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Romeo and juliet romeo character critical analysis
About romeo's character
Romeo and juliet and the importance of conflict
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Clare Kelly
Hour: 6
“The test of a round character is whether it is capable of surprising in a convincing way. If it never surprises, it is flat. If it does not convince, it is a flat pretending to be round.” -E.M. Forster
Benvolio initially appears to be a minor character in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. As Romeo’s trustworthy cousin he is the consistent anchor and voice of reason throughout the play. Benvolio is portrayed as an honest, steadfast friend and peacemaker yet he has his own heartaches, which cause him to not always act sensibly.
Shakespeare cunningly gives the audience an early indication of Benvolio’s personality through his name. Benvolio translated literally means “good-will” or “well wisher” a role he consistently fills, although sometimes unsuccessfully throughout the play, striving to keep himself and others around him out of any conflict. In the very first scene of the play, Benvolio quickly establishes himself as the peacemaker as he tries to stop the fight between the Montague and Capulet servants by saying, “Part fools! Put up your swords, you know not what you do.”(I.i.64-65) Wanting peace he warns them to stop arguing before things evolve into a grave situation. In that statement, Shakespeare references the Gospel of Luke “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), using his skillful use of the written language to allude that Benvolio was taking on a Christ like peacemaker role in the play. Benvolio’s moral convictions do not change over the course of the play. His stance on peace is evident in all three scenes. In Act III, as Mercutio and Tybalt begin to fight, Benvolio once again attempts to be the voice of reason, “We talk here in the public haunt of mean: eithe...
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...he is out for a pre-dawn stroll. “A troubled mind drove me to walk abroad.”(I.i.114) Then later on in Act I there is evidence that Benvolio doesn’t always act sensibly as he convinces Romeo to sneak in un-invited to the enemies masquerade ball, which could end in grave consequences. In Act II Benvolio and Mercutio join together to make fun of the Nurse at her expense, “hide her face, for her fans the fairer face.” (II.iv.98-99)
In conclusion, although in the beginning Benvolio only appeared as a minor character, over the course of the play Shakespeare devolved Benvolio into a well rounded, three-dimensional character by making him not only a sensible peacemaker, and a honest trustworthy friend but also creating him to have a troubled mind like any other normal human. It is ironic that Benvolio, a minor character, is the only one that was left to pick up the pieces.
Did you know that Romeo and Juliet was one of the biggest love story of all time. Romeo and Juliet is a story of two star-crossed lovers from two families the Capulets and the Montagues. The Capulets and the Montague had a big fight that made the families very angry at each other. Romeo and Juliet decide to get married. The two couple marry and run away. In the process both of them will die. When it comes to Romeo and Juliet who are the top three people that caused the two to die. The two people that are chosen are Friar Lawrence and Lady Capulet. Friar was chosen because he is the one that married Romeo and Juliet. Lady Capulet was chosen because she is forcing Juliet to marry Paris which is making Juliet want Romeo even more. The third thing
In Romeo and Juliet it stays true that the noble character Benvolio knows the diversity between what to do and what not to do. Benvolio is the character to help others out of situations that can be heated,and offering guidance when needed.Although in Act 3,of the play during the fight between the Capulet and Montague it drove how Benvolio was a deceiver to his friends. Benvolio's character reflects on many people today,showing that there is good and bad in the world;and as people we need to learn how to help each other when situations go
Benvolio, in contrast to Tybalt, is a more peaceful person who can manage his angers and hate. He, I believe, is meant to be seen as some sort of mediator: “I pray the, 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.” (Shakespeare, page 116).
In Act 1 Scene 1 lines 228-229 Benvolio tells Romeo “By giving liberty unto thine eyes.Examine other beauties.” This is Benvolio tells Romeo that he isn’t in a commitment any more so he can look at other women. I personally think he should have left Romeo alone and let him work through his emotions for a little longer, because it takes more than a day to get over someone. Then, at the Capulet party, Romeo experiences love at first sight when he sees Juliet, the enemy.Benvolio had encouraged Romeo to go to the party at the Capulets houses, through challenging his saying that Romeo could find someone better than Rosaline at the party. Since it was a Capulet house, Romeo was not supposed to be there. If Romeo had not gone to the party, he would have never met
Benvolio's Diary Dear Diary, Today has been a grave day. My dear friend Mercutio has been stabbed by my greatest foe Tybalt. However he too is dead. I should have stopped this tragedy even before it had started. This is entirely my fault!
