romeo tragic hero essay

Shakespeare’s Romeo as a Tragic Hero Essay

Introduction.

What made an old story “of woe” about teen love and suicide the most filmed play to date and a cultural phenomenon with an impressive legacy that lives to that day? 1595 “Romeo and Juliet” became Shakespeare’s most famous play in his lifetime, and the complex characters that he carefully created have grown to become the archetypes of young, tragic lovers since then. Shakespeare showed his mastery through his depiction of tragic love capable of taking lives and wreaking havoc as well as the poetic structure. Mixing comedy and tragedy, the author employed every device at hand to showcase character development. This paper will discuss Romeo, her role in the play, and how the concepts of misfortune, conflict, and fatal flaw apply to her.

Romeo and Juliet’s love, no matter how strong, was not able to break the bounds of the rigid social order in the 13th-century Verona. The question arises as to whether the tragic end was preventable by any means and who was to blame for the characters’ misfortune. It is possible to explain the concept of misfortune in the play in a variety of ways. For instance, Friar Lawrence, who was in favor of young love, is unable to arrive at Capulet’s Monument in time and thus, inadvertently lets Romeo’s suicide happen. All in all, the events unfold in such a manner that it brings one to think that these were not coincidences but the manifestations of fate.

The analysis of the play exposes one major external and one internal conflicts, both of which have something to do with Romeo’s character. First, Romeo, a Montague, suffers from the consequences of the decades-long feud between Capulets and Montagues. As a direct offspring, he realizes that his love is of a forbidden kind but cannot resist the fatal attraction. The internal conflict is a bit deeper than the family quarrels. In Romeo and Juliet , a slim chance to live and to love opposes the almighty fate. The two conflicts are interconnected: it was not Romeo’s choice to be born a Montague, and he can only hope that his romance survives despite all odds.

What makes Shakespeare’s artistry so great is his ability to create believable characters: they are living breathing creatures not devoid of imperfections. However, in the play about impossible love, each of the main characters’ flaws becomes fatal and brings about the tragic end. Romeo’s fatal flaw is his impetuousness: the combination of immaturity, inability to consider others’ advice, and social grooming set him for an impending disaster. Romeo’s impatience and impulsiveness push him to commit suicide while ignoring other solutions. Unwillingly, he causes the death of the one he truly loved, Juliet.

In his world-famous play, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare creates a believable portrait of a teenager of a marriageable age living in 13th century Italy. Romeo meets Juliet at a tender age of fifteen and dives blindly, head-first in love. Their romance, no matter how promising and endearing, is not bound to happen as the young lovers belong to quarreling families who will not bury the hatchet even for the sake of their children’s happiness. The hostile environment that Romeo has to tolerate is unfortunate, and at a very young age, he is confronted with both an external conflict, the feud, and internal – overcoming the fate. His fatal flaw, impetuousness, does not help his case, for unable to handle the pressure, he commits suicide. The convergence of unwelcoming social conditions and poor timing on par with his imperfect personality make Romeo a true tragic hero.

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Bibliography

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Exemplar Essay: Romeo as tragic hero

How does Shakespeare present Romeo as a tragic hero?

In this extract from Act V Scene I, Balthasar brings news of Juliet’s supposed death to Romeo.

News from Verona! How now, Balthasar?

Dost thou not bring me letters from the friar?

How doth my lady? Is my father well?

How doth my Juliet? That I ask again,

For nothing can be ill if she be well.

Then she is well and nothing can be ill:

Her body sleeps in Capel’s monument,

And her immortal part with angels lives.

I saw her laid low in her kindred’s vault,

And presently took post to tell it you.

O, pardon me for bringing these ill news,

Since you did leave it for my office, sir.

Is it e’en so? Then I defy you, stars!

Thou knowest my lodging, get me ink and paper,

And hire post-horses; I will hence tonight.

I do beseech you, sir, have patience.

Your looks are pale and wild, and do import

Some misadventure.

Tush, thou art deceiv’d.

Leave me, and do the thing I bid thee do.

Hast thou no letters to me from the friar?

No, my good lord.

No matter, get thee gone,

And hire those horses ; I’ll be with thee straight.

Exit Balthasar.

Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight.

Let’s see for means. O mischief, thou art swift

To enter in the thoughts of desperate men!

Consider how:

• Shakespeare presents Romeo as a tragic hero in this extract
• Shakespeare presents Romeo as a tragic hero in the play as a whole

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is about how strong emotions have tragic consequences. Romeo’s impulsive nature, and inability to regulate his emotions, result in him making rash decisions, which contribute to the deaths of multiple characters in the play. Arguably, Romeo’s impulsive decisions could be held responsible for the deaths of all of the characters in the play.

In the extract, Shakespeare makes clear that Romeo is impulsive and impatient. In the opening of the extract, Shakespeare has Romeo ask a series of rapid questions about Juliet, eager to hear news of her from Bathalsar. The use of several questions one after another indicates that Romeo is barely pausing for breath or to allow Balthasar to speak, which indicates that he is extremely patient. Upon hearing of her supposed death, Romeo immediately commands Balthasar to ‘get ink and paper’ and ‘hire those horses’. Shakespeare’s repeated use of commands convey the urgency in Romeo’s voice. It is clear that he is not taking the time to think, but is immediately ordering Balthasar to prepare what he needs to return to Verona. Shakespeare contrasts Romeo’s impulsiveness with Balthasar’s patience when he has Balthasar urge Romeo to ‘have patience’ because he fears that Romeo may have some ‘misadventure’ in mind. Moments later, after Balthasar leaves, Romeo states that he will ‘lie’ with Juliet, which implies that he is planning to kill himself in order to be with her in the tomb. Shakespeare seems to present Romeo in this way in order to emphasise how Romeo’s impulsive nature contributes to the play’s tragedy; if he were able to be patient, as Bathalsar advises, perhaps he would soon have received news from Friar Laurence of Juliet’s plan, and could have avoided the tragic end to both of their lives.

In the extract, Shakespeare also makes clear that Romeo is an extremely passionate character. When Romeo asks Balthasar for news of Juliet, Shakespeare has him say that ‘nothing is ill if she will well’. It is clear therefore that Romeo places all of his happiness in Juliet, and is far more interested in news of Juliet’s welfare than he is to hear news of other friends and family. He was similarly passionate earlier in the play, moments after he first met Juliet, when he described her as the ‘sun’, implying that his whole world revolves around her and that she is his source of warmth and life. The audience had previously seen Romeo passionately declaring his feelings towards Rosaline, so the audience is constantly reminded of the fact that Romeo is a deep-feeling character who often seems unable to manage his emotions; this is his tragic flaw. Shakespeare emphasises the passion and emotion in Romeo’s character in order to warn against acting impulsively upon these feelings. If Romeo were able to manage his emotions more effectively, perhaps he could have avoided placing all hopes in Juliet.

Early in the play, Shakespeare makes clear that Romeo and Juliet are fated to die. In the prologue, Shakespeare describes Romeo and Juliet as a ‘star-crossed lovers’ and their love as ‘death-marked’ in order to make clear to the audience that Romeo and Juliet’s love will meet a tragic end. Before Romeo goes to the Capulet ball, Shakespeare makes further references to fate by having Romeo declare a bad dream that he had and his fear that the ‘stars’ have a negative future planned for him. In inviting the audience to know Romeo’s fate even before the events of the play have begun, Shakespeare invites them to see Romeo as the tragic hero, who is destined for destruction and downfall.

In the play as a whole, Shakespeare demonstrates that Romeo’s impulsive and passionate nature contributes to the deaths of other characters. If Romeo had not been so quick to fall in love with Juliet, not considering the consequences of marrying the daughter of the enemy family, he may not have allowed Mercutio to fight in his place, thus could have avoided Mercutio’s death. If Mercutio had not died, Romeo would not have impulsively murdered Tybalt. Romeo’s impulsive decision to murder Tybalt without considering the consequence results in his banishment, which leads to Lady Montague dying of grief. Romeo’s impulsive decision to kill himself to be with Juliet leads him to murder Paris, who stands in his way at Juliet’s tomb. It also leads to Juliet killing herself. Had he waited, his and Juliet’s deaths could have been avoided. Shakespeare therefore presents Romeo as a tragic hero, whose character flaws lead not only to his own death but to the deaths of multiple other characters in the play.

At the end of the play, Shakespeare uses Romeo’s death to restore order in Verona. In the final moments of the play, Lord Montague and Capulet hold out a hand to one another and agree to end the feud that resulted in the deaths of their children. Both promise to raise a statue in honour of the other’s child. Shakespeare has Prince Escalus state that ‘all are punished’ perhaps because he wants to give a clear message to the audience, and to the characters, that all are responsible for the play’s tragic end. It is clear therefore that Romeo and Juliet have not died in vain. Although the play has a deeply tragic ending, there is hope that peace will be restored in Verona for the first time in years.

In conclusion, it is clear that many of Romeo’s actions make him the typical tragic hero, with a major character weakness that not only brings about his own destruction, but also the destruction of others. Shakespeare could be using Romeo’s character to challenge weaknesses in the human condition. At times our inability to regulate our emotions, our selfishness and our impulsiveness can have disastrous consequences. It seems we can all learn from the mistakes made by Romeo.

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Romeo as a Tragic Hero

In this activity, activity overview, template and class instructions, more storyboard that activities, this activity is part of many teacher guides.

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies. It is beneficial for students to understand why is considered so important. One reason is that it contains a tragic hero. This is a protagonist, typically of noble birth, destined for doom. In this play, Romeo clearly fits this description. The famous Greek philosopher, Aristotle, was the first to record the principle attributes of a tragic hero.

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that shows how Romeo can be considered a tragic hero.

• Click "Start Assignment".
• Identify events of the play or characteristics of Romeo that fit into Aristotelian attributes of a tragic hero.
• Illustrate examples for Hamartia, Hubris, Peripeteia, Anagnorisis, Nemesis, and Catharsis .
• Write a short description below each cell that specifically relates Romeo as a tragic hero.

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-10

Difficulty Level 4 (Difficult / Complex)

Type of Assignment Individual or Group

Type of Activity: Tragic Hero

• [ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/2] Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text
• [ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/3] Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme
• [ELA-Literacy/W/9-10/1] Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric .)

How to Teach Tragic Hero Motifs and Archetypes

Introduction to tragic hero motifs and archetypes.

Begin by defining the terms "tragic hero," "motif," and "archetype." Provide an overview of the characteristics that define a tragic hero, such as noble birth, tragic flaw, and reversal of fortune. Explain how tragic hero motifs and archetypes appear in literature and drama.

