3.1.1

First Impressions & Juliet's Effect

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First Impressions of Romeo

Romeo is a young man. At the start of the play, we should view Romeo as immature, childish, and an almost comic character.

Exaggerated love for Rosaline

Exaggerated love for Rosaline

  • In Act 1 (until the party in Scene 5) we see how immature he is. He repeatedly declares his love for Rosaline and complains that she does not love him back.
  • In Act 1, he exaggerates his love for, and obsession with, Rosaline. He repeatedly says that his feelings are unrequited (not felt back).
  • He uses a lot of oxymorons (opposite ideas), such as 'O brawling love! O loving hate!' and 'misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms!' to highlight how confused and depressed he feels.
Immature view of love

Immature view of love

  • Shakespeare shows Romeo’s childish nature when he presents him as a boy who is more in love with the idea of being in love, rather than being in love with an actual person.
Juliet effect

Juliet effect

  • Shakespeare shows Romeo’s childishness again when he sees Juliet in A1 S5 and completely forgets about Rosaline.
  • Romeo says 'Did my heart love till now… For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.'
  • He admits that these apparently intense feelings for Rosaline were not real.
Tragic character

Tragic character

  • Romeo is a tragic character, not just because he dies, but because he makes rash decisions and suffers bad luck.

Juliet's Effect on Romeo

When Romeo sees Juliet in A1 S5, he is transfixed by her (can’t focus on anything but her). He immediately falls in love with her.

Initially immature

Initially immature

  • Initially, Romeo is still presented as childish after he meets Juliet.
  • He keeps trying to woo her (gain her love) by speaking in sonnets (which are traditionally love poems) to exaggerate his love for her.
Matures

Matures

  • But Juliet is not easily won over, and Romeo’s language begins to change as he adapts to her needs and woos her (gains her love).
    • In Act 2, Romeo starts to speak less in sonnets and more in a mixture of sonnets and blank (non-rhyming) verse. This means his feelings sound more genuine as his language sounds more natural.
  • This transition from childish boy to a more mature young adult may make audiences like Romeo more as he becomes a more genuine, likeable character.
Jump to other topics
1

Context

1.1

Context

1.1.1Tragedy & Setting1.1.2Relationships1.1.3Religion & Fate1.1.4End of Topic Test - Context1.1.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Era1.1.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - Location
2

Plot Summary

2.1

Prologue

2.1.1Prologue
2.2

Act 1

2.2.1Scene 12.2.2Scene 1 Quotes2.2.3Scene 22.2.4Scene 32.2.5Scene 42.2.6Scene 52.2.7End of Topic Test - Prologue & Act 1
2.3

Act 2

2.3.1Scenes 1-22.3.2Scene 32.3.3Scene 42.3.4Scenes 5-62.3.5End of Topic Test - Act 2
2.4

Act 3

2.4.1Scene 12.4.2Scene 22.4.3Scenes 3-42.4.4Scene 52.4.5End of Topic Test - Act 3
2.5

Act 4

2.5.1Scene 12.5.2Scenes 2-32.5.3Scenes 4-5
2.6

Act 5

2.6.1Scene 12.6.2Scene 22.6.3Scene 32.6.4Scene 3 - Quotes2.6.5End of Topic Test - Acts 4 & 52.6.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - Drugs2.6.7Diagnostic Misconceptions - Knowing about the Wed2.6.8Diagnostic Misconceptions - Order of Deaths
3

Key Characters

3.1

Romeo

3.1.1First Impressions & Juliet's Effect3.1.2Character Development3.1.3Reactions & Key Quotes3.1.4Diagnostic Misconceptions - Age3.1.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Banishment3.1.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - Naivety
3.2

Juliet

3.2.1First Impressions & Character Development3.2.2Tragic Character3.2.3Key Quotes3.2.4End of Topic Test - Romeo & Juliet3.2.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Real People?3.2.6Diagnostic Misconceptions - Montagues vs Capulets
3.3

Mercutio

3.3.1Characterisation3.3.2Key Quotes
3.4

The Nurse, Benvolio & Tybalt

3.4.1The Nurse3.4.2Benvolio3.4.3Tybalt
3.5

Friar Laurence

3.5.1Characterisation3.5.2Key Quotes3.5.3End of Topic Test- Mercutio, Nurse & Benvolio3.5.4End of Topic Test - Tybalt & Friar Laurence3.5.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - What is a Friar?
3.6

Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.6.1Grade 9 - Key Characters3.6.2Grade 9 - Key Characters: Extract Analysis
4

Key Themes & Concepts

4.1

Power & Danger of Love

4.1.1Romeo's Loves4.1.2Friendship & Family4.1.3Violent Love4.1.4End of Topic Test - Love
4.2

Violence, Fate & Gender

4.2.1Violence, Conflict & Suicide4.2.2Exam-Style Questions - Violence & Death4.2.3Fate & Destiny4.2.4Gender4.2.5End of Topic Test - Violence, Fate & Gender4.2.6Grade 9 - Key Themes4.2.7Diagnostic Misconceptions - Type of Play
5

Writing Techniques

5.1

Writing Techniques

5.1.1Language, Rhythm & Rhyme5.1.2Symbolism & Imagery5.1.3Dramatic Irony & Soliloquys5.1.4End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques5.1.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Wherefore
6

Recap: Main Quotes

6.1

Main Quotes by Act

6.1.1Act 16.1.2Act 26.1.3Act 36.1.4Act 46.1.5Act 5
6.2

Main Quotes by Character

6.2.1Romeo6.2.2Juliet6.2.3Mercutio6.2.4Friar Laurence6.2.5Nurse6.2.6Benvolio6.2.7Tybalt

Practice questions on First Impressions & Juliet's Effect

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    Which of these quotes from Romeo are examples of oxymoron?True / false
  2. 2
    Why is Romeo a tragic character?Fill in the list
  3. 3
    How might we describe Romeo in Act 1?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    Romeo's character in Act 1:Fill in the list
  5. 5
    What form of poetry does Romeo initially try to speak to Juliet in?Multiple choice
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Diagnostic Misconceptions - Order of Deaths

Character Development