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Romeo Montague is the male protagonist featured in William Shakespeare's tragic play Romeo and Juliet. He is one of Shakespeare's most famous characters, and is still today perhaps the single most recognized romantic hero in literary history.
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Name Origins
Arthur Brooke's poem The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet calls Romeo "Romeus" in all but one line. In line 253 his name changes to Romeo in order to rhyme with Mercutio in the next line. It is possible, then, that Shakespeare chose the name Romeo in order to rhyme with Mercutio, who plays a larger part in Shakespeare's play than in Brooke's poem.[1] Romeo's name was taken from a previous literary character, Romeo Montecchi. The Italian name probably comes from Greek Rhomaios, literally "Roman", but actually meaning "from the Eastern Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire". An alternate theory is a possible etymological relationship to the word "romance." Some scholars believe that, as is common with Shakespearean names, Romeo's name was specifically chosen for its poetic flexibility; it can alternately be pronounced "Rome-ee-oh" (3 syllables) or "Ro-myo" (2 syllables), depending on the required meter of the line.
Distinguishing Characteristics / Character Analysis
Romeo is an exceedingly complex character with an enormous range of emotions. As a result, Romeo provides an immense challenge for any actor attempting to portray him. Romeo is born into the Italian nobility - specifically, the eminent Montague clan. He has a personal servant, Balthasar, and is notably skilled with a sword, indicating prior training in fighting technique, likely as a result of his family's dominant socio-economic status. Physically, he is described both by Juliet and the Nurse as being exceedingly handsome. At the beginning of the play, we see Romeo as an unhappy individual. He is apt to spend much time alone, wallowing in his own sadness. However, though he is portrayed as a depressed individual, we know otherwise when his friends, Mercutio and Benvolio all say that he has changed and is not the boy he used to be before his infatuation with Rosaline. Like many young men his age, his primary concern is love, and Romeo reacts very poorly to rejection from a potential lover, as exemplified by his unrequited love for the fair Rosaline. Romeo is not antisocial in nature, however - he has close relationships with both his cousin, Benvolio, and Mercutio, a kinsman to the Prince. When confronted by Benvolio, Romeo acknowledges his pathetic behavior:
"I have lost myself, I am not here. / This is not Romeo, he's some other where." (I.1.205)
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"But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? |
| — Romeo's famous lines in the play Romeo and Juliet
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Gareth Ellis as Romeo 2007 However, when Romeo is capable of picking up his spirits, he is a remarkably endearing individual. After meeting Juliet at Capulet's ball, he changes dramatically back to the character his parents, Benvolio and Mercutio have known:
"Now art thou sociable. Now art thou Romeo, now art thou what thou art, by art as well as by nature." - Mercutio (II.4.87).
His witty, back-and-forth dialogue with Mercutio indicates a potent sense of humor, a feeling of playfulness, and a significant, innate intelligence. His monologues to Juliet also demonstrate an extraordinary proficiency with language, particularly with his poetic expressions of passionate love, which have been rivaled by few in all of history. Romeo is also fiercly loyal to those who are close to him - as it turns out, loyal to a fault. Despite the fact that he ultimately slays three people (including himself), Romeo appears to have a disdain for killing. He feels alienated by the feud between his family and the Capulets:
"Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate, / O anything of nothing first create!...This love feel I, that feel no love in this." (I.1.181)
This becomes more pronounced when his family's hate denies him access to loving Juliet. In a world engulfed by hate, Romeo, like Juliet, values love above all else, and is willing to both risk and sacrifice his life for love. Romeo is the archetypical Petrarchan lover, idealizing his women as pure, chaste, and beautiful past compare. Romeo is a character whose emotions are played out to their fullest extremes, and this is true for his more negative qualities as well. Romeo, like all Shakespearean heroes, is a flawed character. He is highly impulsive, and is incapable of controlling his emotions in seemingly any circumstance. Instantaneous onslaughts of passionate emotion can temporarily blind him from reason and drive him to perform acts of cathartic insanity, such as his murders of Tybalt and Count Paris, as well as his own suicide. It should also be noted that Romeo's lack of sleep over this several-day period is a likely contributor to his poor reasoning.[original research?]
Role in the Play
Performers
A number of famous actors have portrayed the role of Romeo. A small sampling follows.
- Stage
- Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud alternated the roles of Romeo and Mercutio in a 1935 stage version.
- Sir Ian McKellen portrayed Romeo in 1976 with The Royal Shakespeare Company.
- David Tennant Romeo in 2000 with the The Royal Shakespeare Company.
- Film
- Godfrey Tearle portrayed Romeo in a 1908 British black-and-white film, alongside his wife, Mary Malone, who played Juliet.
- Paul Panzer portrayed Romeo in J. Stuart Blackton's 1908 silent film short, Romeo and Juliet, alongside Florence Lawrence as Juliet.
- Leslie Howard portrayed Romeo in George Cukor's film, Romeo and Juliet in 1936, alongside Norma Shearer as Juliet.
- Laurence Harvey portrayed Romeo in Renato Castellani’s 1954 film, Romeo and Juliet, alongside Susan Shentall as Juliet.
- Leonard Whiting portrayed Romeo in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film, Romeo and Juliet, alongside Olivia Hussey as Juliet.
- Alex Hyde-White portrayed Romeo in William Woodman's 1983 film, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, alongside Blanche Baker as Juliet.
- Leonardo DiCaprio portrayed Romeo in Baz Luhrmann's modernized 1996 version, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, alongside Claire Danes as Juliet.
- Television
- Takahiro Mizushima voices Romeo in the fantasized, loosely adapted animated series Romeo x Juliet by the Japanese animation studio GONZO, with Fumie Mizusawa voicing Juliet.
References
- ^ Porter, Joseph A. "Mercutio's Brother." South Atlantic Review. (Nov 1984) 49.4 pgs. 31-41
- ^ Act 2 Scene 2
