Romeo 's positive qualities are his appreciation for beauty, ability to express his emotions, and determination. Romeo's negative qualities are his impetuous nature, over-dramatic personality, and flighty character. Juliet 's positive qualities are her loyalty, independence, and respectful nature.
Language Use
Overall
Should You Read It?
Why is Romeo and Juliet so special?
Themes. Of course, as the most famous love story in the history of English Literature, this is the main theme of the play. It tells of passionate, romantic love, love at first sight, young love (Juliet was supposedly only thirteen!), and depicts love as an uncontrollable force.
What are the good qualities of Romeo?
A young man of about sixteen, Romeo is handsome, intelligent, and sensitive. Though impulsive and immature, his idealism and passion make him an extremely likable character. He lives in the middle of a violent feud between his family and the Capulets, but he is not at all interested in violence.
What are 3 main ideas of Romeo and Juliet?
In Romeo and Juliet there are many themes such as: love. conflict. family.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of Romeo and Juliet?
Romeo, Juliet, and Lord Capulet have their strengths and their weaknesses. Romeo is Romantic, but impulsive, Juliet is clever, but also impulsive, and Lord Capulet is protective but also exerts tyrannical acts.
What words best describe Romeo?
Character attributes Impulsive – he falls immediately in love with Juliet and forgets Rosaline. Devoted friend – when Mercutio is killed by Tybalt, Romeo is so enraged that he kills him too. Passionate – he kills himself in order to be with Juliet.
What does Romeo and Juliet teach us?
The primary lesson from Romeo and Juliet that we need to learn is to be true in life rather like they are earnest to each other. Secondly, there are values in life that we ought to not disregard and we need to keep our guarantees as well.
What is the most important message in Romeo and Juliet?
Love is naturally the play's dominant and most important theme. The play focuses on romantic love, specifically the intense passion that springs up at first sight between Romeo and Juliet. In Romeo and Juliet, love is a violent, ecstatic, overpowering force that supersedes all other values, loyalties, and emotions.
What is the main lesson of Romeo and Juliet?
One of the central themes of Romeo & Juliet is passion, which manifests equally in love and in violence. Both are powerful and conflicting forces throughout the story, but ultimately, it's love that conquers hate. To prove this point, compare the deaths of Romeo and Juliet to those of Mercutio and Tybalt.
What is Romeo's personality type?
Romeo and Juliet From a personality perspective, Romeo's ENFP paired with Juliet's INFP were always fated to be well-matched. The extraverted Romeo takes the lead in their romance. While this was common for the day, even by today's standards, Romeo would most likely still be the pursuer.
What qualities make Romeo a tragic hero?
In Romeo and Juliet Romeo is known to be a Tragic Hero. Although Romeo doesn't know, his tragic flaw is that he is impulsive. Some examples of him being impulsive throughout the play include Romeo immediately falling in love with Juliet, him willing to die for her, and him killing himself.
Did Shakespeare use love in Romeo and Juliet?
However, with Romeo and Juliet, he broke new ground. Of course, it wasn’t the first tragedy but it was the first to use love as the hero’s fatal flaw. Up until this point, of course, we had seen love in plays but usually in comedy. It was considered not serious enough to warrant being a factor in a tragedy. The impact of this has shaped culture immeasurably.
Who is defensive about Juliet marrying?
We see a range of motivations and people adapting the way they behave to suit their situation. Take for instance Lord Capulet who is defensive about the idea of Juliet marrying given her age but in the wake of Tybalt’s death and facing her showing a rebellious side he transforms completely appearing to threaten violence against her.
Is Shakespeare an author?
This is a slightly more complex question to answer than you might expect. Yes, Shakespeare was a phenomenal writer but he was not an author. You can read his works and get enjoyment from them but truly to see them brought to life I’d recommend going to the theatre and seeing them performed and if you can’t bring yourself to do that watch one of the movie adaptations. So yes by all means read it. But if you ever get the opportunity to see it performed, do that! Especially if it is by somebody who does it well like the RSC in the UK.
Who is Lee James?
Lee-James, a.k.a. LJ, has been a Book Analysis team member since it was first created. During the day, he's an English Teacher. During the night, he provides in-depth analysis and summary of books.
Is it easy to show characters in a play?
It is not as straightforward to show characters in a play. Often the actors themselves help bring a text to life. However, having done some amateur theatre what I can say categorically is that with a dull script the talent of the actors is irrelevant. That is not an issue here. There is a range of characters and they all feel distinct from one another.
Why is Romeo and Juliet so popular?
I also think the universality and the timelessness of the situation in Romeo and Juliet, the case of the 'star crossed lovers' , is a massive reason for its popularity. This is a great example of just why Shakespeare was such an excellent playwright of the people. Even today, this situation of lovers doomed to fail persists across the world, making R&J always relevant.
