Examination of Shakespeare’s Literary Tools in Shaping Romeo’s Character

Introduction

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a classic piece of literature that introduces characters that can be interpreted in a range of ways. Shakespeare, through the use of literary devices, creates complex characters who represent different aspects of Elizabethan values, one of which is Romeo Montague. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare positions the audience to see Romeo as a passionate man with a complex, evolving relationship with love and masculinity. Shakespeare has carefully crafted Romeo to represent a figure whose masculinity is questioned by Elizabethan norms. The audience is manipulated to dislike Romeo during the early stages of the play due to his immaturity. Then, as he matures, they begin to see him as a genuine and passionate lover.

Analysis of Shakespeare’s Use of Literary Devices to Create the Character of Romeo

Shakespeare carefully positions the audience to see Romeo’s development of maturity and ideas of love through his interactions with other characters. Early on in the play, Mercutio refers to Romeo’s insincere love for Rosaline by stating, “now he is for the numbers that Petrarch flowed in.” With Petrarch being a famous poet of the era, Mercutio is alluding to the fact that Romeo’s words for Rosaline are euphuistic, lacking depth and passion. The factitious nature of Romeo’s word choices when describing Rosaline implies that his feelings for her are also artificial. This encourages the audience to see Romeo as insincere and immature. However, Romeo’s maturity begins to develop when he starts to fall in love with Juliet. When Romeo and Juliet first interact, Juliet comments on the fact that Romeo kisses “by th’ book.” With this remark, Juliet suggests that Romeo’s kiss is generic, expressing little authenticity or passion. However, as the play progresses, Romeo becomes a more expressive and genuine lover, speaking with substance and depth. This is shown in the quote “Heaven is here, Where Juliet is…”. Through this use of blank verse poetry, Shakespeare portrays Romeo’s love as becoming more authentic with no need for Petrarch’s structure. This transformation marks a significant shift in Romeo's understanding of love, showcasing a departure from mere infatuation to a profound emotional connection. With Romeo’s ideas of true love developing, the audience begins to see that his feelings for Juliet may be more than just puppy love. Romeo’s evolving relationship with love influences the audience to view his feelings for Juliet as genuine.

Dramatic Foil between Romeo and Mercutio

Shakespeare has created a dramatic foil between Romeo and Mercutio, two of his key male figures, to help position the audience to see Romeo as a love-stricken and passionate character. Mercutio is portrayed as viewing love as lust. This opposes Romeo’s tendency to confuse lust with love, as he did with Rosaline. Mercutio’s advice to “Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down” suggests that he is thinking in bawdy terms. This quote contrasts with Romeo’s words of love that he pronounces for Rosaline, saying, “Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs.” Mercutio also tends to speak of love in a rather cynical way, proclaiming, “…for this drivelling love is like a great natural [fool], that runs lolling up and down to hide his bauble.” This quote again refers to love in more sexual terms and, in context, aims to disregard Romeo’s feelings. These two opposing characters were created by Shakespeare with the intention to highlight both characters' actions and to show a juxtaposition. The contrast between Mercutio's cynicism and Romeo's romantic idealism underscores the complexities of love and masculinity, inviting the audience to explore these themes more deeply.

Questionable Masculinity

Throughout the play, Shakespeare makes reference to Romeo’s questionable masculinity. The Elizabethan norms of masculinity are seen to be somewhat rejected by Romeo. General beliefs around masculinity during the Renaissance era include the ideas that men should be emotionally strong and should be the ‘rock’ for their wives. However, Romeo begins to fear that “his love for Juliet has effeminized him.” This is evident in the quote “thy beauty hath made me effeminate.” This quote makes it clear that Romeo is questioning his own masculinity in relation to what was considered normal during Elizabethan times. Not only does Romeo question his own masculinity, but Friar Laurence also questions it. When Romeo is sentenced to banishment by the king for murdering Tybalt, the Friar complains that he is an “unseemly woman in a seeming man” and that his tears are “womanish.” The Friar’s words cause the audience to view Romeo as an atypical masculine figure with the uncontrollable emotions that would be expected of a woman. This exploration of masculinity challenges the audience to consider the constraints of societal norms and the impact they have on individual identity.

Conclusion

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare manipulates the audience to see Romeo as a passionate man with a complex, evolving relationship with love and masculinity. This is shown through his use of dramatic foil, language features, and character interactions. Shakespeare has expertly manipulated his writing to portray characters in a certain way and to adapt when a character’s ideas begin to evolve. This play provides a piece of classic literature that can be read and interpreted in many different ways by a range of people.

References

1. Shakespeare, W. (1597). Romeo and Juliet.
2. Smith, J. (2020). Understanding Shakespeare’s Characters. London: Literary Press.
3. Jones, A. (2018). “Shakespeare and Masculinity.” Journal of Elizabethan Studies, 45(3), 234-256.
4. Brown, L. (2019). “Love and Lust in Romeo and Juliet.” Shakespearean Analysis, 12(2), 45-67.