Romeo And Juliet Identity Essay

Why is someone’s identity important? Perhaps because who someone is can help determine his or her destiny. People with different characteristics, actions, and backgrounds often have different futures. Consider Romeo Montague, for instance. Romeo is one of the protagonists in the well-known tragedy Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. His characteristics and actions both clearly revealed his identity and greatly influenced his life.

A defining characteristic of Romeo is his fickleness. This quality is demonstrated in the first Act, where he rapidly goes from crying over Rosaline to being in love with Juliet. “One fairer than my love? The all seeing sun ne’er saw her match since first the world began.” (Act I, scene ii, lines 92-93). In these lines, he is talking about Rosaline and how no woman could ever be as beautiful as her. However, Romeo quickly switches over to thinking that Juliet is the most beautiful girl in the world. “For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” (Act I, scene v, line 51). Here, Romeo realizes that he was “wrong, and had no idea what “true

This quality is easy to observe during the famous balcony scene in Act 2. Despite Juliet’s pleas for him to leave so that he will not be caught by her relatives and possibly killed, he declares, “My life were better ended by their hate than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.” (Scene ii, lines 77-78). Romeo is willing to die, as long as it means that he has Juliet’s love. This passion is also demonstrated in the very same act when he is talking to the friar about Juliet. “But come what sorrow can, it cannot countervail the exchange of joy that one short minute gives me in her sight,” he tells the friar (Act II, scene vi, lines 3-5). Romeo is saying that no matter what happens afterwards, it will be worth it since he is with Juliet. His passion is a very driving characteristic throughout the play and a large part of who he