Analyzing Romeo as a Tragic Hero

Focus on Romeo's character in "Romeo and Juliet" and guide students in analyzing how he embodies the characteristics of a tragic hero. Encourage students to reference specific scenes, actions, and decisions that highlight Romeo's tragic hero status. Discuss how Romeo's character aligns with the classical tragic hero archetype.

Comparative Analysis of Tragic Heroes

Present students with examples of tragic heroes from other literary works or drama. Engage students in a comparative analysis, exploring how these characters share or differ from the tragic hero archetype. Discuss the concept of universality in tragic hero motifs and archetypes.

Creative Writing and Presentation

Assign a creative writing project where students create a modern interpretation of a tragic hero. Provide guidelines for the project, including the incorporation of key tragic hero motifs and archetypes. Explain the presentation format for sharing their modern tragic hero stories.

Frequently Asked Questions about Romeo as a Tragic Hero

What are the defining characteristics of a tragic hero, and how does romeo exemplify these traits in the play.

A tragic hero typically possesses noble qualities, has a tragic flaw that leads to their downfall, experiences a reversal of fortune, recognizes their fate, and evokes feelings of pity and fear in the audience. Romeo exemplifies these traits in "Romeo and Juliet" as a character of noble birth who possesses a tragic flaw, his impulsiveness. His hasty decisions and impulsive actions, such as his quick love for Juliet and the duel with Tybalt, lead to tragic consequences. These actions result in a reversal of his fortune, as he is banished from Verona and separated from Juliet. Romeo is keenly aware of the role of fate in his life, often referring to being "star-crossed." His tragic journey evokes feelings of pity and fear in the audience, as they empathize with his character's impetuous nature.

The defining characteristics of a tragic hero include noble qualities, a tragic flaw, a reversal of fortune, a recognition of fate, and the evocation of pity and fear. In "Romeo and Juliet," Romeo, a member of the noble Montague family, possesses these qualities. His tragic flaw, impulsiveness, leads to his hasty decisions and impulsive actions, such as falling in love with Juliet quickly and engaging in a fatal duel with Tybalt. These actions result in a reversal of his fortune, leading to his banishment and separation from Juliet. Romeo is acutely aware of the role of fate in his life, often referring to being "star-crossed." His tragic journey evokes feelings of pity and fear in the audience, who empathize with his impetuous nature.

How can storyboards and worksheets be employed to help students understand and visually represent the traits of a tragic hero in the context of Romeo's character?

Storyboards and worksheets can help students understand and visually represent Romeo's characteristics as a tragic hero. Students can create visual representations of key scenes, such as Romeo's impulsive decisions, his nobility, the moment of reversal in his fortune, and his recognition of fate. Worksheets can guide students in summarizing and analyzing these characteristics in the context of the play, encouraging them to think critically about how Romeo embodies the traits of a tragic hero. This visual and analytical approach aids in a deeper comprehension of Romeo's character and his role in the tragic narrative.

Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

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Tragic Hero

Tragic Hero Definition

What is a tragic hero? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

A tragic hero is a type of character in a tragedy , and is usually the protagonist . Tragic heroes typically have heroic traits that earn them the sympathy of the audience, but also have flaws or make mistakes that ultimately lead to their own downfall. In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , Romeo is a tragic hero. His reckless passion in love, which makes him a compelling character, also leads directly to the tragedy of his death.

Some additional key details about tragic heroes:

• The idea of the tragic hero was first defined by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle based on his study of Greek drama.
• Despite the term "tragic hero," it's sometimes the case that tragic heroes are not really heroes at all in the typical sense—and in a few cases, antagonists may even be described as tragic heroes.

Tragic Hero Pronunciation

Here's how to pronounce tragic hero: tra -jik hee -roh

The Evolution of the Tragic Hero

Tragic heroes are the key ingredient that make tragedies, well, tragic. That said, the idea of the characteristics that make a tragic hero have changed over time.

Aristotle and the Tragic Hero

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle was the first to define a "tragic hero." He believed that a good tragedy must evoke feelings of fear and pity in the audience, since he saw these two emotions as being fundamental to the experience of catharsis (the process of releasing strong or pent-up emotions through art). As Aristotle puts it, when the tragic hero meets his demise, "pity is aroused by unmerited misfortune, fear by the misfortune of a man like ourselves."

Aristotle strictly defined the characteristics that a tragic hero must have in order to evoke these feelings in an audience. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero must:

• Be virtuous: In Aristotle's time, this meant that the character should be a noble. It also meant that the character should be both capable and powerful (i.e. "heroic"), and also feel responsible to the rules of honor and morality that guided Greek culture. These traits make the hero attractive and compelling, and gain the audience's sympathy.
• Be flawed: While being heroic, the character must also have a tragic flaw (also called hamartia ) or more generally be subject to human error, and the flaw must lead to the character's downfall. On the one hand, these flaws make the character "relatable," someone with whom the audience can identify. Just as important, the tragic flaw makes the tragedy more powerful because it means that the source of the tragedy is internal to the character, not merely some outside force. In the most successful tragedies, the tragic hero's flaw is not just a characteristic they have in addition to their heroic qualities, but one that emerges from their heroic qualities—for instance, a righteous quest for justice or truth that leads to terrible conclusions, or hubris (the arrogance that often accompanies greatness). In such cases, it is as if the character is fated to destruction by his or her own nature.
• Suffer a reversal of fortune: The character should suffer a terrible reversal of fortune, from good to bad. Such a reversal does not merely mean a loss of money or status. It means that the work should end with the character dead or in immense suffering, and to a degree that outweighs what it seems like the character deserved.

To sum up: Aristotle defined a tragic hero rather strictly as a man of noble birth with heroic qualities whose fortunes change due to a tragic flaw or mistake (often emerging from the character's own heroic qualities) that ultimately brings about the tragic hero's terrible, excessive downfall.

The Modern Tragic Hero

Over time, the definition of a tragic hero has relaxed considerably. It can now include

• Characters of all genders and class backgrounds. Tragic heroes no longer have to be only nobles, or only men.
• Characters who don't fit the conventional definition of a hero. This might mean that a tragic hero could be regular person who lacks typical heroic qualities, or perhaps even a villainous or or semi-villainous person.

Nevertheless, the essence of a tragic hero in modern times maintains two key aspects from Aristotle's day:

• The tragic hero must have the sympathy of the audience.
• The tragic hero must, despite their best efforts or intentions, come to ruin because of some tragic flaw in their own character.

Tragic Hero, Antihero, and Byronic Hero

There are two terms that are often confused with tragic hero: antihero and Byronic hero.

• Antihero : An antihero is a protagonist who lacks many of the conventional qualities associated with heroes, such as courage, honesty, and integrity, but still has the audience's sympathy. An antihero may do the right thing for the wrong reason. Clint Eastwood's character in the western film, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly , is fundamentally selfish. He digs up graves to look for gold and kills anyone who gets in his way, so he's definitely a bad guy. But as an antihero, he's not completely rotten: he also shows a little sympathy for dying soldiers in the bloody war going on around him, and at the end of the film he acts mercifully in choosing not to kill a man who previously tried to kill him. He does a few good things, but only as long as it suits him—so he's a classic antihero.
• Byronic hero : A Byronic hero is a variant of the antihero. Named after the characters in the poetry of Lord Byron, the Byronic hero is usually a man who is an intelligent, emotionally sensitive, introspective, and cynical character. While Byronic heroes tend to be very charismatic, they're deeply flawed individuals, who might do things that are generally thought of as socially unacceptable because they are at odds with mainstream society. A Byronic hero has his own set of beliefs and will not yield for anyone. While it might not be initially apparent, deep down, the Byronic hero is also quite selfish.

According to the modern conception of a tragic hero, both an antihero and a Byronic hero could also be tragic heroes. But in order for a tragic hero to exist, he or she has to be part of a tragedy with a story that ends in death or ruin. Antiheroes and Byronic heroes can exist in all sorts of different genres, however, not just tragedies. An antihero in an action movie—for instance Deadpool, in the first Deadpool movie—is not a tragic hero because his story ends generally happily. But you could argue that Macbeth is a kind of antihero (or at least an initial hero who over time becomes an antihero), and he is very definitely also a tragic hero.

Tragic Hero Examples

Tragic heroes in drama.

The tragic hero originated in ancient Greek theater, and can still be seen in contemporary tragedies. Even though the definition has expanded since Aristotle first defined the archetype, the tragic hero's defining characteristics have remained—for example, eliciting sympathy from the audience, and bringing about their own downfall.

Oedipus as Tragic Hero in Oedipus Rex

The most common tragic flaw (or hamartia ) for a tragic hero to have is hubris , or excessive pride and self-confidence. Sophocles' tragic play Oedipus Rex contains what is perhaps the most well-known example of Aristotle's definition of the tragic hero—and it's also a good example of hubris. The play centers around King Oedipus, who seeks to rid the city he leads of a terrible plague. At the start of the play, Oedipus is told by a prophet that the only way to banish the plague is to punish the man who killed the previous king, Laius. But the same prophet also reports that Oedipus has murdered his own father and married his mother. Oedipus refuses to believe the second half of the prophecy—the part pertaining to him—but nonetheless sets out to find and punish Laius's murderer. Eventually, Oedipus discovers that Laius had been his father, and that he had, in fact, unwittingly killed him years earlier, and that the fateful event had led directly to him marrying his own mother. Consequently, Oedipus learns that he himself is the cause of the plague, and upon realizing all this he gouges his eyes out in misery (his wife/mother also kills herself).

Oedipus has all the important features of a classical tragic hero. Throughout the drama, he tries to do what is right and just, but because of his tragic flaw (hubris) he believes he can avoid the fate given to him by the prophet, and as a result he brings about his own downfall.

Willy Loman as Tragic Hero in Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller wrote his play Death of a Salesman with the intent of creating a tragedy about a man who was not a noble or powerful man, but rather a regular working person, a salesman.

The protagonist of Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman, desperately tries to provide for his family and maintain his pride. Willy has high expectations for himself and for his children. He wants the American Dream, which for him means financial prosperity, happiness, and good social standing. Yet as he ages he finds himself having to struggle to hold onto the traveling salesman job at the company to which he has devoted himself for decades. Meanwhile, the prospects for his sons, Biff and Happy, who seemed in high school to have held such promise, have similarly fizzled. Willy cannot let go of his idea of the American Dream nor his connected belief that he must as an American man be a good provider for his family. Ultimately, this leads him to see himself as more valuable dead than alive, and he commits suicide so his family can get the insurance money.

Willy is a modern tragic hero. He's a good person who means well, but he's also deeply flawed, and his obsession with a certain idea of success, as well as his determination to provide for his family, ultimately lead to his tragic death.

