Romeo's Tribute To Juliet example essay topic

Romeo: Throughout the play, Romeo changes a lot. At the beginning, he has a crush on Rosaline and mistakes it for love. When speaking about Rosaline, he uses many paradoxes (contradictions), such as heavy lightness, bright smoke, cold fire, and sick health. Also, brawling love and loving hate.

He seems to be confused about what he's feeling but still believes its love. When he meets Juliet, his speaking becomes less complicated. For example, "It is my lady, O, it is my love. O that she knew she were". When he sees her on the balcony, he sees Juliet as the sun, and claims that the moon is envious of Juliet. The moon is the traditional symbol for a woman's beauty and purity.

When compared to Romeo's earlier speech about Rosaline, Romeo's tribute to Juliet takes on even more significance. When he speaks about Rosaline, he says she has vowed to live chaste, and Romeo believes that in that chaste, her beauty is lost to "all posterity" (1.1. 217). When he describes Juliet as the sun, he suggests something much more powerful: 'the eternal source of light and life-giving force of the heavens'. Juliet's warmth and beauty will live forever and don't depend on Romeo's perceptions to be real. She exists without Romeo, and when Romeo thinks of Juliet, he dwells on her and not on what she will do for him.

When he kills Ty balt, he doesn't care about the fact that he has killed a man, he cares that he has been banished. His utmost concern is for himself, and what he " ll miss when he leaves Verona. However, when he kills Paris near the end of the play, he did not do it for revenge, but simply because Paris was barring him from entering the tomb. Romeo felt bad about that, and so did what Paris asked and lay him with Juliet. By that time, he considers himself a man, and had called Paris a youth twice, and he referred to him as 'boy' just before killing him. During the play, Romeo experiences many emotions.

He stops putting himself first, is able to find the courage to carry out difficult actions, and proves himself to be true to his commitments. He was finally able to take control of his life, instead of always doing what he was told, and going along with whatever his friends were doing. Juliet: Throughout the play, Juliet becomes more independent, mature and knowing of her family and nurse. At the beginning, she was na " ive and ignorant.

She believed her parents wanted what was best for her, but really they have little concern for her. Juliet realises that the only person she can trust is Romeo, but in the end he ends up killing himself anyway. She is left alone, and makes her boldest decision yet - to end her life, which is meaningless without Romeo. The first time Juliet shows her independent thinking is when she answers her mother in regard to the engagement to Paris. She responds, It is an honour that I dream not of We don't know if she is saying no, or if she has actually agreed to it, and that was not a typical Elizabethan comment.

She says nothing else on the topic except for: I'll look to like, if looking liking move, But no more deep will I end art mine eyes Than your consent gives strength to make it fly This means that she " ll look at Paris, and try to like him, and won't look anywhere they don't want her to. She sounds like a dutiful daughter. She tells her mother she " ll do as she's told, but still doesn't agree to marry Paris. She hasn't actually agreed to anything.

Juliet is also stubborn and committed, and when she decides something, she does it. This is shown when she marries Romeo without her parent's permission, even though she knew the dangers it contained. She also remains loyal to Romeo, even after he has killed her cousin and been banished. Overnight, she has become more mature, an adult, more of a traditional wife, choosing to support her husband regardless of the consequences. She even chides her Nurse, (who has been like a second mother), for suggesting that she marry Paris. So deep is her love and loyalty to Romeo, she even threatens to kill herself.

Again, she is taking things into her own hands. And when she actually does kill herself, when she sees Romeo dead, she takes his dagger and stabs herself through her heart. At the beginning, Juliet was young and perhaps foolish in love. But throughout the play, her maturity grows and in the end - when she kills herself - her love is real and she is, emotionally, an adult.