Select one of the characters from the house of Montague and explain his or her most salient character trait. Provide at least one passage from the story to demonstrate this. Here is an example for Benvolio (a rather detailed example at that!).
Benvolio; you are Benevolent
…The passive and honorable Benvolio was one to be respected until the end.
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"I Pray thee good Mercutio, let’s retire:
The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,
And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl:
For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring."
(III.i.1-2)
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A poor and troubled man torn between his family and what he knows is right. A man that is pulled by his will to do good and the honor of his family. Obviously, this man is confused but the supremacy of right is top quality in his skull. This quote along with anon quotes to come, Benvolio is portrayed as a soft spoken type of man, who would much rather speak with his brains than his weapon. He respects the reputation of his family and his guilt. He sees the truth in killing a man over his last name, the reasoning filled to the brink of stupidity. It is craven and purely insane that they seek such a public place for their ruff housing, and between the belligerent other males Benvolio truly shows his peaceful mind throughout scene III. He does respect their lethal choices but would much prefer that they didn’t act upon them. In a few sections he casually suggests a private place, or a conversation or two to settle things through something else, rather than murder. Throughout most of the book he takes a back seat to other plots, but in this area is where he truly proves his personality. Perhaps, if someone had taken the time to listen to his sensible words, two (even a few more) would be animate.
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“We talk here in the public haunt of men:
Either withdraw unto some private place,
And reason coldly of your grievances,
Or else depart, here all eyes gaze on us.”
(III.i.14-17)
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All in all, Benvolio truly has all human kind on mind, instead of his selfish drive to exterminate elderly foes. Cheers to the Benevolent Benvolio.
Romeo is Bipolar.
ReplyDelete"One fairer than my love? The all-seeing sun
Ne'er saw her match since the world begun." (I.ii.95-96)
"Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo."
(II.ii.50-51)
Romeo is Bipolar throughout the whole novel. One specific example is when Romeo is mourning after Rosaline has chosen to become a nun. In the quote, he is saying that there was never a woman as beautiful as Rosaline sine the beginning of time. But then, when Romeo meets Juliet he completely disregards everything he has felt for Rosaline and completely falls head over heals for Juliet. You can see Romeos love for Juliet in the quote above when he says that he would start brand new just for her. This is just one example of how Romeos emotions are Bipolar.
Romeo is hasty and over-emotional.
ReplyDelete"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty until this night." (I.v.54-55)
"There is no world without Verona walls,but purgatory, torture, hell itself. Hence banished is banished from the world,and world's exile is death." (III.iii.17-20)
One of Romeo's defining characteristics is that he is hasty and therefore gets overemotional. He jumps into situations with his whole heart, and doesn't realize that he just may break it. An example of Romeo's hastiness is how quickly he he becomes infatuated with Juliet because she is prettier than his previous obsession, Rosaline who he said he loved. Romeo was in a great depression because Rosaline wouldn't love him. Because Romeo has hastily thrown his whole soul into loving Juliet, he doesn't realize that banishment from the city because he killed Tybalt isn't death. Romeo feels that being away from Juliet is torture, and blubbers on. Friar states that Romeo was " there on the ground, with his own tears made drunk"(III.iii.83)
Romeo is Romantic.
ReplyDelete"I am too bold; 'tis not to me she speaks.
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!"
(II.ii.14-24)
"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."
(I.v.54-55)
Romeo is romantic. Despite being surrounded by violence, he has no interest in it. Romeo's only interest is love and romance, but at times, he goes to extremes. His monologues to Juliet in the play also display his passionate love for her. Romeo values love above anything else, and he is willing to do anything for his love, Juliet. Romeo falls in love very quickly and easily. At first, he could not think of anyone else except Rosaline, and then the next day he is in love with Juliet. This shows that Romeo truly is romantic.
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ReplyDeleteRomeo is impulsive
ReplyDeleteRomeo "Alive in triumph, and Mercutio slain?
Away to heaven respective lenity,
And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!
Now, Tybalt, take the "villain" back again
That late thou gavest me; for Mercutio's soul
Is but a little way above our heads,
Staying for thine to keep him company.
Either thou or I, or both, must go with him."
Tybalt. "Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here,
Shalt with him hence"
Romeo. "This shall determine that"
III.I.125-134.
In this passage Romeo was angry over Mercutios death and the minute that Tybalt said something to egg Romeo on, he turned on his deterimination to keep peace and killed Tybalt. Not to mention how fast he decided he want to marry Juliet.
Romeo is impulsive.
ReplyDelete[Romeo]
"Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavory guide!
Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on
The dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark!
Here's to my love. [Drinking.] O true apothecary,
Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.
[He dies.]
During this scene Romeo is extremely impulsive for giving up his life. After he sees that Juliet is "dead" he decides he cannot live without her. He didn't really think too much before making his decision to commit suicide. He is impulsive throughout the whole play because he also spontaneously marries Juliet which, in the end, causes the deaths of Paris, Juliet, and himself. If he thought before he acted the play would not be so tragic. Although, his impulsive behavior makes for a good story!
Benvolio: wise
ReplyDeleteThroughout Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet there are conflicts between the Capulets and the Montagues. No one family member can be blamed for these conflicts, as nearly all the members of the families have provoked one another to the point of violence. Benvolio is one of the only characters who is a member of the house of Montague, yet seeks no quarrel with the house of Capulet. This is in my opinion an act of great wisdom and maturity. Benvolio understands that the conflict brewing is between the elders of the two houses, and feels that he has no reason to get involved. “I pray to thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire. The day is hot, the Capels are abroad, and if we meet, we shall not ‘scape a brawl” (Shakespeare, III. I. 1-3). When Mercutio wanted to fight Tybalt, Benvolio was the one who encouraged him not to. In my opinion, almost none of the characters in this play think as logically as Benvolio, which shows in that he never really had any of the problems with the authorities that Tybalt and Romeo had.
Romeo is effectively over-emotional
ReplyDelete(I.iv.20-24)
[Romeo]
"I am too sore enpierced with [Cupid's] shaft
To soar with his light feathers, and so bound,
I cannot bound a pitch above dull woe.
Under love's heavy burden do I sink."
In this excerpt, Romeo is describing how his love makes him sad. He is referring
to his love for Rosaline, and how she does not return his love. Romeo is so
saddened by that fact that he refuses to go to the Capulet Party at first. It
took serious convincing, but Romeo finally gives in. This scene is important to
the plot, because if Mercutio never convinced him to go the plot would be
completely different.
(IV.III.116-119)
[Romeo]
"Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide.
Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on
The dashing rocks thy seasick, weary bark.
Here's to my love!"
This excerpt is what Romeo says right before he drinks the poison to take his
life. If Romeo was more rash about the situation lives, including his, would be
saved. That was never their destiny. Romeo has been effectively emotional though
out the book. Living and dying their destiny.
(Prologue.5)
[Chorus]
"A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life,"