Tragic Heroes in Literature

Tragic heroes appear all over important literary works. With time, Aristotle's strict definition for what makes a tragic hero has changed, but the tragic hero's fundamental ability to elicit sympathy from an audience has remained.

Jay Gatsby as Tragic Hero in The Great Gatsby

The protagonist of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby , is Jay Gatsby, a young and mysterious millionaire who longs to reunite with a woman whom he loved when he was a young man before leaving to fight in World War I. This woman, Daisy, is married, however, to a man named Tom Buchanan from a wealthy old money family. Gatsby organizes his entire life around regaining Daisy: he makes himself rich (through dubious means), he rents a house directly across a bay from hers, he throws lavish parties in the hopes that she will come. The two finally meet again and do begin an affair, but the affair ends in disaster—with Gatsby taking responsibility for driving a car that Daisy was in fact driving when she accidentally hit and killed Tom's mistress (named Myrtle), Daisy abandoning Gatsby and returning to Tom, and Gatsby getting killed by Myrtle's husband.

Gatsby's downfall is his unrelenting pursuit of a certain ideal—the American Dream—and a specific woman who he thinks fits within this dream. His blind determination makes him unable to see both that Daisy doesn't fit the ideal and that the ideal itself is unachievable. As a result he endangers himself to protect someone who likely wouldn't do the same in return. Gatsby is not a conventional hero (it's strongly implied that he made his money through gambling and other underworld activities), but for the most part his intentions are noble: he seeks love and self-fulfillment, and he doesn't intend to hurt anyone. So, Gatsby would be a modernized version of Aristotle's tragic hero—he still elicits the audience's sympathy—even if he is a slightly more flawed version of the archetype.

Javert as Tragic Hero in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables

Javert is a police detective, obsessed with law and order, and Les Misérables' primary antagonist. The novel contains various subplots but for the most part follows a character named Jean Valjean, a good and moral person who cannot escape his past as an ex-convict. (He originally goes to prison for stealing a loaf of bread to help feed his sister's seven children.) After Valjean escapes from prison, he changes his name and ends up leading a moral and prosperous life, becoming well-known for the ways in which he helps the poor.

Javert, known for his absolute respect for authority and the law, spends many years trying to find the escaped convict and return him to prison. After Javert's lifelong pursuit leads him to Valjean, though, Valjean ends up saving Javert's life. Javert, in turn, finds himself unable to arrest the man who showed him such mercy, but also cannot give up his devotion to justice and the law. In despair, he commits suicide. In other words: Javert's strength and righteous morality lead him to his destruction.

While Javert fits the model of a tragic hero in many ways, he's an unconventional tragic hero because he's an antagonist rather than the protagonist of the novel (Valjean is the protagonist). One might then argue that Javert is a "tragic figure" or "tragic character" rather than a "tragic hero" because he's not actually the "hero" of the novel at all. He's a useful example, though, because he shows just how flexible the idea of a "tragic hero" can be, and how writers play with those ideas to create new sorts of characters.

Additional Examples of Tragic Heroes

• Macbeth: In Shakespeare's Macbeth , the main character Macbeth allows his (and his wife's) ambition to push him to murder his king in order to fulfill a prophecy and become king himself. Macbeth commits his murder early in the play, and from then on his actions become bloodier and bloodier, and he becomes more a villain than a hero. Nonetheless, he ends in death, with his wife also dead, and fully realizing the emptiness of his life. Macbeth is a tragic hero, but the play is interesting in that his fatal flaw or mistake occurs relatively early in the play, and the rest of the play shows his decline into tragedy even as he initially seems to get what he seeks (the throne).
• Michael Corleone: The main character of the Godfather films, Michael Corleone can be said to experience a tragic arc over the course of the three Godfather movies. Ambition and family loyalty push him to take over his mafia family when he had originally been molded by his father to instead "go clean." Michael's devotion to his family then leads him to murder his enemies, kills his betraying brother, and indirectly leads to the deaths of essentially all of his loved ones. He dies, alone, thinking of his lost loves , a tragic antihero.
• Okonkwo: In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart , Okonkwo is a man of great strength and will, and these heroic traits make him powerful and wealthy in his tribe. But his devotion to always appearing strong and powerful also lead him to alienate his son, break tribal tradition in a way that leads to his exile from the tribe, and to directly confront white missionaries in a way that ultimately leads him to commit suicide. Okonkwo's devotion to strength and power leads to his own destruction.
• Anakin Skywalker: The three prequel Star Wars movies (episodes I, II, and III) can be seen as an attempt to frame Anakin Skywalker into a tragic hero. Anakin is both powerful in the force and a prophesied "chosen one," but his ambition and desire for order and control lead him to abandon and kill fellow Jedi, inadvertently kill his own wife, and to join the dark side of the force and become a kind of enforcer for the Emperor. Anakin, as Darth Vader, is alone and full of such shame and self-hatred that he can see no other option but to continue on his path of evil. This makes him a tragic hero. Having said all that, some would argue that the first three Star Wars movies aren't well written or well acted enough to truly make Anakin a tragic hero (does Anakin really ever have the audience's sympathy given his bratty whininess?), but it's clear that he was meant to be a tragic hero.

What's the Function of a Tragic Hero in Literature?

Above all, tragic heroes put the tragedy in tragedies—it is the tragic hero's downfall that emotionally engages the audience or reader and invokes their pity and fear. Writers therefore use tragic heroes for many of the same reasons they write tragedies—to illustrate a moral conundrum with depth, emotion, and complexity.

Besides this, tragic heroes serve many functions in the stories in which they appear. Their tragic flaws make them more relatable to an audience, especially as compared to a more conventional hero, who might appear too perfect to actually resemble real people or draw an emotional response from the audience. Aristotle believed that by watching a tragic hero's downfall, an audience would become wiser when making choices in their own lives. Furthermore, tragic heroes can illustrate moral ambiguity, since a seemingly desirable trait (such as innocence or ambition) can suddenly become a character's greatest weakness, bringing about grave misfortune or even death.

Other Helpful Tragic Hero Resources

• The Wikipedia Page for Tragic Hero : A helpful overview that mostly focuses on the history of term.
• The Dictionary Definition of Tragic Hero : A brief and basic definition.
• A one-minute, animated explanation of the tragic hero.
• Is Macbeth a Tragic Hero? This video explains what a tragic hero is, using Macbeth as an example .

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Character Analysis of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet | Romeo as a Tragic Hero

Romeo Character Analysis

Table of Contents

Introduction

Being the tragic protagonist in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , Romeo is handsome, brave and gentle. He is trained in all manly accomplishments. Yet he is without a sufficient purpose in life. He is the slave of emotion. His soul quests for love. His character undergoes development. Romeo changes more than Juliet . He changes from love-sick callowness to steady maturity. There are three stages in which his character develops. In the beginning Romeo moons over Rosaline. In the second stage Romeo falls in love with Juliet , marries her, kills Tybalt and is exiled. In the final stage Romeo kills himself when he receives the false news of the death of Juliet.

Romeo’s First Stage

In the first few scenes Romeo is the Petrarchan lover in the Petrarchan situation. He creates poetical and pitiful phrases in honour of chaste and cold Rosaline . He thinks he loves irresponsive Rosaline. He appears to be in love with Rosaline, but in truth he is in love only with his own idea. He is really like the Duke is Twelfth Night , who sighs for Olivia. He speaks feelingly of love.

“Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs, Being purg’d, a fire sparkling in lovers eyes, Being vexed, a sea nourished with lovers fears ; What is it else? a madness most discreet, A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.”

Romeo: A Very Favourite Character

But even in his first stage Romeo is something more than a vain, melancholy lover. He is noble, generous, virtuous and well-governed. He inspires the affection of his friends — Mercutio , Friar Laurence and Benvolio. He is everybody’s favourite with the single exception of fire-eating Tybalt. His friends and parents are devoted to him. Even Capulet , his enemy, speaks well of him and will not allow him to be molested.

“A bears him like a portly gentleman. And to say truth, Verona brags of him To be a virtuous and well-governed youth. I would not for the wealth of all this town Here in my house do him disparagement,”

Romeo’s Second Stage

Romeo’s passion for Rosaline was a faint shadow of reality. His real emotion of love comes to him when he sees Juliet. The sight of Juliet obliterates Rosaline from his mind. His love is now real, permanent, and complete. He no longer mopes and moons but chooses the course of action. He comes face to face with realities that demand exercise of will, contempt of danger and action. In Juliet’s company he is earnest without losing his gaiety and lightness.

Romeo is a naturally gay and loves pun and fun. Once he is freed from the melancholy of mooning for unresponsive, coldly chaste Rosaline, he becomes witty, as he really is. Once his ardent quest for love is consummated in Juliet, he finds his own. Then he becomes normal, and natural. There is now no rhapsodizing, no sighing. He can now quip merrily and shoot the arrows of wit. He reveals himself Mercutio’s equal in wit and quibbling. Romeo’s skill in verbal dueling is emphasized by comparison with the stodgy contributions made by loyal Benvolio. Mercutio speaks of Romeo, thinking him to be under the baneful influence of Rosaline.

“Alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead –stabbed with a white Wench’s black eye; run through the car with a love song ; the very pin of his heart cleft with the blind bowboy’s butt-shaft. And is he a man to encounter Tybalt?”

But when Romeo , now that his love is realized, proves his worth in the sallies of wit, Mercutio admires him:

“Why is not this better now than groaning for love? Now art thou sociable. Now art thou Romeo. Now art thou what thou art, by art as well as by nature.”

He is now a transformed Romeo. He is in high spirits because he is accepted by his new un-Laura-like love.

Romeo’s Strength and Generosity

Romeo’s youthfulness is now turning to manliness. His refusal to fight when Tybalt challenges him is a sign of strength, not of weakness. To suffer calmly the hateful strutting of Tybalt, and to risk the contempt of Mercutio and Benvolio requires moral courage. It is, in fact, Romeo’s love that makes him refuse to fight Tybalt until Tybalt has killed Mercutio. Shakespeare, as Peter Alexander has pointed out, shows Romeo behaving with exemplary composure and forbearance, though insulted by a quarrelsome bully in the presence of his friends. Mercutio’s death affords Romeo the opportunity to reveal that he is no milk-and-water hero. He kills Tybalt , the expert duelist.

Romeo’s progress to the status of tragic hero is questioned when, after the sentence of banishment, he weeps bitterly. But this lasts only for a short while and later on Romeo rises to the occasion.

