Romeo in Shakespears Romeo and Juliet is misunderstood very often. Many reader’s first impression of Romeo stems from the first few scenes of the play, where not much is truly known about this character, making it easy to misconstrue him as ignorant. However, while Romeo appears to be a shallow and immature young man, his actions prove that he is more intelligent and complex than he seems.
Romeo shows immense loyalty by stepping up to avenge mercutio. Throughout the story, Romeo would set aside his friends for his love interests, skipping out on activities with them in order to be with Juliet or to sulk about rosaline. Because of his focus on his love life, Romeo was increasingly worried about the consequences of fighting to defend himself or his friends, thinking that it would either ruin his family’s reputation or damage the possibility of him and Juliet getting married. This can be seen in the moments preceding Mercutio’s death, when Romeo tries to break up
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In 5.1.73-78, Romeo states the following while convincing the apothecary to give him illegal poison: “Famine is in thy cheeks, / Need and oppression starveth in thy eyes, / Contempt and beggary hangs upon thy back. / The world affords no law to make thee rich. / Then be not poor, but break it, and take this.” Romeo uses the apothecary’s position of poverty to persuade him, making the remark that the world oppresses poor people and that the law does not stand to help them, and as a result, the apothecary should not stand to uphold the law and should instead take the money to provide for himself. Romeo, despite being in pain and grief, remains outwardly calm and attentive. This is a trait attributed to those who have faced many hardships in life and adds a new perspective to how the audience perceives