Explore Shakespeare's Presentation of Romeo

Romeo and Juliet, the story of “two star crossed lovers”. The story begins by telling us about the Montague’s and the Capulet’s.”Two households both alike in dignity”Meaning the Montague’s and Capulet’s are both at the same social position, which is assumed to be rather high. The families have both been enemies, “From ancient grudge break to new mutiny”.Romeo attends a Capulet ball, where he meets Juliet, and little does he know that she is a Capulet, he falls in love with her almost immediately.

However, shortly after their meeting they both discover each other’s names and realize that they are family enemies.”My only love, sprung from my only hate”. Juliet says, soon after her meeting with Romeo.Their family conflict grounds many problems for their doomed love. The two, without knowledge of their parents marry in secret. However Juliet’s father has found the perfect match for her, a “radiant” young man named, Paris.

This causes a lot of problems for Romeo and Juliet, and their love for each other, which started out as a happy moment in time, starts to go awfully wrong. Romeo is first introduced as a untroubled and na�ve young man, and over the next 3 days he is faced with serious issues and has to deal with some of the major events in his life, such as falling in love, getting married, murder, dealing with banishment and death, and finally taking his own life as he cant live without the girl he loves.

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At the beginning of the play Romeo’s father and mother are talking to his Cousin, their nephew, Benvolio. Romeo’s father is concerned about Romeo’s behavior, and says that he seems unhappy.”Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out, and makes himself an artificial night”Romeo is behaving in a strange way, but it is clear that he is discontented about something. His father wants to help but Romeo is being so secretive it is impossible to find out what is wrong: “But to himself so secret and so close”Benvolio tells Romeo’s parents he will go and talk to him, and them that he will try and find out what is wrong with Romeo.

Romeo tells him that he is in love with a girl, but his love is not returned. Romeo seems to be melancholy and confused about this. He tells Benvolio he is hurt. Benvolio asks him what her name is, but he avoids the question but tells Benvolio that she beautiful, “O she is rich in beauty”. Benvolio tells him “Examine other beauties”. He wants Romeo to forget about this girl, there are plenty other beauties. “Be ruled by me, forget to think of her”.In Act1, scene 2, we find out that the beauty Romeo is in “love” with is called Rosaline. We also discover that the Capulet’s are holding a feast, a ball. A servant has a list of names of people invited to the ball. Romeo and Benvolio meet him. Romeo sees that Rosaline’s name is on the list. Benvolio then persuades Romeo to go to the ball, so he can compare Rosaline to other beauties. “Compare her face with some that I shall show, and I will make thee think thy swan a crow” Romeo questions Benvolio: “One fairer than my love?”

Romeo strongly disagrees that there will be a girl with more beauty than Rosaline, but Benvolio tells him that he only think she is so beautiful beacause there was nobody else to compare her with: Tut you saw her fair, none else being by”. Romeo agrees to go to the ball to prove him wrong.Act 1, scene 4, just before the Capulet ball. Romeo is miserable; he is still upset over Rosaline, and also worried about how they are going to explain themselves for being at a Capulet party without invitations. Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend, and Benvolio try to cheer him up, but with little success. They try to get Romeo to enjoy himself but he is reluctant to enjoy himself as he is feeling so depressed. “Is love a tended thing? It is too rough, too boisterous, and it pricks like a thorn” This is how Romeo is feeling. He has been hurt by love, “It pricks like a thorn”.Mercutio still tries to encourage Romeo to unwind by joking with him. At the end of this scene Romeo says”I fear too early, for my mind misgives.

Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,Shall bitterly begin this fearful date,With this night revels, and expire the term, Of a despised life closed in my breast,By some vile forfeit of untimely death”Romeo thinks that is written in the stars that the events of the night will lead him to die an early death. He believes that he has mortgaged his life for love.In Act1, scene 5, Romeo sees Juliet for the first time. He asks a serving man who she is “What lady’s that which doth enrich the hand of yonder knight” The serving man does not know and Romeo still doesn’t get an answer. He is unaware that Juliet is a Capulet.”O she doth teach torches to burn bright” Romeo is stunned by Juliet’s beauty. Romeo uses beautiful phrases to express his feelings and thoughts on Juliet. He immediately falls for Juliet. “Did my heart love till now? Forswear is sight, for I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.”Tybalt spots Romeo at his party and informs his uncle Capulet.