Romeo’s Third Stage

In the second stage he is transformed from youth to manhood by love and situations. But his transformation is not complete. Now after his banishment he achieves his full strength. When he is informed of the false death of Juliet, he shows greatest restraint and strength of character. He does not weep.

He speaks to Apothecary with authority “There is thy gold; worse poison to men’s’ souls.” At Juliet’s tomb he calls Paris ‘youth’. The feeling that he is now going to die gives him a maturity beyond his years. Romeo dies the master of his fate.

• Importance of Romeo and Juliet Balcony Scene

Romeo’s Rashness and Maturity

It has been pointed out that Romeo is rash in taking the poison. But his rashness is diminished when we compare him with other characters. T.J.B. Spencer says,

“Our impression of his rashness is to some extent diminished by contrast both with Tybalt and with Mercutio, neither of whom shows any restraint in the murderous pursuit of his ‘honour’.”

Moreover, though his impetuosity remains, there are many small indications of Romeo’s maturing in the fifth Act. Notably he has new concern for others. He feels for the Apothecary as a human being “Buy food and get thy self in flesh.” He arranges for a letter to his parents. He takes thought for his servant Balthasar : “Live, and be prosperous and farewell.” He feels for the plight of young Paris , one writ with him in the misfortune’s book. He begs pardon of Tybalt.

Inexpressible beautiful and moving is this gentleness of Romeo in his death hour. His yearning to be at peace with his foe, his beseeching pardon of him and calling him kinsman in taken of final atonement, his forbearance and even magnanimity towards Paris, his words of closing consideration and kindly farewell to his faithful Balthasar, all combine to crown Romeo as the prince of youthful gentleman and lovers.

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Related posts:

• Character Analysis of Juliet Capulet in Romeo and Juliet
• The Haste Theme in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
• Character of Nurse in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
• Othello as a Tragic Hero
• Importance of Murder Scene in Macbeth

1 thought on “Character Analysis of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet | Romeo as a Tragic Hero”

As a former “English” major, I found this a rewarding read. I’ll have to check out your other posts. But not now. It’s way past my bedtime and I’m tired . . . but alas, not too tired to read about one of my favorite plays. Unfortunately, I lost my complete “writings of Shakespeare” during my last move — that and my Jane Austin complete works. Oh, well, just another excuse to buy a couple of books.

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Romeo: a tragic hero. Revision lesson with essay and full sample answer (AQA/OCR)

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

9 January 2024

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A super clear, colourful 50 slide powerpoint that covers the character of Romeo as a tragic hero in ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

There are plenty of opportunities for students to work individually, in pairs or small groups, depending on the class dynamics. There are sample answers for all tasks and engaging activities which help students improve their skills.

There is an essay question at the end with structured guidance to help the students annotate an extract and plan an answer. There are guided writing tasks as well to support students.

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This lesson takes 1-2 hours, depending on how much writing you ask the students to complete.

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Shakespeare's Romeo as a Tragic Hero Essay

1. introduction.

This is an informative human rights blog. It is a blog site supported by Google to research human rights law and one paragraph of Romeo as a tragic hero from the world of Shakespeare. This blog is maintained by University of Victoria Law students. To assist researchers in searching for human rights information, the blog will be designed to make their research easier. Romeo by William Shakespeare is a hero who had his life ruined by events beyond his control. Those events claimed the life of his cousin and his lover, preventing a peaceful resolution to the events at the time, and ultimately led to their untimely deaths at the end of the play. This tragic scenario has led many people to see Romeo as a tragic hero. In this context, the tragic event is the story, the hero is Romeo, and the events that led to Romeo's untimely end are what make him a tragic hero. In this essay, I will explore and examine the incidents of Romeo's life to determine if he can be considered a tragic hero according to the events that occurred to and around him.

1.1 Background of Shakespeare's Romeo

Shakespeare, also known as the Bard of Avon, is one of the best known playwrights in English literature. At the time of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Italy was split up into city-states, regions, and principalities. Throughout the 16th century, the political environment in Italy was a barrier separating the nation from the rest of Europe. There was no central government to keep the country stable and little progress was made towards a stronger union. The political disorder in Italy is a significant part of the play because a feud between two noble families is what ultimately leads to the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet. From the prologue of the play, it is made clear that the play takes place in Verona, Italy. Verona is a city-state located in Northern Italy that experienced much political injustice in the same time period as described in Romeo and Juliet. Because of the political dealings and lack of unity, the city was dominated by various noble families who were constantly trying to assert their influence and control. Shakespeare's primary source for Romeo and Juliet was a poem by Arthur Brooke called The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet written in 1562. An earlier version of the play was written in 1591 depicting a more comedic plot and the characters Mercutio, Romeo, Tybalt, and Juliet all survive. This is significant because the death of these four characters is what ultimately sets the stage for a tragic ending. Around this same time, Shakespeare wrote A Midsummer Night's Dream, an earlier version of Hamlet, and Richard III. These earlier works suggested a stronger emphasis on comic or chronicle history plays which were very popular among the people and the monarch at this time period. Later in 1595, Juliet's Nurse had become a popular character and it is said Shakespeare reworked the plot of Romeo and Juliet with a greater emphasis on the tragic in order to please the people. The play was first performed on the 12th night after Christmas at the Theatre in 1596 and was likely staged more than once during Shakespeare's lifetime. This would account for why a second quarto was published in 1599 following great success. Overall, Romeo and Juliet is said to be one of Shakespeare's most famous works and one of the most famous pieces of literature. The play is set up by an interesting epistle from the actor of the prologue. It is in this passage that the audience is enlightened about the later fate of the "star-crossed lovers" and the feud taking place in this city where our story occurs. This passage sets the stage for the whole play and by the boy reading of the prologue in 5.3.9-23, the audience is expected to keep the final ending in mind.

1.2 Definition of a Tragic Hero

Let us delve into the definition of a 'tragic hero' and see if Romeo fits into the mold. The Greeks set down a strict definition of a tragic hero, this being an outstanding person who due to some error or tragic flaw suffers a fall from an elevated position. He must be 'one who is highly renowned and prosperous' (Hamer 1990: 23). His fall is usually swift and dramatic and can be seen to affect many people, not just the hero himself. The tragic hero's 'destructive results' are never felt by him alone. He suffers death or a fate worse than death, and it is this contrast between what he was and what he has become that evokes feelings of fear and pity in the audience. This suffering must be a result of a self-inflicted mistake as mentioned above which was no doubt brought on by the heightened state of being of the hero. Drumright states that Shakespearean tragedies 'often put a character's goodness against his opportunity of committing evil' (1982: Internet).

1.3 Purpose of the Essay

To present the context of Romeo as a tragic hero, I will provide the reader with some background information on Shakespeare's Romeo. I will also define the concept of a tragic hero in general, and possibly identify some other tragic heroes which could be compared to Romeo. Additionally, the essay will evaluate how Romeo's character has tragically altered the lives of various characters he encounters in the play. Throughout the essay, I will seek to determine whether or not Romeo can be judged as a tragic hero, by evaluating his actions and how they have affected those around him in the play. This is important because if Romeo is not a tragic hero, then defining him as such is fruitless.

2. Romeo's Tragic Flaws

Impulsiveness and emotional instability are tragic flaws present in the characters of Romeo, Juliet, Lord Capulet, and Lady Capulet. Romeo's impulsiveness is showcased countless times throughout the play, primarily in his hasty decisions to marry Juliet and to take his own life in Act 3. His impulsive behavior is what ultimately caused Tybalt to kill Mercutio. This act of vengeance leads to Romeo's banishment and the unraveling of the Friar's plans, landing him in a desperate situation where he believes he has lost everything. "O, I am fortune's fool!" Romeo's impulsive nature has not only ruined his own happiness but caused the untimely deaths of his best friend and his wife. Romeo's spontaneous decision to rush into marriage was again one of his fatal mistakes. In the balcony scene, as the two lovers make plans for the future, Juliet suggests they get married. Romeo wholeheartedly agrees, saying "I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; henceforth I never will be Romeo." Only Friar Lawrence voiced his concerns on this matter, regarding it as too sudden. He believes it may cause additional friction between the two families. Now envoy to Friar Laurence, and bring his constant pleasure." Another of Romeo's flaws which links in with the subject of impulsiveness is emotional instability. Throughout the play, his mood changes rapidly from one extreme to another. Originally, his character is presented as a Petrarchan lover, caught in the throes of unrequited love for Rosaline. He portrays himself with a thick outer shell of melancholy and somberness which he loves to indulge in. This is apparent in one of his first soliloquies: "Why, then, O brawling love, O loving hate, O anything of nothing first created! O heavy lightness, serious vanity. Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms, feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! This love feel I, that feel no love in this." Romeo's character then takes a sudden turn after he has met Juliet. His attitude is rather lighthearted, and he becomes more of a romanticist rather than a bitter love philosopher. His inexplicable mood swings cause a great deal of turbulence in his relationship with Juliet and even himself. They experience the highs of happiness, swiftly succeeded by the lows of sorrow and despair. This is most evident throughout the later part of the play, as their situation grows more and more desperate. An example featured in Act 3 is the aftermath of Tybalt's death. Romeo pulls a dagger and threatens to slay himself. "Stay, Tybalt, stay! Romeo, I come! This do I drink to thee." Out of love for her new husband, Juliet pleads with the Friar to think of a plan to remedy the situation at hand. "O, he's more in the argument! I'll go warn hither easily to have to him. He is hid at Laurence's cell." This, to Juliet, signifies the lack of caring and concern Romeo has for their situation. She interprets this as though he no longer wishes to see her and will hide out in the cell. Unknowing of this, Romeo has previously decided to leave Verona and move to Mantua. This, of course, being an impulsive decision he has made without consulting the Friar or even Romeo and Juliet's current state. Their extreme mood changes and impulsive actions have led them to a state of deeper desperation, further exacerbating their problems.

2.1 Impulsiveness and Emotional Instability

The first indication we have of Romeo's impulsiveness is in the first act when we learn of his unrequited love for Rosaline. Rosaline has taken a vow of chastity and Romeo does not broach the subject with her, instead he sulks and acts like a stereotypical love-stricken teenager. When Romeo is approached by Juliet, he is easily swayed into the idea of marriage. In act 3 scene 1, after Romeo has married Juliet, he further demonstrates his impulsiveness by becoming involved in a public brawl, which results in the death of Tybalt and Romeo being banished from Verona. Tybalt and Mercutio have died and Romeo now has to leave behind his beloved Juliet to be exiled to Mantua. Tybalt was slain by Romeo in revenge for Mercutio's death, therefore indirectly causing Romeo's banishment. This is a high price to pay for his impulsive and irrational behavior. At the news of his banishment, Romeo becomes hysterical: "Ha, banishment! Be merciful, say 'death', For exile hath more terror in his look, Much more than death. Do not say 'banishment.'" (Act 3 scene 3). He frantically attempts to escape from Verona to Juliet and is joined with the friar who chastises Romeo for his effeminate and inconstant behavior.

