Romeo & Juliet: Characters (Edexcel IGCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Characters
It is useful to consider each character as representing a function in the play. Understanding Shakespeare’s purpose for each character will help produce a sophisticated analysis. Interpreting the play’s ideas by considering how each character may represent an idea, and how characters oppose each other or react to each other, is crucial.
Below you will find character profiles of:
Romeo
Juliet
Tybalt
Benvolio
Mercutio
Friar Laurence
The Nurse
Romeo Montague
The eponymous protagonist, an heir to the Montagues, is the tragic hero. This means:
He displays heroic characteristics
He has a fatal character flaw (hamartia): his impulsiveness
Despite his hamartia, the audience does feel sympathy for him
He is doomed to die at the end of the play
At the beginning of the play, Romeo is presented as:
Introverted: he is alone and uninterested in the family battles
Brooding: Romeo considers the links between love and hate
Sensitive: Romeo ponders the complex feelings unrequited love brings
Obsessive: Shakespeare shows his obsession with a superficial courtly love
For Romeo, there is tension between the heroic and tragic aspects of his character. He lurches from love to obsessive love and from one reckless action to another
In the rising action of the play, Romeo’s fatal flaw is exposed at the Capulet ball
Romeo is fateful and impulsive, telling fate to, “Direct my sails”
He is shown to be reckless about danger: “Stony limits cannot hold love out”
Romeo is admonished for being impulsive and obsessive: swearing his undying love to Juliet so “rash, so sudden”
Despite his hamartia, the audience feels sympathy for him:
He shares a romantic, religious sonnet with Juliet, suggesting purity in their love
He prefers peace to violence, endearing him to a war-weary Elizabethan audience
He is presented as autonomous in his relationships with friends and family
By the climax, Romeo acknowledges his fatalistic {Error #829843: Missing popover
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His impulsive actions, murdering Tybalt in revenge, lead to his downfall
At the end of the play, Romeo takes his fate into his own hands and defies the stars
Romeo is shown as desperate, implying his isolation due to his impulsive actions
Romeo is presented as obsessed with love, even in death: “Thus with a kiss, I die”
His fatal flaw results in Juliet’s death as well as his own
Juliet Capulet
The eponymous character, daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet could be seen as a second tragic hero
One of Juliet’s fatal character flaws (hamartia) is her defiance of family duty
Her tragic death, however, is presented as an act of desperation and powerlessness, challenging audience perceptions of gender roles and traditions
Juliet is presented as autonomous , willing to defy her family duties
She tells her mother marriage is an honour she “dreams not of”
She tells Romeo she will no longer be a Capulet if he swears his love for her
Juliet is presented as sensible and cautious about the dangers of the feud
Juliet advises Romeo to be more constant and less rash
She warns him of the dangers associated with their love
She understands her love for Romeo is a love “sprung from hate”
By the climax of the play, Juliet is presented as desperate and powerless due to societal norms
Her nurse forsakes her and she is isolated from her family, showing the impact of family conflict
Juliet’s anguish and will to avoid marriage to Paris is made clear: “if all else fail, myself have power to die”, suggesting her need for autonomy
She welcomes her fated, tragic suicide (“Happy dagger”) as her best choice
Shakespeare presents her as a character who subverts the typical attributes of women of that time:
She is not dutiful: she does not do what her father tells her and is not loyal to her family
She is not submissive: she asks Romeo to be sure of his promises
She is strong: she refuses to resist the mounting pressures
She is autonomous: she chooses her own fate
Tybalt Capulet
Tybalt acts as a contrast to the character of Romeo. In literature, this is known as being a foil:
A foil (Tybalt) is used to contrast with the characteristics of a protagonist (Romeo)
A foil, therefore, highlights character traits that are very particular to the protagonist, that an author wants to explore
Tybalt is shown as having typical masculine traits
His attitudes contrast Romeo’s
He is a passionate fighter for his family's honour, unlike Romeo
In the first scene, he is eager to kill Benvolio and all Montagues, while Romeo is absent
Unlike Romeo, Tybalt is often the instigator of battles, seeking it out repeatedly
Unlike Romeo, he is not interested in love, preferring the company of males
Tybalt represents societal norms, challenging audience perceptions of masculinity
Tybalt’s hatred of Romeo is presented as meaningless, and based on a desire for aggression
He does not understand Romeo’s submissive nature
He tells audiences Romeo creates the “bitterest gall” in him
His desire for revenge is shown as obsessive and violent
His death is a catalyst for Romeo’s downfall and Mercutio’s curse
