ROMEO AND JULIET -
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
ROMEO
JULIET
LORD CAPULET
MERCUTIO
THE NURSE
FRIAR LAWRENCE
BENVOLIO
TYBALT
Juliet is presented as a young and beautiful girl, however her desperation for independence results in her seeming naive (especially love and marriage).
Romeo is presented as handsome and sensitive, however also impulsive and immature. Despite living in a society fuelled by a violent feud, he isn't interested in violence (until it directly affects him).
Mercutio is a kinsman to the Prince and Romeo's closest friend. He is portrayed as overly imaginative and funny (through his constant use of puns and sexual innuendos), but also quite volatile and hotheaded (specifically towards the mention of love).
The Nurse acts a mother for Juliet, explaining their close relationship. She often provides comic relief with her inappropriate remarks, but is very sentimental and loyal to Juliet.
Tybalt is a vain and toxic Capulet who clearly believes that his masculinity is defined by the amount of fear and blood on his sword. He is symbolic of why the "ancient" feud between the two families has managed to carry on until now.
He is the head of the Capulet family and, more importantly, Juliet's father. Despite his true love for the wellbeing of his daughter, he is adamant on making sure that the people around him know about his power.
Romeo is shown to have quite a immature view of love, as he believes in an idealistic type of love, despite constantly being shown throughout the play that love and hate work together.
Romeo's cousin and advocate for peace. He does his best to diffuse violent scenes however he is quite a hypocrite as he still participates. He does his best to take care of Romeo, especially to get over Rosaline.
The Friar irrationally marries Romeo and Juliet in hopes of ending the feud, however he doesn't consider the consequences of his actions. As well as being a devoted Catholic, he also has a strong knowledge of potions and herbs.
PARIS
PRINCE ESCALUS
ROSALINE
LADY CAPULET
Lord Capulet promises Paris that he can marry Juliet leading to him treating her as if they were already married.
This is the Prince of Verona and his main concern is to maintain public peace at all costs.
Although we never see her, we hear about how much Romeo was in love with him. We learn that Rosaline is beautiful and has sworn a life of chastity.
She gave birth to Juliet at a very young age and is very eager to see her marry Paris. She has a distant relationship with Juliet and relies on the Nurse to provide her moral and emotional support.
"Part fools! Put up your swords - you know not what you do." - Act 1, Scene 1. This is our first introduction to Benvolio, so we immediately learn that he is peaceful. However, he soon fights Tybalt making him seem like a hypocrite.
"O brawling love, O loving hate" - Act 1, Scene 1. The use of juxtaposition shows the confusion that he's experiencing because love isn't quite as simple as he thought.
The Prince's Speech - Act 1, Scene 1. - He uses animalistic and violent language ( "beasts", "purple fountains", "pain on torture" ). By speaking in verse, it shows his intelligence and position in society.
" Flourishes his blade in spite of me" - Act 1, Scene 1. Capulet is motivated by his pride, which is why he doesn't end the feud.
"O, she is rich in beauty" - Act 1, Scene 1. - Romeo only focuses on her physical beauty, so explains why he gives up on her so easily (as she will remain chaste).
"Madam, I am here. What is your will?" - Act 1, Scene 3. By addressing her mother with "Madam" shows the distant relationship they have. Although Juliet treats her with respect and listens to her, she doesn't consider Lady Capulet as a maternal figure in her life.
"I was your mother much upon these years" - Act 1, Scene 3. Her tone suggests that she regrets having Juliet at such a young age, which may explain why she refuses to show her compassion and love.
"Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like a thorn" - Act 1, Scene 4. The rule of 3 and excessive repetition shows how difficult it is for Romeo to get over Rosaline (which may be because he is still infatuated with an idealistic form of love).