2.2 Lack of Self-Control

Romeo's lack of self-control is what prevents him from achieving greatness, as an example of an Aristotelian tragic hero. He knows that his love for Juliet is forbidden and it is clear that he doesn't take any steps to love in moderation. Self-control enables one to take moderation in their decisions, and Romeo lacks that after meeting Juliet. Firstly, it is known that Romeo crashes Capulet's party uninvited. This is the first definite example of Romeo's lack of self-control. He goes to the feast with the intention of meeting Rosaline, but instead he meets Juliet and falls in love with her. At this point Romeo should have realised the importance of the relationship between the two families and known that falling in love with a Capulet would only end in problems. This shows the lack of forethought from Romeo. He didn't stop to think about the consequences of his actions. He speaks metaphysically and in a sort of platonic manner about his love for Rosaline. "Let two more summers pass without a return to this place, then thou shall die..." (Act 1, scene 2, line 105), but privately he is indulging in these promiscuous relationships with Juliet at the very epitome of youth, summer, and sexual passion. His lack of resolve to carry through the ideas he speaks about clearly suggests that he is embarking on a path of reckless abandon. Romeo also proves that he has no self-control after being provoked by Tybalt. After Mercutio is murdered at the hands of Tybalt, Romeo seeks retaliation and ends up killing Tybalt. Although Romeo shows a strong resolve after killing Tybalt (e.g. immediate regret for his actions), because of Tybalt's death, it ends any chance of reconciliation between the Montagues and the Capulets. This is a change from Romeo, who previously showed passive qualities, even in times of violence. This event hasn't directly affected his relationship with Juliet, but it has indeed taken away both potential and hope for the couple's future together. Tybalt is dead, and Romeo is banished from Verona. This sends Juliet into a state of grief and depression, and it is at this point she decides to go to Friar Laurence for counsel and advice. It is Friar Laurence's idea that Juliet should fake her own death, and this plan ultimately leads to both lovers' real deaths. This is a classic example of anagnorisis and peripeteia, or a sudden realization that leads to an abrupt reversal of circumstances from good to bad, the fifth and sixth stages of tragedy. This event directly leads to the peripeteia of the play, where a series of acts are set off starting from Juliet's decision, which will eventually lead to both her and Romeo's deaths. All of these circumstances are the result of Romeo's lack of self-control. If he had chosen to react differently to Tybalt's violence, then the outcome could have been very different.

2.3 Blind Passion and Obsession

Initially, the passion Romeo feels for Juliet is different to anything he has previously encountered and is proclaimed as the most powerful emotion he has ever experienced. It disables Romeo's ability to think rationally and leads to his high level of emotional instability throughout the play. During the balcony scene, Romeo changes his mind and decides he wants to leave exile and face the consequences of his actions with Juliet. Directly after Romeo makes this decision, he then recants it and says, "by and by I come... to cease thy strife, and leave me to my grief:... I am fled... come, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so." On this one night, Romeo changes his mind four times which shows how unstable he is emotionally, through all these quick mood swings his passion for Juliet is the only common factor. Later, in the friar's cell, Romeo regains his control and independence but darkness in him will let go, of day, it wearies me; fray else this light in here, it is not day. This soliloquy shows us that his love has led him to a violent state of mind where he says he himself will kill the night, a personification of darkness, to spend longer with Juliet. This is a drastic change from the lovesick puppy Romeo we have seen from the beginning of their romance and a catalyst to Romeo's behavior until the death of the two lovers. One of the first examples of the tragedy in Romeo and Juliet is the misunderstanding between their relationship and the hesitating and unconventional consent from Juliet. Her words go against her heart's will and Romeo comes to believe that she does not care for him anymore. This, of course, is untrue, "I will omit no opportunity that may convey my greetings, note thou this by my fear." This shows that Friar Lawrence does not believe that Romeo and Juliet could ever be truly happy again without being together, that he would rather be dead. It is these words that show the tragedy that enhances the tragic irony in this play, as will later cause Romeo's untimely demise.

2.4 Inability to Make Rational Decisions

Romeo's inability to make rational decisions, like that of a tragic hero, impedes his capability to become mastered by his fated downfall. The fact that Romeo has no thought in the consequences of his actions further supports the truth that he is a tragic hero; he cannot stop or control his own fate. Once fate has been called into action, there will be no prevention of its disastrous outcome. Romeo's first incomplete act of impulsivity is evident in this quote: "And too soon marred are those so early made" (I.v.11). This quote not only shows Romeo's desires to rush into things without any thought of outcome, it also foreshadows Romeo's vows to Juliet, the hasty nature of this event planting the first seed of Romeo's inescapable destiny. Romeo's first rash decision is the decision to sneak into Capulet's party. It is here where Romeo first sets his eyes upon Juliet and falls in love. Romeo had no intention of going to the party; it was merely a coincidence that the servant had asked him to read the list of guests to him. Romeo's willingness to take Benvolio's advice and to show Rosaline "a torcher soon kindled and soon put out" (I.ii.93) illustrates Romeo's mood of untreated depression and sadness. It is clear that Benvolio and Romeo had made no plans for disguises and were not invited, and clearly Romeo is saying that he would compare his past and future loves to the flame on the torcher. This act of impulsivity sets up Romeo's meeting with Juliet.

3. Romeo's Downfall

Montague, the ones that gave the order to banish Romeo, are none other than the ones that indirectly caused their nephew's death and are forced to blame themselves for what has happened. The Montagues did start the fight in the beginning of the play, then Romeo and Juliet continued it. If the Montagues made no attempt to ever start a quarrel with the Capulets, the prince, one of higher power, would have made no attempt to get them to cease the fighting. This is an indirect cause of Romeo's death already since he is banished from Verona. Once the Montagues got Tybalt killed in the streets, they knew that there would be consequences such as their son being forced to leave Verona. Now, when Romeo hears of his banishment, he does not know the cause which he puts on himself and it will cause him great grief. The prince and Mercutio cannot recall murder in this case, but Tybalt died because of them and will indirectly cause Romeo's grief and Juliet to be forced to marry Paris. Another instance of indirect cause is when the Nurse gets the idea of marrying Paris stuck in Juliet's head after she found out Romeo would no longer be in Verona. When Juliet refused to marry Paris, the next person to talk to her was Friar Lawrence, who took matters into his own hands to keep Juliet from marrying Paris. He came up with a plan to give Juliet a potion to make it look like she was dead, then send a letter to Romeo to come to her tomb where they would then leave Verona together. This plan had good intentions to bring the Capulets and Montagues together in a sense of relief and to lose the thought of a feud. The problem with the plan was that there was too much haste and too many things went wrong. At the same time that Friar Lawrence was hatching this plan, he had further frustration with trying to tell Romeo to control himself and think rationally. This had nothing to do with Romeo's banishment but rather his temper and how it leads to his downfall. Duration: 1422.

3.1 Influence of Fate and Destiny

Romeo and Juliet is a play shaped by the complex, multifarious nature of fate; as a result, the title characters are 'star-cross'd lovers' who are manipulated by a powerful and overbearing force. The concept of fate functions as a central theme in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. In the opening prologue, the chorus informs the audience that Romeo and Juliet are "A pair of star-crossed lovers" (Prologue l.6) who will inevitably come to a bad end. This prefigures the play's events and creates a sense of fate as the cause of the couple's deaths. The idea of predetermined destiny is reinforced as early as Act 1 Scene 4 when Romeo declares "I fear too early, for my mind misgives, Some consequence yet hanging in the stars…" (1.4. l.113-114) suggesting that he feels his life is already in the hands of fate and he is thus apprehensive of the future. Romeo's belief in the power of the stars becomes evident after he kills Tybalt; he claims that he is "Fortune's fool" (3.1. l.142) and must hide in the Friar's cell and "hie to Mantua" (3.3 l.141). In the closing couplet of the play, the Prince blames the double suicide on "…heaven finds means to kill your joys with love." (5.3.5.) The role of fate is also a significant factor that influences the character of Juliet. During her soliloquy in Act 4 Scene l, Juliet resolves to take the sleeping potion rather than face married life to Paris; she personifies fate as she declares "…what if it be a poison, which the Friar subtly hath minist'red to have me dead, lest in this marriage he should be dishonoured" (4.3. l24-26) here Juliet is voicing the fear that the marriage is the will of the Friar rather than the will of heaven and she is afraid of destiny gaining vengeance for her and Romeo's past actions. Varying interpretations of the play can include the analysis that the stars and turbulent political mood of Verona are all manifestations of a divine power that seeks to test the constancy and fidelity of the young couple. Essentially the characters of Romeo and Juliet seek to avoid the fateful consequences of their actions and ensure their continued happiness, yet they are continuously thwarted by the relentless and unfathomable power of fate that seems to work against them.

3.2 Role of External Circumstances

Despite fate and destiny contributing to Romeo's pursuit to join the Capulets and Montagues' lives with his own, it has relatively little to do with the tragic events throughout the play. The most important cause of Romeo's downfall was his hastiness to act without thinking. His attempts to skip past the "bad" parts to the day he met Juliet, a supposed gift of fate, add to his ill-chosen actions. In Act 2, Scene 3, Romeo seeks Friar Laurence immediately to ask him to wed himself and Juliet. In the same scene, it appears as if a death sentence has been put on Romeo's head. When Romeo speaks with the Friar in Act 3, Scene 3, the conversation is about a subject they take very lightly. Romeo ends the conversation speaking his mind of execution or death; it's all the same to him as banishment. He shows that he doesn't understand the impact of the Prince's judgment, and eventually, the Friar suggests a plan which will end in disaster. Though this plan serves to solve another problem caused later by the lovers' separation, it leads to worse when news of it travels to Mantua and Romeo hears of Juliet's faked death. This event is the major turnaround in the play for the sense of Romeo's character. Already, the youth has been somewhat changed from the Petrarchan lover to a more developed individual, and now things take a darker twist. With the death of Tybalt and the Prince's order of banishment, Romeo is removed from Verona, and great tension is created knowing what will happen if he is caught. Now is the time where Romeo and Juliet have been punished for their hasty decision to be married, and yet to follow are several more instances of ill-chosen actions to lead into the final tragedy.

