Romeo Flashcards
(13 cards)
Act 1 scene 1 presents him as inconsolably in love though it is unrequited
Revealing to the audience one of Romeo’s FATAL FLAWS- He cannot escape falling so deeply in love. His infatuation for Rosaline makes him inconsolabe and his love for Juliet leads to his death.
“love-devouring death do what he dare”
Romeo dares death REPEATEDLY IN THE PLAY- He has an impertinent view towards death
This creates DRAMATIC IRONY as the audience can see the folly in his words though he cannot
AND SO?- Shakespeare might be showing youthful arrogance through Romeo and criticising the idea young people have where they feel there is no authority above them
Portrayed in the beginning of the play as…
… an archetypal Petrarchan lover.
Fatal flaws-
Inability to make decisions rationally
Cannot escape falling so deeply in love
Impetuous
Romeo as separated from SOCIETY?
Romeo’s love for Juliet drives him at odds with both societal customs and the law itself. He ends up EXILED and seen as weak and NOT MASCULINE by his friends
Shakespeare COULD have designed Romeo as a character to…
… engage with Elizabethan IDIOSYNCRASIES (uncommon or unusual behaviours) e.g. men treating women as equals, men not adhering to the code of honour e.t.c. and so: CONFRONT the belief that these behaviours were irregular and encourage more societal acceptance
OR use Romeo as a DIDACTIC tool to teach on the dangers of strict societal expectations of Elizabethan England
“love-devouring…
…death do what he dare”
“exile hath much more terror in his look, much more than death”
Romeo’s declaration that exile is much more terrible than death- SHOWS his disregard and IMPERTINENCE towards death and is a REFLECTION of his youthful arrogance
AMD SO?- Shakespeare is showing that the pride and lack of experience youths have lead them to not properly understand and regard the reality of death so they are rash
“exile hath…
… much more terror in his look, much more than death”
Laments on how dogs and cats and mice can be near Juliet but he cannot due to his exile
Shakespeare is portraying a youthful and immature representation of Romeo as he becomes even jealous of animals and his reaction could even be comparable to a child throwing a tantrum
“Hang up philosophy!”
Romeo’s rejection of Friar Lawrence’s suggestion to think and reason away out of his problem of having killed himself
REFLECTS his rash nature(fatal flaw) as it shows how he prefers to act rather than think.
It also shows how he constantly complained about his situation but rejected the offer to think of a solution(IMMATURE NATURE)
“Hang…
up philosophy!”
How can Romeo’s desperation be described as he chooses to kill himself upon hearing news that Juliet is dead
Romeo calls himself “desperate” several times upon learning that Juliet is apparently dead
A feeling of hopelessness and a sense that a situation is so bad, it is impossible to do anything to get out of it- The loss of his greatly intense love has led him to a point of desperation to get it back at any cost
