Changes in character
- At the start of the play Romeo is depressed and confused by his love for Rosaline.
- When he sets eyes on Juliet at the Capulet party, Romeo forgets all about Rosaline, claiming he has never experienced true love until this moment.
- Romeo refuses to fight with Tybalt, but when his best friend Mercutio is slain, he fights Tybalt to the death.
How is Romeo presented at the start of the play?
Romeo is initially presented as a Petrarchan lover, a man whose feelings of love aren't reciprocated by the lady he admires and who uses the poetic language of sonnets to express his emotions about his situation.
Who does Romeo like in the beginning of the play?
RosalineAt the beginning of the play he is madly in love with a woman named Rosaline, but the instant he lays eyes on Juliet, he falls in love with her and forgets Rosaline. Thus, Shakespeare gives us every reason to question how real Romeo's new love is, but Romeo goes to extremes to prove the seriousness of his feelings.
What does Romeo love at the beginning of the play?
In a play called Romeo and Juliet, we would expect the forlorn Romeo to be lovesick over Juliet. But instead, he is in love with Rosaline.
What happens at the beginning of Romeo and Juliet?
The play opens with two servants from the house of Capulet talking about their hatred of the Montagues. They meet two servants from the house of Montague and a fight breaks out. Benvolio tries to stop the fight but when Tybalt arrives things get worse.
How is Romeo presented in act1?
How does Shakespeare present Romeo in Act 1 Scene 1? In Act 1 Scene 1 of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is presented as a young man who is just beginning to explore love, as he discusses his emotions with his cousin and good friend, Benvolio.
What is Romeo's personality in Act 1?
Romeo is a young, passionate and impulsive character. When we first meet him he is heartbroken because Rosaline does not return the love he has for her. However, things change as soon as he meets Juliet at the party. He sneaks to her balcony at night and declares his undying love for her.
Why is Romeo sad at the beginning of the play?
Romeo is sad because he is in love with Rosaline, but he cannot be with her. Rosaline has pledged to swear off romantic relationships and maintain her virginity her entire life. Benvolio tries to cheer him up by promising there will be women even more beautiful than Rosaline at the Capulets' party.
Why is Romeo so sad when the play begins?
Why is Romeo depressed at the beginning of the play? Romeo is depressed at the beginning of the play because his love, Rosaline, doesn't love him back.
What is troubling Romeo at the beginning of the play?
What is troubling Romeo at the beginning of the play? He had a love for this girl named Rosaline, she ended up rejecting him, so Romeo was very depressed.
Is Romeo and Juliet a real story?
Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' is not based on a genuine story, but it is not unique to Shakespeare either. A critical source is a Roman essayist Ovid's Transformation. One of the stories in Ovid's work is Pyramus and Thisbe, approximately two Babylonian partners.
How old was Romeo?
In Shakespeare's original story, Romeo is given the age of 16 years and Juliet is given the age of 13 years. The Montague and Capulet families originated in the Divine Comedy by the Italian author Dante Aligheri, rather than in Shakespeare.
Who is fighting at the beginning of Romeo and Juliet?
Summary and Analysis Act I: Scene 1. The scene opens with a brawl on the streets of Verona between servants from the affluent Montague and Capulet households. While attempting to stop the fight, Benvolio (Romeo's cousin) is drawn into the fray by Tybalt, kinsman of the Capulets.
What are Romeo's views on love?
For Romeo, true love is a liberating force. Love gives him not just wings, but “light wings” and the power to overcome all “stony limits.” Romeo answers Juliet's serious and practical question with a flight of romantic fantasy.
What is the relationship between Romeo and Mercutio?
Mercutio is Romeo's best friend. Mercutio likes to have a good laugh, is optimistic, loyal and a good friend. When Romeo is depressed because of his unrequited love for Rosaline, it is Mercutio that suggests they should all gate-crash the Capulet party.
Who is Rosaline in the story of Romeo and Juliet?
Rosaline is the gorgeous and aloof woman Romeo crushes on until he meets the love of his life, Juliet. But, um, don't get excited, because we never see her, she has no speaking part, and she isn't even listed in the dramatis personae (the cast list).
Who kills Tybalt?
RomeoMercutio steps in and fights Tybalt instead. During the fight Mercutio is stabbed and dies, cursing the Capulets and Montagues with a plague o'both your houses (Act 3 Scene 1). Romeo is so upset at the death of his friend that he fights Tybalt in revenge. He slays Tybalt and leaves as the Prince approaches.