Shakespeare punishes his hatred when Romeo murders him in revenge
Shakespeare shows through Tybalt the violence and hatred inherent in the family feud
Shakespeare uses his character, Tybalt, to address the conflicts in the Elizabethan religious war
Benvolio Montague
In the play, Benvolio acts as Romeo’s confidante and ally, representing male friendship and support
He is Romeo’s friend and cousin
Lord Montague relies on him to console Romeo
He represents, through his name, goodness and benevolence
He advises Romeo away from his unrequited love
He hurries Romeo into the Capulet ball and away from deep thought
Shakespeare’s function for Benvolio is to act as a contrast to the more aggressive male characters
He highlights contrasts between aggression and peace
In the first scene, he is a peaceful character, the foil to Tybalt: “I do but keep the peace”
Instead of revenge, Benvolio prefers forgiveness: "Father forgive them; for they know not what they do"
Benvolio is presented as a level-headed and sensible young man, questioning the feud
He identifies that the quarrel is “between our masters”, presenting the young males as innocent victims
He warns Mercutio of the “mad blood stirring” before the fight leading to Mercutio’s death
Other characters
Mercutio
Mercutio functions to provide comedic relief against the intense characters of Romeo and Tybalt
Mercutio’s dialogue is dramatic and humorous, mocking seriousness
He lures Tybalt into a witty, playful argument
His name represents mercury or ‘quicksilver’, known for its unpredictability
His actions change from playful to serious very quickly
Mercury is also the name of the Winged Messenger in Greek mythology
Mercutio’s final lines curse the houses of Capulet and Montague
His final curse presents a darker side to his flippant nature
Mercutio’s views on love are cynical, representing attitudes often present in courtly love
He suggests he is heart-broken, telling Romeo that love is not a tender thing
He sarcastically advises Romeo to soar above love
He delivers a soliloquy about a troublesome love fairy, Queen Mab
Mercutio represents the typically likable masculine character traits of Elizabethan England
He is reckless and aggressive, quick to seek out conflict
He believes in fighting for family honour
He believes murder for family or revenge is holy and justified
He believes Romeo’s desire for peace is submissive and dishonourable
He casually picks a fight with Tybalt Capulet despite his friend’s warning and the Prince’s law against public brawls
This scene mirrors the first scene of the play, suggesting the cycle of violence in Elizabethan England
Friar Laurence
Friar Laurence, a father figure to Romeo and aid to Juliet, represents the importance of religion in Elizabethan society
He advises Romeo to “go wisely and slowly” with his love affairs
Friar Laurence helps Juliet be with Romeo, linking true love with religious values
Friar Laurence symbolises peace brought about by religion
He marries the lovers in secret in a bid to turn “rancour into pure love”
The friar’s character promotes an end to fighting and hatred
The friar is presented as opposed to the Great Chain of Being
He allies himself with the children of the two noble families
He opposes the natural hierarchy: parents are placed above children
He opposes the patriarchy by defying Lord Capulet
The friar subverts Elizabethan attitudes about religion and witchcraft
He refers to the good and evil inherent in all things as the natural state
He contrasts virtue with vice, flowers with poison, delights with violence, graves and wombs
He concocts potions and poisons from herbs and plants, traditionally linked to witchcraft
His potion is ultimately the reason for the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare presents ambiguity with the friar’s character
He is often considered to blame for the tragedy, suggesting Shakespeare’s reference to religion as dangerous
The Nurse
The Nurse is considered a comic character in the tragedy
Her unsophisticated behaviour and crass language allows Shakespeare to juxtapose darker themes with comedy:
She discusses the appearance of Juliet’s suitors using pun and innuendo
She is often flustered and dramatic in contrast to the Capulets’ demure manners
As Juliet’s wet-nurse and nanny, she is her closest ally and confidante:
Her character functions to show the isolation Juliet experiences within her family
Her role in the play raises attention to Elizabethan upper-class family dynamics
She is loyal to Juliet and stands up for her:
She becomes complicit in the secret relationship between Romeo and Juliet
She tells Romeo to be respectful of Juliet
She admonishes Lord Capulet when he threatens to hit Juliet
Shakespeare portrays her as powerless in her lower status:
Despite her attempts, she is unable to protect Juliet from greater forces
Once she advises Juliet to marry Paris, Juliet is compelled to seek the friar’s help
It can be argued that the Nurse’s actions are a catalyst for the tragedy:
Because of her limited agency and social standing, she cannot support Juliet when it means defying her upper-class employers
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