Romeo And Juliet: Romeo – A Tragic Hero Essay, Research Paper

Romeo and Juliet: Romeo – A Tragic Hero

Shakespeare is a well known author who wrote in the 1500’s. Many of his

plays are classified as tragedies. According to the Oxford dictionary of

current English, a tragedy is described as a serious disaster or a sad event.

In Shakespeare plays, tragedy is identified as a story that ends unhappily due

to the fall of the protagonist, which is the tragic hero. For a play to be a

tragedy, there must be a tragic hero. In the play Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is

the tragic hero. The theme of tragedy plays a great role in the play Romeo and

Juliet. By analyzing Romeo’s tragic flaw, his noble birth, his series of poor

decisions, the suffering of Romeo that extends beyond himself, it is evident

that Romeo and Juliet is classified as a tragedy.

A person must posses certain qualities that classify one as a tragic

hero. One of these qualities is the noble birth of a character. In the play

Romeo and Juliet Romeo being the tragic hero, possesses that quality. Romeo is

a Montague, and in the city of Verona the Montagues are a well known and

respected family. It is a known fact that the Montagues are of noble birth when

it is said by Benvolio in Act 1, Scene 1, Line 141: “My noble uncle.” Benvolio

is referring to Lord Montague, who is the father of Romeo. The Montagues are

also a rich family, and that is one of the reasons for the respect for Romeo.

“Verona brags of him… a bears him like a partly gentleman.” This was said by

Lord Capulet in Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 65-66. This quote illustrates that even

Romeo’s enemies know well of him and know that he is respected and talked about

by the citizens of Verona. Usually when a character is introduced as being

noble, the audience is aware that in the end of the play, the character will

have a tragic fall.

Another necessary quality possessed by a tragic hero is the hero’s

tragic flaw, which in Romeo’s case is falling in love too quickly and deeply. ”

To seek a tragic flaw in either Romeo or Juliet is a foolish and futile.” -

comments Harold Goddard, a critic from the book: ” Modern critical views,

William Shakespeare the Tragedies.” Goddard supports the idea that having a

tragic flaw is a part of being a tragic hero. Another critic states that ” if

Romeo’s character does have a tragic flaw, it is youthful impetuosity; an older

or more deliberate man might somehow have managed to avoid the quarrel and would

not rush to kill himself as soon as he believed that Juliet was dead.” ( Phillis

Rackin, author of ” Shakespeare Tragedies.”)In the play Romeo and Juliet romeo’s

tragic fall being he falls in love too quickly and too deeply, brings him to an

awful end. In the beginning of the play one is introduced to Romeo being deeply

and hopelessly in love with Rosaline. However Rosaline does not feel the same

way about Romeo. This is when Romeo is unhappy and says to Benvolio: “Not

having that which makes having short.” ( Act 1, Scene 1, Line 162). This very

well illustrates how deeply Romeo was in love with Rosaline. In the next scene

the audience realize that Romeo ha fallen for another, which is Juliet. “For I

ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” -Said by Romeo in Act 1, Scene 5, Line

52.The audience can quickly identify Romeo’s flaw of falling in love too quickly

and deeply when he forgets about his feelings for Rosaline and concentrates on

Juliet. Juliet too realizes that Romeo’s love for her was too fast when she

said : “It is too rash, too undvis’d, too sudden.”( Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 117-

118). Having a tragic flaw could be foreshadowing of the fall of the tragic

hero.

Rome being the play’s tragic hero makes a series of poor decisions. The

first decision of many was going to the Capulet’s party. ” Direct my sail! Oh

lusty gentlemen.” Says Romeo in Act 1, Scene 4, Line 113. If Romeo did not go

to the party he would not have met Juliet. It was unnecessary for Romeo to try

to stop the fight between Tybalt and Mercutio. If Romeo did not try to stop the

fight, Mercutio would not have been killed, and the fight between Romeo and

Tybalt would not have existed. Romeo says in Act 3, Scene 1, Line 94 : ”

Courage, man; the hurt can not be much.”, when he tries to stop the fight

between Tybalt and Mercutio. Romeo makes the wrong choice when he decides to

fight Tybalt for the death of Mercutio. “Either thou, or I, or both, must go

with him.”( Act 3, Scene 1, Line 1290. This quote refers to Romeo’s challenge

for Tybalt. If Romeo did not fight Tybalt he would not have been banished from

Verona. Another one of Romeo’s poor decisions was the decision to commit

suicide, which was also his last decision. “O true apothecary, thy drugs are

quick, thus with a kiss I die.” Said Romeo in Act 5, Scene 3, Line 120, right

before he died. If only Romeo decided not to drink the poison he would have

been alive to see Juliet wake. All these decisions caused Romeo, the tragic

hero, to end his life tragically.

The suffering of the tragic hero also extends beyond himself. Due to

the actions of Romeo, Mercutio and Tybalt died. “When he tries to make peace

between them and Mercutio is fatally wounded, Romeo remarks pathetically ‘I

thought out for the best.’ “- Comments Phillis Rackin author of Shakespeare

Tragedies. “Mercutio’s soul is but a little way above our heads”, remarks Romeo

after Mercutio’s death, caused by Romeo. Tybalt’s death also results from

Romeo’s poor actions. After Romeo’s death Lady Montague dies of a heart attack.

Lord Montague says to the Prince in Act 5, Scene 3, Line 209: “Alas my leige, my

wife is dead tonight.” Because of Romeo, Juliet decides upon her own death.

She argues with her father, drinks the potion, and later stabs herself, all for

the love for Romeo. Verona’s peace is disturbed by all the commotion of the

fights between the Capulets and the Montagues, caused mainly by Romeo. There is

still no peace in the streets of Verona. The families of both Romeo and Juliet

suffer over the loss of their children, and everyone is unhappy. Since Romeo

brought suffering upon people rather than himself, he is truly the tragic hero

and makes the play Romeo and Juliet a tragedy.

It is obvious that in the play Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is the tragic

hero. This is evident when the audience see Romeo’s noble birth, his tragic

flaw, series of poor decisions he made and the fact that through his actions he

brought suffering upon other people. Most plays, stories or novels have a moral.

The moral of Romeo and Juliet is not to rush into things like love, hate and

important decisions. All people should think twice about every decision they

are making. From all the evidence stated in this paragraph along with the

paragraphs above it is said that Romeo and Juliet is classified as a tragedy.

WORKS CONSULTED

Bloom, Nasold. Modern critical views. William shakespeare the Tragedies.1985

Rackin, Phillis. Shakespeare’s Tragedies. 1978

Brodley, A.C. Shakespearian Tragedy. 1986

Oxford school Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet. 1982

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