"Romeo And Juliet" Character Description Essay

"ROMEO AND JULIET" Character Description Essay

In "Romeo and Juliet", by William Shakespeare, Romeo Montague is portrayed as a very romantic character. In Webster's New World dictionary, 'romantic' is defined as: "Preoccupied with love or by the idealizing of love." In the play, Romeo's constant obsession with finding/falling in love is an ongoing topic of concern. From the beginning of Act 1, scene 5, to the end of scene 5, Romeo proves, under many different circumstances, that he's a true romantic.

In the beginning of Act 1, Romeo mourns the fact that his love for Rosaline has been in vain, since she doesn't at all feel the same way about him. "She'll not be hit with Cupid's arrow. She hath Diane's wit, and, in strong proof of chastity well armed... (Act 1, sc.1, Ln.216-8)." In this scene, Romeo explains to Benvolio, his cousin, how Rosaline refuses to take notice of his love for her, and accept it. He continues to be saddened by this until the fourth scene, which proves his preoccupations with trying to find the love in of which Rosaline denies him.

Although Romeo attends the Capulet's feast in scene 5 only because he knows Rosaline will be there, his deep feelings of intense romance and compassion for her are soon shifted to another woman. Romeo experiences what he considers to be 'love at first sight' when he notices Juliet from across the room: "Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear...Did not my heart love till now? (Act 1, sc. 5, Ln.54, 59)." At almost an instance, Romeo forgets about his hopes too see Rosaline, and instead sets his sights on getting to know Juliet. Although at first thought his actions would most likely be considered 'fickle', Romeo's confessions that he may not have loved until seeing her makes it apparent that (at least