Capulet tells him to behave himself and not to make “mutiny among his guests”. Tybalt reluctantly agrees but seeks revenge.Romeo approaches Juliet and speaks to her for the first time. He wants to kiss her straight away, “To smooth that rough touch, with a tender kiss’. They kiss. Juliet says that he “kiss by th’ book” meaning he is a good kisser. The nurse interrupts them, telling Juliet that her mother wishes to speak with her. Romeo asks the nurse who Juliet is. He discovers that she is a Capulet, a family enemy.”Is she a Capulet? O dear account, my life is my foe’s debt?”Romeo leaves the party. Juliet also asks what Romeo’s name is, and the nurse replies, “His name is Romeo, and a Montague, the only son of your great enemy”Juliet is distressed to learn that her love is the offspring of her family enemy, the Montague’s.”My only love sprung form my only hate, too early seen unknown, and know too late” Juliet means she fell in love with Romeo before she found out his name, and its too late now for her to change her feelings.As Romeo is leaving the party he realizes he is so in love with Juliet, he has to go back to the Capulet Mansion to try and find her.

He climbs over the wall into the Capulet orchard. He sees Juliet in the moonlight in an upstairs window. “It is the east, and Juliet is the sun” To Romeo, Juliet is so bright, and so beautiful; he compares her to the sun. “Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon” Romeo says that the moon is jealous of her maid Juliet because she is more beautiful. The things he says about Juliet show how much he adores and admires her.Juliet appears, thinking she is on her own, and speaks aloud of her love for Romeo. She talks of how their family names cause problems for them.”O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” Juliet means, “Why are you called Romeo Montague? And not another name?”She speaks of how Romeo would still be the same person even if he weren’t a Montague.”That which we call a rose, by any other word, would smell just as sweet”Romeo surprises her when he answers to her thoughts.Juliet says to him “So stumblest on my counsel?”

Meaning he has heard her private thought which she was saying out loud. Juliet asks him how he got there, as the orchard walls are hard to climb. Romeo replies, “For stony limits cannot hold out love” Romeo is saying that the wall cant keep him away from her. Juliet informs him that if anyone sees him there he will be murdered. Romeo says “My life were better ended by their hate, than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.” He tells Juliet that he rather be killed by their hatred for him, rather than go on living, waiting for death without her love.She wants Romeo to tell her that he loves her, but she doesn’t want any lies. “If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully”Juliet is frightened that Romeo will think she is too forward. “In truth fair Montague, I am too fond. An therefore thou mayst think my haviour light” She thinks that girls who have skill will play hard to get. The nurse calls Juliet. As she is about to leave Romeo says, “O wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied”. He begs Juliet to at least exchange vows of love with him. Juliet says she gave him hers before he even requested them.Romeo and Juliet decided to marry.

Romeo goes to Friar Lawrence, a man he trusts and has a lot of respect for. He asks for Friar Lawrence to marry him and Juliet. Friar Lawrence senses that Romeo has been out all night, and he questions him. Romeo tells him of his new love for Juliet, a Capulet. Friar Lawrence is surprised that Romeo has fallen for the offspring of his enemy, and also in the sudden change of Romeo’s attitude and feelings. Just recently he had been upset, confused, and hurt, still in, what he had called ‘love’, with Rosaline. He points out that his love for Rosaline must have not been true, and was just infatuation; “For doting, not for loving, pupil mine”.’Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes” He mean that maybe Romeo thought he loved Rosaline because she was beautiful, and not really for her-his love wasn’t in his heart- but in his eyes.Romeo agrees, and realizes his love for Juliet is true. He understands what he felt for Rosaline must have been infatuation. Friar Lawrence also says”Thy love did read by rote, that could not spell”He mean that Romeo’s love for Rosaline, was like someone who, reads, by learning the story off by heart but cannot spell out the letters of what is written.

Friar Lawrence accepts that Romeo’s love for Juliet may be true love, and also might bring their quarrelling families to peace, so he agrees to marry them. It is arranged for Juliet to go to Friar Lawrence’s cell to be married.After their exchange of vows, Romeo arrives whilst a small quarrel between Tybalt and Mercutio. Tybalt insults Romeo to get a reaction, to provoke him, but as Romeo has just married Juliet, he doesn’t want to cause any more problems with his new relation. He keeps calm and doesn’t accept Tybalts offer for a fight; “Villain I am none. Therefore farewell, I thou knowest me not.’ Romeo tries telling Tybalt he isn’t a bad person, not a villain, and that Tybalt obviously doesn’t know him well, he says farewell, he doesn’t want to fight. Mercutio is irritated by Romeo’s cowardliness and challenges Tybalt. They fight. In all the perplexity and confusion, Mercutio is stabbed by Tybalt. He suffers from a fatal wound and dies almost immediately.

