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Justin Walters

Ms. Price

English 1 Honors

5/31/19

Romeo and Juliet’s Silent Killer: HPD

One of the most famous characters in all of literature suffers from Histrionic personality

disorder.​ ​That character is Romeo Montague from the famous play Romeo and Juliet. Romeo

finds himself intensely in love twice in the story, but the love Romeo feels is representative of

the disorder. Histrionic personality disorder is ​a mental health condition that affects the way a person

thinks, perceives, and relates to others. It’s symptoms are often shown by Romeo. ​ ​The symptoms

Romeo shows are shallow emotions, believing relationships are closer than they are, and

depression.

One symptom Romeo shows is having shallow emotions and focusing on physical traits.

In lines 226-229 of Act 1 Scene 1 in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare states: “She hath, and in that

sparing makes huge waste; For beauty, starved with her severity, Cuts beauty off from all

posterity. She is too fair.” In the article, “How to Recognize If Someone Has Histrionic

Personality Disorder,” author Kendra Cherry states: “Individuals with Histrionic personality

disorder: ​Display excessive but shallow emotions​.” This directly relates to Romeo’s behavior at

the party with Rosaline and his affection for Juliet later in the story. Like many people with

Histrionic personality disorder, Romeo’s romantic feelings are fueled by these excessive and

shallow emotions. As a result of the disorder, Romeo might never find true love.

Another symptom Romeo shows is believing relationships are closer than they are. In
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lines 124-126 of Act 2 Scene 2 in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare states: “I have no joy of this

contract tonight. It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, Too like the lightning, which doth

cease to be.” This quote shows that Juliet feels that her love with Romeo has come too fast and

would disappear. Romeo, however, thinks that they are madly in love when they barely know

each other. He believes their relationship is at a completely different level than it actually is.

Romeo shows this throughout the whole story as his connection to Juliet deepens. They are not

truly in love as he believes.

Despite the evidence against Romeo, many people believe he doesn’t suffer from

Histrionic personality disorder. Instead, they believe he suffers from depression. However, they

fail to see that depression is a symptom of Histrionic personality disorder. Those who believe

Romeo only has depression think that his depression being one of the most prevalent character

traits in the story means that is the only thing he suffers from. Although aspects of this argument

are enticing, it ultimately fails to be a stronger argument because depression is one of the many

symptoms that can come as a result of Histrionic personality disorder. When discussing

Histrionic personality disorder in the article “Types Of Personality Disorder,” author Christian

Nordqvist states: ​“The person may function well in social and other environments, but they may

also experience high levels of stress. This can lead to depression and anxiety.” ​This quote shows

medical professionals stating that depression is a symptom of the disorder. Therefore, Romeo

can be depressed and still have Histrionic personality disorder.

The traits Romeo shows are shallow emotions, believing relationships are closer than

they are, and depression. Romeo showed these traits throughout the story but never received any

help. Had he received help, his symptoms could have been lessened. Romeo showed extreme
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traits of the disorder in many situations. His love for Juliet is the perfect example. His love for

her was fueled by shallow emotions, he believed they fell in love quicker than possible, and it

lead to his eventual suicide. This demonstrates the most noticeable symptoms of the disorder.

The story of Romeo and Juliet is a perfect example of the impact that Histrionic personality

disorder can have on the lives of those it affects.

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Works Cited

Romeo and Juliet: Entire Play​, shakespeare.mit.edu/romeo_juliet/full.html.

Cherry, Kendra. “How to Recognize If Someone Has Histrionic Personality Disorder.” ​Verywell

Mind​, Verywell Mind, 22 Apr. 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/histrionic-personality-disorder-2795445.

Nordqvist, Christian. “Personality Disorder: What Are the Different Types?” ​Medical News

Today​, MediLexicon International, 19 Feb. 2019,

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/192888.php.

“Personality Disorders.” ​Mayo Clinic​, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 23

Sept. 2016,

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/personality-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-2035

4463.