What is the ugliest truth about Romeo and Juliet?
The ugliest truth about Romeo and Juliet tragedy is that their fate was actually a result of their own impulsive, irrational decisions.
How old is Romeo in Romeo and Juliet?
First of all, Juliet hasn’t even turned fourteen yet, and Romeo is estimated to be fourteen or fifteen. That seems a bit young for lovers to be star-crossed.
What is the theme of Romeo and Juliet?
It’s about young love ,which almost everyone has experienced. You also have clueless parents,and dismissive friends too blind to see the immortal qualities of their passion. Or so R and J believe. And so,secretly,do most people believe of themselves when they are in the throes of first love. No one can possibly have felt this way before. So Romeo and Juliet has a perennial appeal that deeper plays like Macbeth and King Lear do not. Those plays take a certain maturity to fully appreciate. But anyone helpless in the overheated grip of teen love can “get” Romeo and Juliet. Though the play has a message,stated in the prologue,and recapped by the Prince in his closing speech,it isn’t a particularly profound one. The focus is on the lovers,and how right they were to ignore their parents objections. Really,how could it miss being popular?
Why is Shakespeare's play so famous?
The play is famous because it was written by Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s plays are famous because after his death, Hemings and Condell produced a folio edition of the complete works of Shakespeare. As a result, more of the plays of Shakespeare have survived from the time period than of any other writer. As the British empire grew and the English language spread with that growth, Shakespeare’s plays, which were a major source for the Oxford English Dictionary produced by Dr. Johnson, became even more famous. As schools and universities began to teach Shakspeare’s plays, their fame grew even more
Where did Juliet live?
Isn’t it interesting that even though Juliet and Romeo probably did not exist in real life, there is a spot in Verona, Italy that is said to be where Juliet lived, where her balcony is. Probably it is not, nevertheless, tourists from around the world write messages to her on small scraps of paper and slip them into cracks in the wall beneath the balcony.
Is Romeo and Juliet a good play?
Supposedly, it’s the tragic ending, the passionate love, and the excellent writing. The play is no doubt excellently written, but that’s about it. When you actually look at the facts of the play, you’ll see that Romeo and Juliet’s whole situation is really rather ridiculous.
What does Romeo and Juliet capture?
The movie captures what Romeo and Juliet captures: that first genuine love that makes all previous amorous feelings seem like childish crushes, as though one has suddenly become grownup and has discovered eternal youth at the first time. It's the time when each twinge of one's feelings appears a matter of life and death, when the very fullness of what one is experiencing seems to self-righteously justify sweeping away all other considerations, including all the moral concerns with which you had been inculcated since birth.
What is Romeo and Juliet about?
Romeo and Juliet is a play with something for everyone: romance, intrigue, sword-fighting, wonderful poetry, comedy and tragedy. But it's the romance between the youngsters that Romeo and Juliet is most remembered for. The word "Romeo" has become a synonym for lover. Everyone can quote a few lines from the balcony scene.
What is the story of the star-crossed lovers?
Everyone knows the story of star-crossed lovers who defied their families—the feuding Capulets and Montagues—and ended their lives tragically. Romeo and Juliet is a play with something for everyone: romance, intrigue, sword-fighting, wonderful poetry, comedy and tragedy.
What is a lovely illusion?
A lovely illusion. And a dangerous one. A romantic dream that has been passed on and nurtured in countless cultural variations over the centuries with who knows what deadly results.
Did Shakespeare crib Romeo and Juliet?
Interestingly, Shakespeare cribbed much of the plot of Romeo and Juliet from older sources that were well-known in his time, but in those sources the lovestruck kids were portrayed as misguided and deserving of their fates for going against their parents' wishes and against the social norms. Shakespeare's work was one of ...
Is Romeo and Juliet a tragic figure?
He would never again be so innocent in tragedy: Romeo and Juliet are the only tragic figures I can think of in Shake speare's canon who are not done in by their own fatal flaws. Unless love is a character flaw. But in Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare is several years short of that kind of cynicism.
Is Romeo and Juliet a good play?
Probably the first drama in which it all came together perfectly for Shakespeare. His first truly great play. He 'd write many more even greater, but never another like Romeo and Juliet.
What did Friar Laurence believe about Romeo and Juliet?
Friar believed that quick passionate and melodramatic love affairs end in disaster. This may be because the two people in question, Romeo and Juliet, fell in love on the basis of superficial motives, just looks and not mutual understanding. For a relationship to develop there must be a sense of understanding between the two people.
What is the relationship between Romeo and the Friar?
