Essay on Romeo and Juliet

Question: Describe one character that you enjoyed reading about in the text. Explain why the character helped you understand an idea in the text.

Romeo is the main character in the play Romeo and Juliet. He is about sixteen years of age and lives in a town called Verona. He is young and inexperienced in life and falls in love with a girl named Juliet who belongs to his father’s enemy’s clan.

I enjoyed reading about Romeo and this is because of his youthful and impulsive nature. When an event took place in the play, whether it was good or bad Romeo would usually act on his initial feelings and thoughts. He wouldn’t stop and think about the wisest thing to do but just act on the spur of the moment. A lot of Romeo’s impulsive decisions are made because of his love for Juliet. An example of this would be when he climbed over the wall into the Capulet’s orchard to see Juliet. This was a very risky move by Romeo because if any of Juliet’s kinsmen found out that he was there they would have killed him. Yet Romeo didn’t think twice about it but just let his feelings take control. When Juliet asks him why and how he endangered himself by coming to see her he replies, “With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls… therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.” Romeo is telling us that the only thoughts and feelings he had when going to see Juliet were those of light hearted love. The thought that he could be risking his life wasn’t even there. This shows us that he didn’t stop and think about the positives and negatives of the decisions but just made an impulsive and thoughtless decision.

Romeo also shows his characteristic of impulsiveness in Act 3, Scene 1 of the play when Tybalt challenges Romeo to a fight. At first Romeo tries to make peace with Tybalt, he will not fight him and attempts to break up Mercutio and Tybalt when they begin fighting. However when Tybalt manages to stab and kill Mercutio, Romeo loses his self control and lets his fury overtake him. He says to Tybalt, “Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again…” Romeo has made his decision to fight. He has let his feelings dictate his actions and does not pause and think about if what he is about to do is sensible and will have good outcomes. He attacks Tybalt and slaughters him. This leads to him being banished. If Romeo had thought again about attacking Tybalt he may have realized that if he left the matter for the Prince to deal with he would not be punished and Tybalt would be put to death anyway as he had murdered Mercutio.

One of the main ideas in Romeo and Juliet is the idea of revenge. Throughout the play different members of the two opposing sides, the Capulets and the Montagues are always seeking to take revenge on each other. Romeo helped me to understand this idea of revenge through some of the actions and decisions he made. An example of one of these actions is when he killed Tybalt. This event took place after Tybalt had killed Mercutio, who was Romeo’s friend. Romeo had come between Tybalt and Mercutio when they were fighting to try and break the quarrel up but it was here that Mercutio lost his guard and was stabbed by Tybalt. Romeo was utterly furious when this happened and he says, “This but begins the woe that others must end.” He is implying that he is going to end Tybalt’s life before he lets the tragedy pass. He is vowing revenge on Tybalt. Romeo carries this through after he has spoken and murders Tybalt. In this section of the play Romeo helps me to understand the idea of revenge simply because he himself takes revenge on Tybalt. He shows us revenge in action.

Romeo also helps me to understand the idea of revenge when he gate crashes the Capulet’s party. Benvolio, Mercutio and him all find out about the party and decide to go along even though they are not welcome to come because they are Montagues. But they go along to the party and it is not long into it when Tybalt spots Romeo. He is so outraged that he storms towards with sword in hand intending to kill him there. However to his disgust he is stopped by his master who tells him to let the matter be. Tybalt replies, “I will withdraw but this intrusion shall, now seeming sweet, convert to bitter gall.” Tybalt is saying that he will not act yet but will eventually take revenge on Romeo for what he has done. This event shows me that in this play revenge is a constant cycle. It never stops but keeps on going. Just like Tybalt didn’t forget what Romeo had done neither does anyone else in the play forget the revenge they owe to someone.

In Romeo and Juliet, I enjoyed reading about the character Romeo. I enjoyed reading about him because of the impulsiveness and youthfulness he shows constantly through the decisions he makes in the play. As well as enjoying reading about Romeo I found him helpful in understanding the main idea of the play which was revenge.

By David Lewis.