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Romeo And Juliet Tragic Hero Essay

580 Words3 Pages

In every tragedy, there is a character that personifies the qualities of the tragic hero. A tragic hero is a character who possesses virtuous characteristics that experiences a downfall due to the fatal mistake that they make. This demonstrates that individuals with positive intentions can still face complications as a consequence of their own actions. There are many tragedies, but one prominent tragedy in literature that contains a tragic hero is Romeo and Juliet. In Shakespeare’s well known tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is the one who bears the embodiment of the tragic hero. Romeo is the tragic hero due to his tragic flaw, reversal of fortune, and recognition of mistake. Romeo is undoubtedly the tragic hero in Romeo and Juliet because …show more content…

For example, Friar Lawrence said, “Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes,” which displays that Romeo’s love is formed in an impetuous manner (Shakespeare 2.3.67/68). Romeo’s passionate commitment to finding love blinds his perception of the possible dangers that could occur and eventually lead to his ruin. Despite his sincere intentions and intense love for Juliet, Romeo’s impulsive actions ultimately lead to inevitable consequences and tragic fates. Romeo’s reversal of fortune further proves that he is the tragic hero in Romeo and Juliet. The tragic hero’s reversal of fortune occurs when their life goes well, but then drastically changes for the worse. For instance, Romeo said, “Oh, I am fortune’s fool!” which presents the point where Romeo’s positive journey took a harsh nosedive. Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, was slain by Romeo in a fight between the two. This tragic feud not only disrupted the peace between the opposing families, but also imposed a heavy toll on Romeo himself. One of Romeo’s greatest wishes came true, finding true love. Despite being granted his deepest desire - “true” love with Juliet - the consequences of his impulsive actions came back and caused his reversal of

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