The Friar also has a good relationship with Romeo and acts as a voice of reason to temper the rising tragedy from unfolding. Soon after Romeo kills Tybalt he rushes to Friar and grieves over his banishment. However, he receives no sympathy from Friar as he is disgusted at the melodramatic emotions Romeo was showing. “Art thou a man? Unseeming woman in a seeming man” (Act 3, Scene 3). These quotes clearly define how foolish he thinks Romeo is being and reprimands him for being “…unmanly” (Act 3, Scene 3) and reminds him of the fact that Juliet was alive and still loved him, Tybalt had wanted to kill him but he had instead killed Tybalt and the law had been lenient in only banishing him. However, the strange advice that Friar gives Romeo is that before he leaves for Mantua, he should visit Juliet for his honeymoon night. For Romeo going to the Capulet house would be a death sentence in the face of the events that had occurred and extremely risky. Friar’s advice leave the audience wondering whose interest he watching out for at this point. Was he looking out for Romeo, Juliet or himself?
What was the effect of the Capulet-Montague feud on Romeo and Juliet?
The Capulet-Montague feud not only affected Romeo and Juliet but it caused the tragic deaths of those who were not part of it. The raging hatred Tybalt felt against the Montague’s reached an all time climax when he challenged Romeo to a fight but Romeo refused on the basis of him now related to Tybalt as he and Juliet had married. Instead he suggests that they stop their bitter rivalry and embrace each other but Tybalt just taunts him.
What is the meaning of "fiar" in Romeo and Juliet?
Friar might also be referring to the immense hatred of the Montague’s and the Capulet’s which could evidently drive apart Romeo and Juliet. These words reflect how aware Friar was of the consequences yet, he was foolish enough to believe that somehow everything would be okay. His short sightedness was a mistake that he should have noticed when everything was plain to see that there were going to be drastic consequences. The audience are left to mull over what Friar’s actions might have done to Romeo and Juliet’s relationship in the long run.
Why does Shakespeare use the theme of love in Romeo and Juliet?
Shakespeare uses the theme of love to portray to the audience that it can bring as much happiness as it can bring destruction and in the face of the events during the play , it does just that.
Why is the Nurse's act of deception a tragedy for Romeo and Juliet?
The Nurse’s act of deception was a great tragedy for Juliet and Romeo because they had lost a friend who could have helped them when they needed her the most; their escape from Verona forever. The Nurse’s attitude towards Romeo changed because of her belief that a banishment was a bigamy and sin and in the Elizabethan times they stood by that invention. The Nurse was also quick to side Tybalt when she realized that for her, blood was thicker than water. Here the sense of loss and grief is a lot as the audiences see that everything was turning against Romeo and Juliet’s loving alliance; everything was falling apart. At this point of the play it seems that all odds are against them and the audience are rooting for them to overcome the trials and tribulations. Here there is a genuine feeling of the readers feeling sorry for them and this one factor has a great impact in making the play seem so tragic.
Why did Romeo and Juliet have an affair?
The restriction they felt from the fuelling feud made both Romeo and Juliet determined to carry on their affair because for their families their bond would be classed as “completely and utterly wrong”, making them feel stronger and willing to live their lives together in life or death. This added to the tragedy of the play because both Romeo and Juliet were growing up and their relationship was growing stronger and deeper and this is shown by the extent they went to be together and their rash decision to get married proved how desperate they were to be as one.
Characterization
- It is not as straightforward to show characters in a play. Often the actors themselves help bring a text to life. However, having done some amateur theatre what I can say categorically is that with a dull script the talent of the actors is irrelevant. That is not an issue here. There is a range of characters and they all feel distinct from one anot...
Plot
- It is well known that Shakespeare borrowed plot ideas liberally from ancient Greek plays. However, with Romeo and Juliet, he broke new ground. Of course, it wasn’t the first tragedy but it was the first to use love as the hero’s fatal flaw. Up until this point, of course, we had seen love in plays but usually in comedy. It was considered not serious enough to warrant being a factor in a …
Language Use
- There is no doubt that Shakespeare was a master of his craft. So much of what he has written has shaped and bled into modern society. What he always did beautifully is use speech patterns to denote class or changes in status. Or in the case of Rome and Juliet to signify love. You know how they say when people are in love they “complete one another” Shakespeare subconsciousl…
Overall
- It might not be the literary critic’s favorite. That honor seems to lie with Hamlet but can you really argue with the lasting appeal of Romeo and Juliet? Here is a play that is still discussed and performed more than 400 years after it was written in an era where the language has developed so much that people struggle to understand everything which is said and yet it maintains its mys…
Should You Read It?
- This is a slightly more complex question to answer than you might expect. Yes, Shakespeare was a phenomenal writer but he was not an author. You can read his works and get enjoyment from them but truly to see them brought to life I’d recommend going to the theatre and seeing them performed and if you can’t bring yourself to do that watch one of the movies adaptations. So yes …