Romeo and Juliet: Characters

Montagues
1. Lord Montague
2. Friar Lawrence
  1. "Wisely and slow, they symbol that run fast."
  2. "Till holy church incorporate two in one"
3. Romeo
  1. 'O! I am Fortune's fool'
    1. After Tybalt and Mercutio die, Benvolio tells Romeo that Prince Paris will probably doom him to death if he's caught. Romeo calls himself Fortune's fool. Romeo is discreetly referencing the prologue, where the audience learns that Romeo and Juliet are fated for misfortune. But Romeo also feels Fortune is being especially cruel; he just got married, and he might be put to death. His words bring the idea of fate and destiny back into the audience's mind
  2. 'For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo'
    1. In the last two lines of the play, Prince Escalus remarks on the lives of Juliet and Romeo. He's saying that no tale has been this sad. While Escalus is right, his words also allow for the enduring quality of Romeo and Juliet's love. Their classic love story has been told and retold to every generation since first hitting the stage in 1594
  3. 'But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!'
    1. Romeo, our young hero, already loves Juliet. In his words of adoration, he compares Juliet to a sunrise. Juliet hasn't seen, Romeo below window; she has no idea Romeo is even on her family's grounds. The important thing to take away is Romeo's use of language. Throughout the play, Romeo associates Juliet with 'light' imagery. He finds her love to be bright, sunny and warm
  4. 'O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?'
    1. Juliet is thinking about Romeo and his family ties. In Shakespearean times, 'wherefore' meant 'why'. Juliet is asking why Romeo is a Montague. Although Juliet is unaware that Romeo is in the orchard below, she accurately points out primarily conflict in their relationship; their families probably won't accept or approve of their marriage
  5. 'Whats in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other word would smell as sweet'
    1. Juliet expresses a very modern idea, your name does not define. In her world, your name - or the family that you come from - sets out how people view you. The idea that you should be judged solely on your own merit is a progressive idea for the setting that showcases Juliet's rebellious and modern streak.
  6. 'Henceforth I will never be Romeo'
    1. Romeo is telling Juliet he will not be Romeo montage if ii displeases her. This shows how passionate he is, as he is prepared to break away from him family in order to be with Julie. As the Montague family are wealthy and reputable, this would have caused great dishonour and therefore illustrates how serious Romeo's love is
  7. 'I have forgot that name and that name's woe'
    1. This shows that Romeo is fickle, as he is openly stating he has 'forgotten' his past love, Rosaline. The fact that he isn't saying her name also indicates how his emotions have moved on, as he has almost forgotten that she is a real person, she is just a name to him now
  8. 'Either thou or I, or both, must go with him'
    1. This shows Romeo is prepared to die in order to avenge his best friend's death. This is the ultimate sacrifice and illustrates how headstrong he is but also how much he values his frinedships
4. Mercutio
  1. "That dreamers often lie."
  2. "Will you pluck your sword out of his poacher by the ears? Make haste"
5. Benvolio
Capulets
1. Lady Capulet
  1. "Talk not to me, for ill not speak a word, Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee"
    1. This shows how Lady Capulet is selfish as she is unprepared to listen to Juliet as she cares more about her own safety and her relationship with her husband then she does for her own daughter. Shakespeare has made this speech very short to illustrate Lady Capulet's emotion and how she is not prepared to give Juliet any of her time.
  2. "Nurse where's my daughter? Call her forth to me"
    1. The question Lady Capulet directs at the Nurse illustrates how Lady Capulet isn't aware of where her own daughter is or how she's pends her free time. The use of her word 'daughter' illustrates how their relationship is formal, as she is referring to her as what she is, rather than who she is. It also shows how Lady Capulet is possessive over Juliet, as if she belongs to her.
2. Lord Capulet
  1. "Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone... it is my will"
    1. This shows that Capulet is powerful as he tells the fiery Tybalt to leave Romeo alone. Further on in his speech, Capulet gets angry when Tybalt questions him. This illustrates Capulet's power as he is in charge of a reputable household; he is the head of the family
  2. "I tell thee what: get thee to church a' Thursday or never after look me in the face"
    1. This shows how stubborn Capulet is, as he is telling Juliet that if she doesn't obey him, she will no longer be a part of his family. The use of the noun 'I' illustrates how authoritative Capulet is, as it is only his opinion that matters
  3. "Each hath swallowed all my hopes but she"
    1. Juliet is Capulet's only child so Capulet has a duty to find her a good match. Paris has a very high social status, so their marriage would give Juliet more power and security
  4. "I think she will be ruler, in all respects by me"
    1. Capulet thinks that Juliet will do as he says because she is "ruled/ in all respects by me". This is ironic - Capulet doesn't know that Juliet has secretly married Romeo (dramatic irony)
  5. "What is this? 'proud', and 'I thank you', and 'I thank you not', and yet 'not proud'"
    1. Capulet's repeated questions show how shocked and angry he is. He can't believe that his daughter would defy him
  6. "A jealous hood, a jealous hood"
    1. Lady Capulet teases her husband and Capulet jokes with the servingman. This upbeat scene is juxtaposed with the discovery of Juliet's body to increase the tension (dramatic irony)
3. The Nurse
  1. "Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nursed. An I might live to see thee married once, Have my wish"
  2. "I think you are happy in this second match, for it excels your first"
4. Juliet
  1. "He shall not make me there a joyful bride!"
    1. This shows, like Romeo, how headstrong Juliet is because she refuses to her parents to marry Paris. The exclamation mark heightens her emotions and shows it as if she is shouting
  2. "O happy dagger"
    1. This quotation is an oxymoron. The word "happy" and "dagger" are opposites of each other. The quote means that she is happy to die and to be with Romeo
  3. "Parting in such sweet sorrow"
    1. This line from Romeo and Juliet is an antithesis with the words "sweet" and "sorrow". These two words are the opposites of each other. This line means that Juliet is sad that Romeo is leaving but it makes it "sweet" because it makes her think of the next time she is going to see him
  4. "O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore are thou Romeo?"
    1. Juliet is thinking about Romeo and how he is a Montague. The adverb "wherefore" means why, which shows Juliet asking why Romeo is a Montague, unaware that he is below in the orchard
  5. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other would smell as sweet"
    1. In this quotation, Juliet tells Romeo that a name is an artificial meaningless thing. She is saying that she loves him and not his name. She is comparing her love for Romeo of that of a rose. She's saying that no matter what you call a rose is would still smell the same, just like she would love Romeo the same despite what his name is.
  6. "I gave thee mine before thou didst request it."
    1. Romeo requests that Juliet declares her love for him and Juliet simply replies that she has already done so. This shows how loving and passionate she is, as she has given her love and heart to Romeo.
  7. "Love give me strength, and strength shall help afford"
    1. "This shows how calm Juliet is when she makes the decision to fake her own death, not knowing of her future. Juliet declares that Romeo's love gives her strength and this fuels her decisions and therefore her decisive nature
5. Tybalt
  1. "Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw"
    1. This shows Tybalt's anger towards Romeo. The fact that Tybalt is calling Romeo a 'boy' is an insult and illustrates how Tybalt is instigating the conflict, wanting Romeo to react to the insult. Tyblat is also being instructive in this quotation, telling Romeo that he must 'turn and draw.' This also illustrates how Tybalt is passionate and likes to be in control
  2. "Why, uncle, 'tis a shame"
    1. This shows that Tybalt is listening to his Uncle and obeying his orders. The fact that Tybalt says it is a 'shame' illustrates that Tybalt doesn't agree with Lord Capulet, however, because he is loyal towards his family, he will obey.

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Romeo and Juliet: Characters

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