Who Is The Main Character of “Romeo and Juliet”?

The story “Romeo and Juliet” has been certified to be one of the best works of William Shakespeare. The story revolves around the lives of two lovers Romeo and Juliet who go against their families owing to their love for each other. They do not worry about the consequences and consider their love to be more important than anything else. The plot presents the different happenings in the lives of Romeo and Juliet and their families. It presents with the series of events that result in the initiation of their love as well as the tragic occurrences that lead to their death. Romeo serves to present as a hero in the story “Romeo and Juliet.” His portrayal as a great fighter and his strength to take strong decisions truly present him as a hero of the story.

William Shakespeare portrays the character of Romeo to be like that of a hero. He is a Montague and despite that Juliet’s father asks Tybalt not to initiate a fight against Romeo when he is seen in a party that is thrown by the Capulets. The reason that he gives to Tybalt for not initiating the fight is that “He bears him like a portly gentleman, And, to say the 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.” Thus, these lines that are said by Juliet’s father explain the fact Romeo is known for his good morals in the city. Romeo is highlighted as a very positive character and he is admired by everyone in the city.

Romeo is a great fighter and he succeeds in all of his fights. He wins his fight against Tybalt which proves to be fatal for him and he also overpowers Paris towards the end of the story. He does not engage in unnecessary fights and he tries his best to avoid fighting with Tybalt. The death of his friend Mercutio results in his decision to fight against Tybalt. Thus, he is a great friend and he only fights for taking revenge for the killing of his friend. He also proves to be a great lover as he only fights against Paris to enter the tomb of his only love, Juliet.

Romeo is fearless and he marries Juliet irrespective of the fact that he would have to face serious consequences. He enters her house secretly just to get a glimpse of his love, Juliet. He proves his love and marries her secretly. Even after they get married, he goes to her house to spend a night with her. He is ready to face all the difficulties that would come his way for being with Juliet. Even after he is exiled and he learns of her death, he comes back to the city. When he sees her body and thinks that she is dead, he drinks poison himself and dies. This proves the fact that he does not care about his life and his love is more important to him than anything else. He proves to be a true hero as he could have opted for a new life and moved ahead. But he shows his love and chooses to die with Juliet.

Romeo is the hero in the story. Romeo fulfills all his roles in the best possible way. He is a great fighter, a great friend and a true lover. He is loved by everyone in the society and is known for his good character. He faces all the difficulties that come in his way and he remains sincere to his love till the end.

References
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. London: Cambridge University Press, 1971.