Introduction to Romeo

Romeo Montague is the…

eponymous character of the play (a character in a book or play whose name is the same as the title)

He is initially portrayed as an…

‘archetypal Petrarchan lover’ - refers to a character who embodies the qualities often portrayed in the poetry of Petrarch, especially in his sonnets. This lover is typically someone who experiences intense, often unrequited love. Key traits of an archetypal Petrarchan lover; unrequited love, idealization of the beloved, exaggerated suffering, devotion and selflessness i.e. Romeo’s unrequited love for rosaline causes him to isolate himself from his family and friend, this is a common trope of Petrarchan poetry

Romeo’s meeting with Juliet ignites a…

major shift in the trajectory of the play and Romeo’s narrative

Coming from opposing houses, R+J are deemed as…

‘star-crossed lovers’ as their love is challenged by arbitrary fate (means that life's events, successes, or misfortunes seem to happen for no specific reason or according to any just pattern)

Romeo’s narrative echoes tropes of…

Aristotelian Tragedy - follows principles outlined by Aristotle in his work Poetics, including, hamartia (fatal flaw), peripeteia (reversal of good fortune), anagnorisis (hero realises their mistake or fate), catharsis (audience feels pity or fear, noble hero (protagonist of high status)

Romeo’s hamartia is the….

inability to think rationally, he makes quick impulsive decisions which ultimately result in his downfall