Romeo and Juliet Essay Answers
Romeo and Juliet
1. In the play Romeo and Juliet, the two characters Romeo and Mercutio, despite being close friends, are quite different when it comes to their personalities and the way they view things. What is a rather large difference between the two is their sharply contrasting views on love. Romeo is a romantic that takes love too seriously, although he has a bit of a habit of switching his feelings towards different girls. His character seems to suffer from a type of manic depression. He easily becomes enraptured in his feelings towards the girl he is currently in love with, and just as easily crushed when either the girl doesn't return his feelings, like what happened with Rosaline, or when he is unable to be with her, like the case with Juliet. An example that shows his feelings towards love is shown in the following quote:
"Is love a tender thing? It is too rough,
Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn." (Act I, Scene 4, lines 25&26)
Mercutio, however, has a bit of a practical, yet somewhat playful view view of love. He is more level-headed compared to Romeo and his perceptions are clear and quick. Mercutio sees love as a tender thing, and therefore offers Romeo this advice:
"If love be rough with you, be rough with love;
Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down." (Act I, Scene 4, lines 27&28)
Mercutio sees himself as in control, he is an active participant in his own life, as contrasted to Romeo's subjective acceptance of how things are. "If love be rough with you, be rough with love . . ." is a statement of someone who believes that love can be controlled.
2. Some reasons as to why Juliet is reluctant to marry Paris are that she simply doesn't like him and finds him arrogant, and because later on she is secretly married to Romeo. If she went through a wedding ceremony with Paris, the marriage would not be valid, and if she went to bed with Paris, she would be cheating on Romeo, the husband she loves. When the Nurse is talking
1. In the play Romeo and Juliet, the two characters Romeo and Mercutio, despite being close friends, are quite different when it comes to their personalities and the way they view things. What is a rather large difference between the two is their sharply contrasting views on love. Romeo is a romantic that takes love too seriously, although he has a bit of a habit of switching his feelings towards different girls. His character seems to suffer from a type of manic depression. He easily becomes enraptured in his feelings towards the girl he is currently in love with, and just as easily crushed when either the girl doesn't return his feelings, like what happened with Rosaline, or when he is unable to be with her, like the case with Juliet. An example that shows his feelings towards love is shown in the following quote:
"Is love a tender thing? It is too rough,
Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn." (Act I, Scene 4, lines 25&26)
Mercutio, however, has a bit of a practical, yet somewhat playful view view of love. He is more level-headed compared to Romeo and his perceptions are clear and quick. Mercutio sees love as a tender thing, and therefore offers Romeo this advice:
"If love be rough with you, be rough with love;
Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down." (Act I, Scene 4, lines 27&28)
Mercutio sees himself as in control, he is an active participant in his own life, as contrasted to Romeo's subjective acceptance of how things are. "If love be rough with you, be rough with love . . ." is a statement of someone who believes that love can be controlled.
2. Some reasons as to why Juliet is reluctant to marry Paris are that she simply doesn't like him and finds him arrogant, and because later on she is secretly married to Romeo. If she went through a wedding ceremony with Paris, the marriage would not be valid, and if she went to bed with Paris, she would be cheating on Romeo, the husband she loves. When the Nurse is talking