3.3 Impact of Romeo's Actions on Others

Impulsiveness is the tragic flaw that plagues Romeo. His character as a stimuli seeker sends him seeking it in negative, life-threatening situations. In this section, I will explore whether it be his character or the circumstances which gave him no chances that resulted in such a negative situation for himself. Before delving into what role his character played, one must realize what brought about the bad situation. From the onset of the play, adventure and putting himself in dangerous situations brought Romeo to his demise. His pursuit of stimuli came with his abandonment of Ex Rosaline, which he describes after his first encounter with Juliet. "With Rosaline, my ghostly Father, no; I have forgot that name and that name's woe." Here, he is admitting to forgetting about his old life. The pursuit of these stimuli was due in part to realization of Tybalt and his hate for Montagues, and in part due to his infatuation for Juliet. This, as a result, led him to his involvement in the series of events that caused his exile. At least it must be said that from 3.1 onwards, the events that led to his exile were not consciously sought out by Romeo. An attempt to break up the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt ended with Romeo unintentionally bearing responsibility for his closest friend's death by becoming involved in their fight. Given the circumstances, no man of loyal character to his friends would have run away from a duel, and despite the prior violence that day, he definitely had no conscious intent in having it lead to another. This event directly triggered the chain of events that led to his exile. Coming between a fight that leads to another, with very little chance of stopping them, is definitely not something Romeo would have planned if he had known the outcome. A similar statement can be made about his quick killing of Tybalt in revenge. Influenced by his impulsive character and very little thought for the consequences, this incident was the one which awoke Romeo from his adolescent love dream that began at the Capulet ball. With news that he is to be banished from Verona and that his "perjured death" (3.2.121) has led to Juliet's grief, comes the realization that Romeo's marriage to Juliet is no longer a pleasant pastime activity, but one that caused him much pain and has led to a life-threatening situation.

3.4 Tragic Consequences of Romeo's Choices

The tragic consequences of Romeo's choices are made very clear right from the start of the play. The obvious immediate consequence is his own death at the end of the play. The manner in which he comes to kill himself is through the poison he has purchased from the Apothecary. This act of suicide is wholly resultant from the several mistakes in his decision-making shown in the stages of his relationship with Juliet. For example, his persuasive use of language in the balcony scene and the discussion of their marriage, then following on to the slaying of Tybalt; all prove to be primary actions that lead him to his own death. From another perspective, his joy in ruling that he has 'forgotten the should of a name' illustrates the selection of his own fate – a fate of separation of his love. This is a vital turning point in the play and through this there is a direct change in the protagonist's fortune. He realizes that no matter what decision he attempts to make, he is only making things worse for himself in the end. This is proven most notably when he attempts to solve the problems by arranging his marriage to Paris in Act 4. This is a last resort to make an effort in changing the outcomes of previous decisions although the whole practice is based on false information given to him by Friar Laurence.

4. Conclusion

Throughout the essay, Romeo's character has been the ideal example of a tragic hero. Romeo has unparalleled characteristics that represent a tragic hero. Romeo's impetuous actions such as his passionate love for Juliet, his going from 'loving' Tybalt to his vengeful nature for Mercuito, and trying to refrain from fate, "I defy you stars!" "And I'll no longer be a Capulet." Typically, a tragedy is a drama that concludes in a sorrowful or disastrous ending. This is usually due to fatal flaws in the hero's character which leads to this end. Romeo's impetuous and passionate nature resulting in his making of irrational decisions, his own competitive nature and the feud between the Capulets sets the stage for the tragic ending of the play. These events lead to the deaths of Tybalt, Mercuito, Paris, Juliet and himself. This is what has happened in Romeo and Juliet. A series of events of the above nature leads to the fatal ending of the play. In this sense, it is self-evident that the play itself is a tragedy. The importance of Romeo's tragic hero status is that the entire play is fueled by the outcomes of the events in which Romeo's actions, emotions and decisions have instigated. Without Romeo in this specific role, the play would not be the feast of death that it is. The events that have taken place and the way they have taken place would be very different, thus the play would not be a tragedy, nor have the effect that it has on the audience.

4.1 Recap of Romeo's Tragic Hero Characteristics

He is a tragic hero as it is an effective element used to create the ideology that this play is a romantic tragedy. The typical character of a tragic hero can be described as someone who is superior in a way – in this case, it is superior in his ability to love rather than typical kingly superiority. He is an excellent person; he is neither good nor bad, his character is always on the brink of one or the other, and he is also his own worst enemy, and therefore his downfall is his own fault, which is a result of an error in his judgment. Romeo is all of the above, nevertheless his involvement with his fair Juliet and his death makes his pure the most untainted in the play. Romeo is highly effective in terms of love: first with his own idealized love for Rosaline in the start of the play; with the others, it is seen as more than infatuation, yet this is important because it actually demonstrates how Romeo is not your typical hormone-raging teenager, it shows that this is his perception of "true love". This is realized when he meets Juliet and the two fall in love with each other at first sight. This is indication enough to show that Shakespeare is aiming to portray Romeo as a passionate and impulsive lover. This is reinforced by the secrecy and the speed of their marriage which instrumentally leads to the deaths and the eventual tragedy. Despite the fact that Romeo has killed Tybalt, his character does not deteriorate from its "likeable" state. This is because in the situation in which he killed Tybalt it was more as a result of revenge for the death of Mercutio, who had been killed by "that villain Tybalt", and therefore being promised pardon, Romeo didn't deserve the misfortune that ensued from his and Tybalt's deaths. Throughout the conflict that leads to the death of Mercutio and Tybalt, Romeo maintains this "Tybalt's kinsman", and he commends Tybalt as "villain, I am none so great to vilify thee", indicating that he doesn't want to fight, and he is trying to avert the more serious consequences that and Tybalt's deaths. These high-caliber attitudes all contribute to Romeo's portrayal as a noble person and act as another point of superiority between him and the other characters.

4.2 Analysis of the Overall Tragic Narrative

Let us consider the whole plot in the perspective of Romeo being the tragic hero. He comes from a well-respected family, the Montagues, where they live in a rich, splendid environment in the city. In Act I, the prologue already informs the audience of a "death-marked love" between Romeo and Juliet, hinting that Romeo is not in control of his own destiny and tragedy will always occur. Romeo meets Juliet in Act I and immediately falls in love. He makes the first step in their relationship by kissing her, thus falling even deeper into love. This is a pivotal turning point in the play. Romeo begins to lose Benvolio and Mercutio, his friends, who are using their wits to joke about the Capulets to Romeo; a sign of him losing his identity. What follows is Romeo and Juliet marrying in secret. This truly is a disaster waiting to happen because the only way they could be together was secretively. Already the audience is now well aware that Romeo has feelings of foreboding about the relationship, and maybe now is more a realization that they are both trapped in fate. Tybalt, however, publicizes the marriage to Romeo by challenging him. Romeo refuses to fight, which in perspective softens the audience to Tybalt, who is only trying to defend his family name. Mercutio decides to fight as a result of what he sees as Romeo's dishonor: his vapid love for Rosaline and now Juliet has made him lose his masculinity. Mercutio's death is then avenged by Romeo, who feels guilt and regret at what he has done, saying "O, I am fortune's fool." The prince then declares that Romeo is to be exiled from Verona. At this point, Mercutio's death has had a huge impact on Romeo. He feels the society is now turning against him, and this is the beginning of the end. In despair of being exiled, he attempts suicide. The friar tells Romeo to go and comfort Juliet, who is now on the verge of killing herself due to the arranged marriage with Paris. He then consummates his marriage with Juliet, but it's not a tryst because he knows he is so close to parting with her for a long time.

4.3 Importance of Romeo's Tragic Hero Status in the Play

Without a doubt, Romeo's character is the archetype of Shakespeare's tragic hero. Unlike Othello, Macbeth, and King Lear, Romeo begins the play as a good and decent young man, yet it is not the evil deeds of others, but his own character flaws that lead to his downfall and ultimately his death. He is truly in love with a young woman, which is more than sexual desire; this makes his death so much more tragic as he has never been in a fight to the death. As a typical Elizabethan hero, his apparent 'good fortune' in love and battle are ironic instead of being a reward for his good deeds. Last but not least, Romeo's display of a death wish in Act 3, scene 3, "come, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so," shows his fatal predisposition. He is not really so much carried by the events of the play as he is the cause for the events. Because Romeo's character is full of enigmas and contradictions, which is why his actions are often strange and unexpected, yet always in character. The play's focal point lies on the character progression of Romeo. All the events revolve around his actions and emotions. Romeo's central role is created from his position in a web of tragedy. It is this series of unfortunate events in his life, which he, not fate, has caused that set the turning point of the play from a happy love story to the mournful tragedy. This starts with his entrance to a fight he was hoping to avoid and ends with the death of himself and his love. This plot is what separates Romeo and Juliet from all the other Shakespearean tragedies. It is the moment of irony where the most intricate series of events to teach Romeo a lesson are the cause of his misfortune. This binds the audience to Romeo as they find themselves shouting warnings at him and hoping for a story to take a turn for the better yet knowing the opposite will occur. The use of dramatic irony in presenting the series of events certainly evokes the audience's pity and fear. The play's resonance with the audience is not only due to the tragic events in the narrative but something much more profound. The essence of Aristotle's theory on tragedy, noted by Seneca "Not all the plays, but only those representing virtuous deeds are tragedies," is conveyed by the fact that it is more than the character of Romeo but his status as a tragic hero or better yet a symbol of human greatness and humanity that makes the play tragic. The audience finds a certain personal identification and sympathy with the character and status of Romeo, who represents a youth of great potential destroyed by the futility of the feud and atrocities committed by himself and others. It is the intellectual puzzle of his enigma, contradictions, his fate, and willing self-destruction by the end of the play that make him an unmatchable tragic image.

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Romeo And Juliet: Romeo – A Tragic Hero Analysis

Shakespeare is a well known author who wrote in the 1500’s. Many of hisplays are classified as tragedies. According to the Oxford dictionary ofcurrent English, a tragedy is described as a serious disaster or a sad event.

In Shakespeare plays, tragedy is identified as a story that ends unhappily dueto the fall of the protagonist, which is the tragic hero. For a play to be atragedy, there must be a tragic hero. In the play Romeo and Juliet, Romeo isthe tragic hero. The theme of tragedy plays a great role in the play Romeo andJuliet. By analyzing Romeo’s tragic flaw, his noble birth, his series of poordecisions, the suffering of Romeo that extends beyond himself, it is evidentthat Romeo and Juliet is classified as a tragedy.

