly kill Tybalt, Juliet's cousin. That same wild, selfish aggression causes Romeo to kill Paris outside of the Capulet crypt and commit suicide within it. Romeo's emotions are mercurial at best, and deadly at worst. 


Overall, this play might have ended very differently had Romeo learned to communicate, engage in responsible, adult relationships, and think things through before committing to life-altering decisions or actions.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

What are some external and internal conflicts that Montag has in Fahrenheit 451?

 Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, faces both external and internal conflicts throughout the novel. Some examples of these conflicts are: External Conflicts: Conflict with the society: Montag lives in a society that prohibits books and critical thinking. He faces opposition from the government and the people who enforce this law. Montag struggles to come to terms with the fact that his society is based on censorship and control. Conflict with his wife: Montag's wife, Mildred, is completely absorbed in the shallow and meaningless entertainment provided by the government. Montag's growing dissatisfaction with his marriage adds to his external conflict. Conflict with the fire captain: Montag's superior, Captain Beatty, is the personification of the oppressive regime that Montag is fighting against. Montag's struggle against Beatty represents his external conflict with the government. Internal Conflicts: Conflict with his own beliefs: Montag, at the beginning of th...
Post a Comment
Read more

In A People's History of the United States, why does Howard Zinn feel that Wilson made a flimsy argument for entering World War I?

"War is the health of the state," the radical writer Randolph Bourne said, in the midst of the First World War. Indeed, as the nations of Europe went to war in 1914, the governments flourished, patriotism bloomed, class struggle was stilled, and young men died in frightful numbers on the battlefields-often for a hundred yards of land, a line of trenches. -- Chapter 14, Page 350, A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn outlines his arguments for why World War I was fought in the opening paragraph of Chapter 14 (referenced above). The nationalism that was created by the Great War benefited the elite political and financial leadership of the various countries involved. Socialism, which was gaining momentum in Europe, as was class struggle, took a backseat to mobilizing for war. Zinn believes that World War I was fought for the gain of the industrial capitalists of Europe in a competition for capital and resources. He states that humanity itself was punished by t...
Post a Comment
Read more