Character+Contrast+or+relationship5


 * [[image:casttybalt.jpg width="167" height="198"]] [[image:castromeo.jpg width="163" height="199"]] [[image:juliets.jpg]]

__CHARACTER CONTRAST__**

Important character contrasts in the play are between:
 * Romeo and Tybalt
 * Romeo and Juliet


 * __ROMEO AND TYBALT:__**

Romeo is a very passionate and naive character in the play. Though impulsive and immature, his idealism and passion make him an extremely likable character. He lives in the middle of a violent feud between his family and the Capulets, but he is not at all interested in violence. His only interest is love. At the beginning of the play he is madly in love with a woman named Rosaline, but the instant he lays eyes on Juliet, he falls in love with her and forgets Rosaline. He secretly marries Juliet, the daughter of his father’s worst enemy and sneaks into the Capulet's garden, risking death simply to catch a glimpse of her. He takes abuse from Tybalt and kills himself rather than live without his beloved. An example which shows Romeo's character is when he refuses to fight Tybalt. Tybalt challenges him to a duel as he feels insulted that Romeo and his friends snuck into the Capultet ball the previous night. Romeo has at this point secretly married Juliet and is now related to Tybalt. Tybalt abuses Romeo and calls him names. Romeo simply replies "be satisfied" and does not respond to his challenge. Romeo is only provoked to action when Tybalt kills his friend Mercutio. In a fit of passion and grief over his friends death Romeo kills Tybalt. As a result he is banished from Verona.

Tybalt acts as a foil character to Romeo. He displays the opposite characteristics which Romeo embodies. Tybalt is a Capulet and Juliet’s cousin. He is vain, fashionable, easily antagognised and becomes aggressive, violent, and quick to draw his sword when he feels his pride has been injured. Once drawn, his sword is something to be feared. He loathes Montagues and does not settle disputes peacefully. He is also known as the "Prince of Cats". Tybalts malicious and spiteful character can be shown in the way he speaks to Benvolio in the opening scene. Benvolio tries to break up a brawl between the Montague and Capulet servants, asking them to be peaceful. Tybalt arrives and rather than help Benvolio replies "Peace. I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montagues and thee". Later in the play Tybalt also trys to fight Romeo. He feels insulted when Romeo and his friends sneak into a mask ball held at the Capulet mansion but is prevented from fighting Romeo by Lord Capulet. Even so he tells Romeo "Boy I will not forget the injury thou has done me". He later sends Romeo a challenge of a duel. He kills Romeo's friend Mercutio and is later killed in anger by Romeo.

__**WHY IS THIS CONTRAST IMPORTANT?**__

This contrast between Romeo and Tybalt is important as it highlights one of the main themes of the play - The destructive nature of hate. Tybalts character represents hatred while Romeo's character represents love. Tybalt's role in the play is to act as a foil character. He emphasises Romeo's character by showing all the characteristics of hate that Romeo's character lacks. The contrast between Romeo and Tybalt helps shows the battle that exists in life between love and hate. It reinforces that when people act in hate rather than love the result can only be pain and loss. For example, Tybalt's hatred of the Montague family causes his own death and that of Mercutio. Also when Romeo loses sight of 'love' and lets hatred overule his good judgement, he ends up killing Tybalt. This action results in Romeo being banished from Verona and sets in motion a series of events which end in the death of both Juliet and himself.


 * __QUOTES:__**
 * "Prince of Cats"
 * "Peace. I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montagues and thee"
 * "Boy, thou shalt not excuse the injury thou hast done me"
 * "I tender thy name as dearly as mine own...be satisfied"


 * __ROMEO AND JULIET__**

Romeo (see above for full character description) is an extremely passionate character in the play. He is a sensitive and emotional character who right from the beginning lets love and his heart guide his actions. Examples which show his passionate nature are when he breaks into the Capulet orchard, risking death just to see Juliet and declares his love for her, when he kills Tybalt in a fit of passion, and when he attempts to kill himself after learning he is banished from Verona. The Friar prevents him from stabbing himself and tells him he has much to be thankful for. Romeo also speaks in sonnets, and uses numerous metaphors often comparing Juliet to a religious figure or an object to be worshiped.

Juliet is a mature and level headed young woman. In contrast to Romeo her actions are goverened by her head rather than her heart. She lets logic and reason guide her decisions for the majority of the play. Examples which show her reasonable nature are when in the balcony scene she tells Romeo to stop claiming he loves her and to marry her, and when she threatens suicide to force the Friar into helping her escape her marriage to Paris. She does not act impulsively as Romeo does but carefully plans out and thinks about each action and decision she makes.

__**WHY IS THIS CONTRAST IMPORTANT?**__

This contrast between Romeo and Juliet is important as it helps highlight one of the main themes in the play - The destruction caused when passion overrides reason. Romeo relfects passion while Juliet refelcts reason (for the majority of the play). This contrast helps show the battle that people often face between passionate and reasonable thought. The fate of each of these characters also exemplifies the destruction that is caused when passion overrides reason. Romeo causes descruction when he kills Tybalt. He is so overwhelmed by passion that that he does not think of the consequences of his actions. The Prince previously declared anyone caught disturbing the peace would be sentenced to death. Juliet also allows passion to override reason when she kills herself at the end of the play, overwhelmed by grief over Romeo's death. If both these characters had been thinking clearly perhaps the play would have ended differently.


 * __QUOTES:__**
 * "With loves light wings did I o'er perch these walls"
 * “Speak again bright angel...winged messenger of heaven”
 * "I thought your disposition better tempered...thy tears are womanish"
 * "It is too rash, too sudden, too unadvised"
 * "Swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon"
 * "O'bid me leap rather than marry Paris"


 * __IMPORTANT RELATIONHIPS:__**

In 'Romeo and Juliet' important relationships are between:
 * Romeo and Tybalt
 * Romeo and Juliet


 * __WHY ARE THESE RELATIONSHIPS IMPORTANT?__**

These relationships help show the themes of the play //**(see above)**//

__**TECHNIQUES USED TO SHOW THESE RELATIONSIPS:**__
 * Contrast
 * Dialogue
 * //(see above information for details)//**