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A person must posses certain qualities that classify one as a tragichero. One of these qualities is the noble birth of a character. In the playRomeo and Juliet Romeo being the tragic hero, possesses that quality. Romeo isa Montague, and in the city of Verona the Montagues are a well known andrespected family. It is a known fact that the Montagues are of noble birth whenit is said by Benvolio in Act 1, Scene 1, Line 141: “My noble uncle.” Benvoliois referring to Lord Montague, who is the father of Romeo. The Montagues arealso a rich family, and that is one of the reasons for the respect for Romeo.

“Verona brags of him a bears him like a partly gentleman.” This was said byLord Capulet in Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 65-66. This quote illustrates that evenRomeo’s enemies know well of him and know that he is respected and talked aboutby the citizens of Verona. Usually when a character is introduced as beingnoble, the audience is aware that in the end of the play, the character willhave a tragic fall.

Another necessary quality possessed by a tragic hero is the hero’stragic flaw, which in Romeo’s case is falling in love too quickly and deeply. “To seek a tragic flaw in either Romeo or Juliet is a foolish and futile.” -comments Harold Goddard, a critic from the book: ” Modern critical views,William Shakespeare the Tragedies.” Goddard supports the idea that having atragic flaw is a part of being a tragic hero. Another critic states that ” ifRomeo’s character does have a tragic flaw, it is youthful impetuosity; an olderor more deliberate man might somehow have managed to avoid the quarrel and wouldnot rush to kill himself as soon as he believed that Juliet was dead. In the play Romeo and Juliet romeo’stragic fall being he falls in love too quickly and too deeply, brings him to anawful end. In the beginning of the play one is introduced to Romeo being deeplyand hopelessly in love with Rosaline. However Rosaline does not feel the sameway about Romeo. This is when Romeo is unhappy and says to Benvolio: “Nothaving that which makes having short. This verywell illustrates how deeply Romeo was in love with Rosaline. In the next scenethe audience realize that Romeo ha fallen for another, which is Juliet. “For Ine’er saw true beauty till this night.” -Said by Romeo in Act 1, Scene 5, Line52.The audience can quickly identify Romeo’s flaw of falling in love too quicklyand deeply when he forgets about his feelings for Rosaline and concentrates onJuliet. Juliet too realizes that Romeo’s love for her was too fast when shesaid : “It is too rash, too undvis’d, too sudden. Having a tragic flaw could be foreshadowing of the fall of the tragichero.

Rome being the play’s tragic hero makes a series of poor decisions. Thefirst decision of many was going to the Capulet’s party. ” Direct my sail! Ohlusty gentlemen.” Says Romeo in Act 1, Scene 4, Line 113. If Romeo did not goto the party he would not have met Juliet. It was unnecessary for Romeo to tryto stop the fight between Tybalt and Mercutio. If Romeo did not try to stop thefight, Mercutio would not have been killed, and the fight between Romeo andTybalt would not have existed. Romeo says in Act 3, Scene 1, Line 94 : “Courage, man; the hurt can not be much.”, when he tries to stop the fightbetween Tybalt and Mercutio. Romeo makes the wrong choice when he decides tofight Tybalt for the death of Mercutio. “Either thou, or I, or both, must gowith him.This quote refers to Romeo’s challengefor Tybalt. If Romeo did not fight Tybalt he would not have been banished fromVerona. Another one of Romeo’s poor decisions was the decision to commitsuicide, which was also his last decision. “O true apothecary, thy drugs arequick, thus with a kiss I die.” Said Romeo in Act 5, Scene 3, Line 120, rightbefore he died. If only Romeo decided not to drink the poison he would havebeen alive to see Juliet wake. All these decisions caused Romeo, the tragichero, to end his life tragically.

The suffering of the tragic hero also extends beyond himself. Due tothe actions of Romeo, Mercutio and Tybalt died. “When he tries to make peacebetween them and Mercutio is fatally wounded, Romeo remarks pathetically ‘Ithought out for the best.’ “- Comments Phillis Rackin author of ShakespeareTragedies. “Mercutio’s soul is but a little way above our heads”, remarks Romeoafter Mercutio’s death, caused by Romeo. Tybalt’s death also results fromRomeo’s poor actions. After Romeo’s death Lady Montague dies of a heart attack.

Lord Montague says to the Prince in Act 5, Scene 3, Line 209: “Alas my leige, mywife is dead tonight.” Because of Romeo, Juliet decides upon her own death.

She argues with her father, drinks the potion, and later stabs herself, all forthe love for Romeo. Verona’s peace is disturbed by all the commotion of thefights between the Capulets and the Montagues, caused mainly by Romeo. There isstill no peace in the streets of Verona. The families of both Romeo and Julietsuffer over the loss of their children, and everyone is unhappy. Since Romeobrought suffering upon people rather than himself, he is truly the tragic heroand makes the play Romeo and Juliet a tragedy.

It is obvious that in the play Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is the tragichero. This is evident when the audience see Romeo’s noble birth, his tragicflaw, series of poor decisions he made and the fact that through his actions hebrought suffering upon other people. Most plays, stories or novels have a moral.

The moral of Romeo and Juliet is not to rush into things like love, hate andimportant decisions. All people should think twice about every decision theyare making. From all the evidence stated in this paragraph along with theparagraphs above it is said that Romeo and Juliet is classified as a tragedy.

WORKS CONSULTED

Bloom, Nasold. Modern critical views. William shakespeare the Tragedies.1985Rackin, Phillis. Shakespeare’s Tragedies. 1978Brodley, A.C. Shakespearian Tragedy. 1986Oxford school Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet. 1982

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Example Of How Is Romeo A Tragic Hero Essay

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Shakespeare , Love , Death , Poison , Hero , Romeo and Juliet , Literature , Theater

Published: 12/05/2019

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1. Romeo is one of the tragic heroes of Shakespeare, who because of the various tragedies and circumstances committed suicide at the end of play. As we know that no human on the earth is perfect, every one is having some or other kind of flaws. Romeo is reflecting a personality who very quickly falls in love and who is having high pride and is not capable to take right decisions.

In the first act Romeo is in love with Rosaline, who rejected his proposal. When Romeo saw Juliet he instantly falls in love with her and decided to marry her on the same day. After their marriage Romeo murdered his enemy Tybalt. Because of the murder Romeo was driven out from Verona. After hearing news of death of Juliet he decided to come to Verona. On his way back to Verona he bought poison and After seeing dead Juliet Romeo consumed poison without knowing the fact that she was sleeping and her death was staged.

In the whole play, decisions taken by Romeo were without thinking about the consequences. Romeo’s wrong decisions got him into trouble and finally ended up with death of Romeo and Juliet.

2. Tragic hero represents a person who suffers a lot because of destiny and finally causes death of hero. Romeo was a tragic hero in the play. Throughout the play destiny played with Romeo and from falling in love with Juliet an enemy’s daughter to killing of Tybalt and finally poison consumption. In all these steps Romeo could have controlled himself but he did not think logically and without giving a thought of consequences he took all the decisions.

Romeo and Juliet could have been lived happier together if Romeo have not killed Tybalt and not consumed poison. His misfortune and irrational behavior took him and Juliet to the death.

Drama. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2011, from www.furman.weebly.com: http://furman.weebly.com/uploads/5/1/7/6/5176248/drama.pdf William Shakespeare and Janie B. Yates-Glandorf. (2004). Romeo and Juliet . Logan: Perfection Learning Corporation.

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Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets' is written in blood

On Taylor Swift's 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department , her artistry is tangled up in the details of her private life and her deployment of celebrity. But Swift's lack of concern about whether these songs speak to and for anyone but herself is audible throughout the album. Beth Garrabrant /Courtesy of the artist hide caption

On Taylor Swift's 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department , her artistry is tangled up in the details of her private life and her deployment of celebrity. But Swift's lack of concern about whether these songs speak to and for anyone but herself is audible throughout the album.

For all of its fetishization of new sounds and stances, pop music was born and still thrives by asking fundamental questions. For example, what do you do with a broken heart? That's an awfully familiar one. Yet romantic failure does feel different every time. Its isolating sting produces a kind of obliterating possessiveness: my pain, my broken delusions, my hope for healing. A broken heart is a screaming baby demanding to be held and coddled and nurtured until it grows up and learns how to function properly. This is as true in the era of the one-percent glitz goddess as it was when blues queens and torch singers organized society's crying sessions. It's true of Taylor Swift , who's equated songwriting with the heart's recovery since she released " Teardrops on my Guitar " 18 years ago, and whose 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department , is as messy and confrontational as a good girl's work can get, blood on her pages in a classic shade of red.

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Back in her Lemonade days, when her broken heart turned her into a bearer of revolutionary spirit, Swift's counterpart and friendly rival, Beyoncé , got practical, advising her listeners that while feelings do need tending, a secured bank account is what counts. "Your best revenge is your paper," she sang .

For Swift, the best revenge is her pen. One of the first Tortured Poets songs revealed back in February (one of the album's many bonus tracks, it turns out, but a crucial framing device) is called " The Manuscript "; in it, a woman re-reads her own scripted account of a "torrid love affair." Screenwriting is one of a few literary ambitions Swift aligns with this project. At The Grove mall in Los Angeles, Swift partnered with Spotify to create a mini-library where new lyrics were inscribed in weathered books and on sheets of parchment in the days leading up to its release. The scene was a fans' photo op invoking high art and even scripture. In the photographs of the installation that I saw, every bound volume in the library bears Swift's name. The message is clear: When Taylor Swift makes music, she authors everything around her.

For years, Swift has been pop's leading writer of autofiction , her work exploring new dimensions of confessional songwriting, making it the foundation of a highly mediated public-private life. The standard line about her teasing lyrical disclosures (and it's correct on one level) is that they're all about fueling fan interest. But on Tortured Poets , she taps into a much more established and respected tradition. Using autobiography as a sword of justice is a move as ancient as the women saints who smote abusive fathers and priests in the name of an early Christian Jesus; in our own time, just among women, it's been made by confessional poets like Sylvia Plath, memoirists from Maya Angelou to Joyce Maynard and literary stars like the Nobel prize winner Annie Ernaux. And, of course, Swift's reluctant spiritual mother, Joni Mitchell .

Even in today's blather-saturated cultural environment, a woman speaking out after silence can feel revolutionary; that this is an honorable act is a fundamental principle within many writers' circles. "I write out of hurt and how to make hurt okay, how to make myself strong and come home, and it may be the only home I ever have," Natalie Goldberg declares in Writing Down the Bones , the most popular writing manual of the 20th century. When on this album's title track, Swift sings, "I think some things I never say," she's making an offhand joke; but this is the album where she does say all the things she thinks, about love at least, going deeper into the personal zone that is her métier than ever before. Sharing her darkest impulses and most mortifying delusions, she fills in the blank spaces in the story of several much-mediated affairs and declares this an act of liberation that has changed and ultimately strengthened her. She spares no one, including herself; often in these songs, she considers her naiveté and wishfulness through a grown woman's lens and admits she's made a fool of herself. But she owns her heartbreak now. She alone will have the last word on its shape and its effects.