... relating to a knife. His quick wit is very useful when insulting Tybalt and Benvolio ‘And but one word with one of us? Couple it something, make it a word and a blow.’ ‘thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more or a hair less in his beard than thou hast’ Benvolio whose name means peacekeeper knows it’s best not to argue with Mercutio.
In act one scene two it says, "Benvolio urges Romeo to go to the party to see how Rosaline compares with other women." In scene five it says, "Romeo suddenly sees Juliet and falls in love at first sight." Romeo sees Juliet and immediately forgets about Rosaline. Romeo changed from loving Rosaline that broke his heart to Juliet that will eventually love him later in the story.
"Help me into some house, Benvolio, Or I shall Faint." (Act 3, scene 1, line
Through the flaws in the characterization of his characters, Shakespeare allows their weakness to manipulate and cloud their judgment. This fundamentally leads to the outcome of Romeo and Juliet, with each weakness presenting a conflict that alters the character's fate. Being especially true to the star-crossed lovers, William Shakespeare leads their perfect love into tragedy with these conflicts. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet, Friar Lawrence, and Tybalt all contribute to conflicts that enhance the plot. From destructive flaws in their characterizations, Juliet, Friar Lawrence, and Tybalt are all consequently controlled by their weakness, therefore affecting the outcome of the play.
Your lady’s love against some other maid/ That I will show you shining at this feast, /And she shall scant show well that now seems best” (I.ii.103-106). Benvolio's definition of love shows the audience two things about Benvolio: he is a womanizer and he has never before experienced true love.
A letter, never meant to even graze the hand of a Montague, was indeed read by a Montague. As fate would have it, a servant gets tangled up on the addresses of the letters to be delivered, notifying recipients of Capulets’ masquerade party, and stops the first pedestrian that walks by, hoping that he would direct them to the correct address. Undoubtedly, the first pedestrian he ran across was Romeo, his kinsman Benvolio in tow. When Benvolio learns word of the party, he is eager to go, while Romeo is reluctant. With a little nagging, Benvolio and Mercutio convince Romeo to go. It takes one glance, one intense, meaningful glance, and Romeo is in like with Juliet Capulet, his loathed enemy. With one kiss, they are both in love with each other, without knowing, tragically seal both of their lives into a tomb of confinement, filled only with their love for each other.
After the fuss, Romeo approaches and tells Benvolio, his cousin, that he is in love with Rosaline but she does not share the same love. Benvolio tells Romeo to forget about Rosaline and to focus on other women but Romeo assures him that there is no other beauty out there for him.
“To be or not to be, that is the question.” It is a well-known quote from Hamlet who was created by Shakespeare. William Shakespeare is known as a great poet, playwright, and actor. He had written about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and many other writings (Bevington, 1). He was not only a playwright, but also he was the father of 1,380 characters (Bevington, 2), including Hamlet, Romeo, Juliet, Claudio, Prospero and Henry V. Shakespeare successfully created different characters and each of them had their unique personalities. Most of the well-known characters were not only alive in the plays, but also their characteristics could be found in the reality.
During Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is under the influence of Mercutio with his joking air, Benvilo with his peaceful manner, and Juliet with her loving attitude. Mercutio often raises his spirits and give Romeo more confidence in himself. Benvolio helps to keep Romeo calm and reasonable throughout each of his ordeals. Finally, Juliet provides him with hope through her undying love for him. Romeo is often swayed by many characters, but he is swayed by those whom he keeps closest to him and he loves the most.
The social norms of men at the time were very rigid, men were expected to work, conform and many of the men fought in the war which ended in 1945 therefore making them quite stoic. In our recontextualisation Benvolio and Mercutio both fit into the societal norms of masculinity in Britain at the time, although Benvolio is represented as a more sympathetic and gentle man, he still has his sense of pride whereas Mercutio is portrayed as a man that has an overwhelming sense of pride and less sympathy.