Romeo

• Starts the play in love with Rosaline (unreciprocated) -> childish and unrealistic
• Theme of love

  Rosaline -> his language is dark and gloomy

  but when talking about Juliet -> his language is very happy and uses images of brightness
• Theme of Conflict.

  He is prepared to fight till the death to avenge Mercutio but never fights without a reason. He juxtaposes Tybalt who is always looking for a fight and always seems aggressive. When Romeo is fighting he seems wild and unstoppable.
• Theme of Fate

  He worries a lot that fate is against him and often refers to the stars and thinks he is "fortunes fool". -> This darkens the atmosphere of the play because he wont accept responsibility for is actions.
• hamartia ( fatal flaw )

  impulsivity
• "O Brawling love, O Brawling hate" - Act 1 Scene 1

  -> Oxymoron to describe his inner conflict and the strength of his feelings.

  -> Foreshadowing he falls in love with a Capulet (hate)
• "I defy you stars"

  -> Direct address personifies fate - the person who decides his future. Romeo as an impulsive and fickle boy as he begins his fateful journey, and here again as he ignores a premonition and leaves his future in the hands of fate which leads to his death.
• "Juliet is the sun"

  -> Metaphor symbolises that Romeo cannot live without Juliet even though he only just met her. This projects his impulsiveness to the audience and shows his lust.
• "sad hour seem long"

  a sense of sadness in his tone which is juxtaposed with his reaction to Juliet later in the play making us question whether Romeo knows the true meaning of love.
• "what light through yonder window break"..."as a winged messenger from heaven"

  biblical reference comparing Juliet to an angel -> connotations of peace and purity.
• "It is my lady, O, it is my love"

  possessive pronoun 'my' suggests Romeo is claiming her indicating towards the patriarchal society at the time. Creates a sense of ownership and power over her. The repetition f my emphasises this further.
• "O if I were a glove upon that hands might touch that cheek"

  Romeo metaphorically wants to be within a closer proximity to Juliet which emphasises his lust and sexual desires to be close to her. -> hamartia