This includes other people's sides of her stories. The songs on Tortured Poets , most of which are mid- or up-tempo ballads spun out in the gossamer style that's defined Swift's confessional mode since Folklore , build a closed universe of private and even stolen moments, inhabited by only two people: Swift and a man. With a few illuminating exceptions that stray from the album's plot, she rarely looks beyond their interactions. The point is not to observe the world, but to disclose the details of one sometimes-shared life, to lay bare what others haven't seen. Tortured Poets is the culmination of a catalog full of songs in which Swift has taken us into the bedrooms where men pleasured or misled her, the bars where they charmed her, the empty playgrounds where they sat on swings with her and promised something they couldn't give. When she sings repeatedly that one of the most suspect characters on the album told her she was the love of her life, she's sharing something nobody else heard. That's the point. She's testifying under her own oath.

Swift's musical approach has always been enthusiastic and absorbent. She's created her own sounds by blending country's sturdy song structures with R&B's vibes, rap's cadences and pop's glitz; as a personality and a performer, she's all arms, hugging the world. The sound of Tortured Poets offers that familiar embrace, with pop tracks that sparkle with intelligence, and meditative ones that wrap tons of comforting aura around Swift's ruminations. Beyond a virtually undetectable Post Malone appearance and a Florence Welch duet that also serves as an homage to Swift's current exemplar/best friendly rival, Lana Del Rey , the album alternates between co-writes with Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, the producers who have helped Swift find her mature sound, which blends all of her previous approaches without favoring any prevailing trend. There are the rap-like, conversational verses, the reaching choruses, the delicate piano meditations, the swooning synth beats. Antonoff's songs come closest to her post- 1989 chart toppers; Dessner's fulfill her plans to remain an album artist. Swift has also written two songs on her own, a rarity for her; both come as close to ferocity as she gets. As a sustained listen, Tortured Poets harkens back to high points throughout Swift's career, creating a comforting environment that both supports and balances the intensity of her storytelling.

It's with her pen that Swift executes her battle plans. As always, especially when she dwells on the work and play of emotional intimacy, her lyrics are hyper-focused, spilling over with detail, editing the mess of desire, projection, communion and pain that constitutes romance into one sharp perspective: her own. She renders this view so intensely that it goes beyond confession and becomes a form of writing that can't be disputed. Remember that parchment and her quill pen; her songs are her new testaments. It's a power play, but for many fans, especially women, this ambition to be definitive feels like a necessary corrective to the misrepresentations or silence they face from ill-intentioned or cluelessly entitled men.

"A great writer can be a dangerous creature, however gentle and nice in person," the biographer Hermione Lee once wrote . Swift has occasionally taken this idea to heart before, especially on her once-scorned, now revered hip-hop experiment, Reputation . But now she's screaming from the hilltop, sparing no one, including herself as she tries to prop up one man's flagging interest and then falls for others' duplicity. "I know my pain is such an imposition," Swift sang in last year's " You're Losing Me ," a prequel to the explosive confessional mode of Tortured Poets , where that pain grows nearly suicidal, feeds romantic obsession, and drives her to become a "functional alcoholic" and a madwoman who finds strength in chaos in a way that recalls her friend Emma Stone's cathartic performance as Bella in Poor Things . (Bella, remember, comes into self-possession by learning to read and write.) " Who's afraid of little old me? " Swift wails in the album's window-smashing centerpiece bearing that title; in " But Daddy I Love Him ," she runs around screaming with her dress unbuttoned and threatens to burn down her whole world. These accounts of unhinged behavior reinforce the message that everybody had better be scared of this album — especially her exes, but also her business associates, the media and, yes, her fans, who are not spared in her dissection of just who's made her miserable over the past few years.

Listen to the album

I'm not getting into the dirty details; those who crave them can listen to Tortured Poets themselves and easily uncover them. They're laid out so clearly that anyone who's followed Swift's overly documented life will instantly comprehend who's who: the depressive on the heath, the tattooed golden retriever in her dressing room. Here's my reading of her album-as-novel — others' interpretations may vary: Swift's first-person protagonist (let's call her "Taylor") begins in a memory of a long-ago love affair that left her melancholy but on civil terms, then has an early meeting with a tempting rogue, who declares he's the Dylan Thomas to her Patti Smith; no, she says, though she's sorely tempted, we're "modern idiots," and she leaves him behind for a while. Then we get scenes from a stifling marriage to a despondent and distracted child-man. "So long, London," she declares, fleeing that dead end. From then on, it's the rogue on all cylinders. They connect, defy the daddy figures who think they're bad for each other, speak of rings and baby carriages. Those daddies continue to meddle in this newfound freedom.

In this main story arc, Swift writes about erotic desire as she never has before: She's "fresh out the slammer" (ouch, the rhetoric) and her bedsheets are on fire. She cannot stop rhapsodizing about this new love object and her commitment to their outlaw hunger for each other. It's " Love Story ," updated and supersized, with a proper Romeo at its center — a forbidden, tragic soulmate, a perfect match who's also a disastrous one. Swift peppers this section of Tortured Poets with name-drops ("Jack" we know, " Lucy " might be a tricky slap at Romeo, hard to tell) and instantly searchable references; he sends her a song by The Blue Nile and traces hearts on her face but tells revolting jokes in the bar and eventually reveals himself as a cad, a liar, a coward. She recovers, but not really. In the end, she does move on but still dreams of him hearing one of their songs on a jukebox and dolefully realizing the young girl he's now with has never heard it before.

Insert the names yourself. They do matter, because her backstories are key to Swift's appeal; they both keep her human-sized and amplify her fame. Swift's artistry is tied up in her deployment of celebrity, a slippery state in which a real life becomes emblematic. Like no one before, she's turned her spotlit day-to-day into a conceptual project commenting on women's freedom, artistic ambition and the place of the personal in the public sphere. As a celebrity, Swift partners with others: her model and musician friends, her actor/musician/athlete consorts, brands, even (warily) political causes. And with her fans, the co-creators of her stardom.

Her songs stand apart, though. They remain the main vehicle through which, negotiating unimaginable levels of renown, Swift continually insists on speaking only for herself. A listener has to work to find the "we" in her soliloquies. There are plenty of songs on Tortured Poets in which others will find their own experiences, from the sultry blue eroticism of " Down Bad " to the click of recognition in " I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) ." But Swift's lack of concern about whether these songs speak for and to anyone besides herself is audible throughout the album. It's the sound of her freedom.

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She also confronts the way fame has cost her, fully exploring questions she raised on Reputation and in " Anti-Hero ." There are hints, more than hints, that her romance with the rogue was derailed partly because her business associates found it problematic, a danger to her precious reputation. And when she steps away from the man-woman predicament, Swift ponders the ephemeral reality of the success that has made private decisions nearly impossible. A lovely minuet co-written with Dessner, " Clara Bow " stages a time-lapsed conversation between Swift and the power players who've helped orchestrate her rise even as she knows they won't be concerned with her eventual obsolescence. "You look like Clara Bow ," they say, and later, "You look like Stevie Nicks in '75." Then, a turn: "You look like Taylor Swift," the suits (or is it the public, the audience?) declare. "You've got edge she never did." The song ends abruptly — lights out. This scene, redolent of All About Eve , reveals anxieties that all of Swift's love songs rarely touch upon.

One reason Swift went from being a normal-level pop star to sharing space with Beyoncé as the era's defining spirit is because she is so good at making the personal huge, without fussing over its translation into universals. In two decades of talking back to heartbreakers, Swift has called out gaslighting, belittling, neglect, false promises — all the hidden injuries that lovers inflict on each other, and that a sexist society often overlooks or forgives more easily from men. In "The Manuscript," which calls back to a romantic trauma outside the Tortured Poets frame, she sings of being a young woman with an older man making "coffee in a French press" and then "only eating kids cereal" and sleeping in her mother's bed when he dumps her; any informed Swift fan's mind will race to songs and headlines about cads she's previously called out in fan favorites like "Dear John" and "All Too Well" — the beginnings of the mission Tortured Poets fulfills.

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Swift's pop side (and perhaps her co-writers' influence) shows in the way she balances the claustrophobic referentiality of her writing with sparkly wordplay and well-crafted sentimental gestures. On Tortured Poets , she's less strategic than usual. She lets the details fall the way they would in a confession session among besties, not trying to change them from painful memories into points of connection. She's just sharing. Swift bares every crack in her broken heart as a way of challenging power structures, of arguing that emotional work that men can sidestep is still expected from women who seem to own the world.

Throughout Tortured Poets, Swift is trying to work out how emotional violence occurs: how men inflict it on women and women cultivate it within themselves. It's worth asking how useful such a brutal evisceration of one privileged private life can be in a larger social or political sense; critics, including NPR's Leah Donnella in an excellent 2018 essay on the limits of the songwriter's reach, have posed that question about Swift's work for years. But we should ask why Swift's work feels so powerful to so many — why she has become, in the eyes of millions, a standard-bearer and a freedom fighter. Unlike Beyoncé, who loves a good emblem and is always thinking about history and serving the culture and communities she claims, Swift is making an ongoing argument about smaller stories still making a difference. Her callouts can be viewed as petty, reflecting entitlement or even narcissism. But they're also part of her wrestling with the very notion of significance and challenging hierarchies that have proven to be so stubborn they can feel intractable. That Swift has reached such a peak of influence in the wake of the #MeToo movement isn't an accident; even as that chapter in feminism's history can seem to be closing, she insists on saying, "believe me." That isn't the same as saying "believe all women," but by laying claim to disputed storylines and fighting against silence, she at the very least reminds listeners that such actions matter.

Listening to Tortured Poets , I often thought of "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance," a song that Sinéad O'Connor recorded when she was in her young prime, not yet banished from the mainstream for her insistence on speaking politically. Like Swift's best work, its lyrics are very specific — allegedly about a former manager and lover — yet her directness and conviction expand their reach. In 1990, that a woman in her mid-20s would address a belittling man in this way felt startling and new. Taylor Swift came to prominence in a culture already changing to make room for such testimonies, if not — still — fully able to honor them. She has made it more possible for them to be heard. "I talk and you won't listen to me," O'Connor wailed . "I know your answer already." Swift doesn't have to worry about whether people will listen. But she knows that this could change. That's why she is writing it all down.

• Taylor Swift