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Romeo's Downfall

Decent Essays

Romeo, a charming young man from Verona, falls in love with a sweet girl named Juliet. However, Romeo sabotages his relationship with his own actions, which reflect on his personality. These actions fuel the main plot of the play, and lead to its sad, tragic ending. Romeo is an important character in the play because of his impulsive decisions, his addiction to love, and how he doesn’t change throughout the play.
At the beginning of the play, Romeo is very depressed. Montague and Benvolio are discussing what he’s been doing as a result of feeling so unhappy, “ Away from the light steals home my heavy son And in his private chamber pens himself” (1.1.140-142). Romeo is locking himself in his room from being so depressed due to his love for …show more content…

Romeo is addicted to whomever he is in love with. After first meeting Juliet, Romeo talks about how he must marry her, and that he is lost without her, “Can I go forth when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy center out.” (2.1.1-2) Romeo is so obsessed with her already that he feels like he can’t go on. Later in the play, after he is declared banished from Verona, Romeo decides that he should spend the night with Juliet despite risking death if he is caught. He even jokes about staying with her, and that it doesn’t matter if they kill him, “Let me be ta’en; let me be put to death. I am content, so thou wilt have it so.” (3.5.17-18) Romeo is so addicted to Juliet that he doesn’t even care if he dies at that very moment. Romeo does not change throughout the play. In act 5, Romeo hears of Juliet’s “death”. Thinking it is real, he plans to kill himself beside her, “To Juliet’s grave, for there I must use [poison]” (5.2.91) Romeo hasn’t changed at all, he is still as obsessed with Juliet as he was at the beginning of the play, and impulsively willing to kill himself just because he cannot be with her anymore. In Juliet’s family tomb, Romeo says that Juliet’s “beauty makes this vault a feasting presence full of light.” (5.3.85) The way he describes Juliet shows that she is still alive (as she is). However, Romeo is still set

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