Romeo is distraught. His best friend, killed by his wife’s cousin, and now a relation to him. Romeo is incredibly distressed, and angry with this, and in a rage of fury kills Tybalt.The Montague’s and the Capulet’s have been given punishments from the Prince. The Capulet’s feel that Romeo should be given a death sentence, but the Prince explains that he only did what the law would have required anyway; the death of Tybalt. Both families are heavily fined, and Romeo is banished from Verona. If he is seen is Verona ever again he will be executed.Both Juliet and Romeo are distraught by this. They feel as if Romeo has been given a death sentence. Will Juliet ever see her new husband again? “Oh break, my heart, poor bankrupt, break at once” Her heart has lost all its possessions and she feels ‘broke’. Tybalt and Romeo have gone.Juliet is confused. She is troubled by the variance of loyalties. The nurse tries to comfort Juliet by criticizing Romeo, but Juliet turns on her.

This shows that Juliet obviously feels more for Romeo than she does for Tybalt. Juliet is upset because she thinks she will still be a virgin on her wedding night as she will not be able to see Romeo. The more she thinks about it, the more upset she gets.Whilst at Friar Lawrence’s cell, Romeo says that his banishment might as well be a death sentence, if he isn’t able to be with Juliet any longer. He is completely distraught.”Tis torture and not mercy. Heaven is here where Juliet lives”They both receive a visit from the Nurse. She tells Romeo that Juliet is overcome with misery and is crying over the death of her cousin, Tybalt, and the banishment of her loved one, Romeo. Romeo feels as if it is his fault that Juliet is in a miserable state, he doesn’t want her to ever have to go through something like this, and he tries to stab himself. Friar Lawrence tells him to pull himself together, as Juliet and him are both still alive, and he still has hope.

They plan for Romeo to go to Mantua until things are sorted out. The Nurse arranges a time so Romeo can spend the night with Juliet.The next morning Juliet tries to persuade Romeo to stay. He says he will accept her judgment but he will be risking his life. Juliet then sees it would be best for him to go. This is the only proper time both Romeo and Juliet have together, and Juliet must be sad to see Romeo leave, but she understands what the consequences of him staying are. Romeo only spends one night with his new wife, before he has to leave, he also must feel sad.”Farwell, farewell, one kiss and ill descend.”This is the last time Romeo and Juliet kiss before their ill-fated destiny takes place.Juliet’s mother enters her room just as Romeo leaves, and notifies her about her marriage to a ‘radiant’ young man, named Paris. Juliet is dismayed and tells her mother she refuses to marry Paris. Her Father also enters the room, and she repeats her refusal to him. Her father is livid with her and tells her she is to marry Paris or he will disown her.Juliet is extremely upset and turns to the nurse for help. ‘Oh God! O Nurse how shall this be prevented?’

She is upset because when she married Romeo she made a promise that she would be faithful to him.Juliet later visits Friar Lawrence’s cell, and informs him on what happened. Juliet tells him that she would rather kill herself than be married to Paris.Father Lawrence gives her a potion. Juliet is to drink this and it should send her to sleep and make it look like she is dead. She will be taken to the family vault and hopefully wake up to Romeo who will take her to Mantua with him. The Friar will tell Romeo by letter what will be happening. Juliet agrees to this.Meanwhile in Mantua, Romeo never received a letter, but learns other news from his servant. He is told what everyone else think, which is the wrong information. Balthasar tells him that Juliet is dead.Romeo is heartbroken. He thinks the girl he loves, his wife, is not alive anymore, and he will never be able to be with her again. “Then I defy you, stars” The stars have intended that Juliet shall die and be taken away from Romeo. He is determined not to let that happen. Romeo does not want to live without Juliet; “Well Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight”.

He is willing to take his own life just so he can be with her forever.Romeo goes to an apothecary who is very poor and will be willing to sell him some poison, even though this is illegal. The poison Romeo buys is strong enough to kill twenty men.Romeo makes his way to Juliet’s tomb and finds Paris there. The two men fight, and Romeo Kills him. ‘Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet’ Before Paris died he asked to be placed next to his love, Juliet. It is only then Romeo realizes who he has killed; “Mercutio’s kinsman, noble county Paris!””Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interred” Romeo is saying that he will kill himself, but he feels dead already, now that he thinks Juliet is gone.Romeo sees Juliet. He is struck by her beauty.”Ah dear Juliet, Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe that unsubstantial death is amorous?” He means bodiless death is in love with Juliet. Swearing that he will stay with her forever, Romeo swallows the poison.Friar Lawrence arrives at the vault, and its at this time Juliet wakes up. Friar Lawrence tells her what has happened, and tries to hurry her out, but she refuses to leave. She to, would rather be dead than live without Romeo. Hearing people coming, she quickly takes Romeo’s daggers and stabs herself.