22-08-2012, 12:02 PM
Romeo Characterisation Essay in the play and film
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Romeo’s character is presented throughout the play in many different forms, which represent him in various ways to the audience and cause him to be the character that he is. William Shakespeare uses language and imagery in Romeo and Juliet to explore the ideas of emotions and feelings of their love and how his character develops throughout the play and his actions to the harsh consequences that he takes due to these as his character develops.
Romeo is presented as a good lover in the play as he recites poems and sonnets which are forms of expressing his love throughout the entire play. Romeo talks in prose which also depicts that he is a good lover because Romeo uses it to flatter Juliet and show how caring he is, in this manner. Therefore, his word choices and the way that he portrays a message through this is a very key element that Shakespeare uses for the characterisation of Romeo. An example of this is in Act 1, Scene 5.
“…beauty too rich for use for earth too dear…” (LINE, ACT, SCENE?) ( 1:5 45-50)
The quote suggests that Juliet is precious and she is too special to be on Earth and should be in heaven. This is dramatic irony because in the end of the play Juliet does actually die, which therefore proves that she was not ‘supposed’ to be on the Earth. With the phrase ‘for use’, Shakespeare develops the idea of Juliet being too good for anybody to touch physically and this is ironic because when Romeo does ‘use’ her in act 2 scene 3 (mention the act where they get married here) then Romeo and Juliet both die and this could be seen a consequence to this, in relation to the phrase. There are repeatedly religious connotations because in the Elizabethan Era they had believed very strongly in fate and destiny, this may be why Romeo rushed into love and decided to get married hastily because they were ‘star cross’d lovers’, as mentioned in the prologue. This foreshadows the fact that their stars controlled their fate from the beginning even before they met. However in the modern world today as many people do not believe in religion or the ideologies of love the audience would not perceive Romeo to be very realistic.
However, at this point the sexual side of Romeo is also made evident because he mentions having a more physical relationship with Juliet. This therefore represents his character as that of boys who are typical of his age and the audience may find him quite immature at this time of the play as he is more interested in the sexual side to their relationship. This could also possibly make the question of how serious Romeo is in the relationship as he makes this physical attraction obvious and thus he may not love her for who she is. This is also supported by the fact that he was also love-sicken after Rosaline had vowed to be a virgin all her life ‘she hath forsworn to love and in that vow’. (embed a quote here from the first act where is talks about Rosaline being a virgin and him sad). There is also a subtle emphasis on the class of Juliet which is reinforced by the expression ‘too rich’, which portrays that she is of higher class. The effect that this has on Romeo of lowering his status when talking to Juliet may be interpreted as a way to make her more special than him. Nevertheless, this can portray the two divided families of the Capulets and the Montagues as they are not theoretically able to be together as one, due to their feud. This is such as the ‘rich’ Juliet and the ‘poor’ Romeo who are also not either because of their class, which may be a symbol of their two separated families. Furthermore, he tells her that she is noble and beautiful, in Act 1, Scene 5 by the phrase ‘if I profane with my unworthiest hand’. The characterisation of Juliet as honourable and his contrasting portrayal as an ‘unworthy’ lover repeatedly emphasises that he should not be in love with her, though he still does; consequently, the immaturity of Romeo is made evident as he does something that may be of harm to him.