Romeo

Question 1

Act 1 scene 1 presents him as inconsolably in love though it is unrequited

Answer 1

Revealing to the audience one of Romeo’s FATAL FLAWS- He cannot escape falling so deeply in love. His infatuation for Rosaline makes him inconsolabe and his love for Juliet leads to his death.

Question 2

“love-devouring death do what he dare”

Answer 2

Romeo dares death- HIGHLIGHT of his TRAGIC FLAW which is his impetuous nature.
This creates DRAMATIC IRONY as the audience can see the folly in his words though he cannot

Question 3

Portrayed in the beginning of the play as…

Answer 3

… an archetypal Petrarchan lover.

Question 4

Fatal flaws-

Answer 4

Inability to make decisions rationally
Cannot escape falling so deeply in love

Question 5

Romeo as DISSIDENT OF SOCIETY?

Answer 5

Romeo’s love for Juliet drives him at odds with both societal customs and the law itself. He ends up EXILED and seen as weak and NOT MASCULINE by his friends

Question 6

Shakespeare COULD have designed Romeo as a character to…

Answer 6

… engage with Elizabethan IDIOSYNCRASIES (uncommon or unusual behaviours) and so: CONFRONT the belief that these behaviours were irregular and encourage more societal acceptance
OR use Romeo as a DIDACTIC tool to teach on the dangers of strict societal expectations of Elizabethan England