For this analysis I chose the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

The first

element in this play that illustrates it’s Romanticism genre is it’s melodramatic undertones. It

consists of a hero, heroine, villain, and an accomplice. The hero is Romeo, the son and heir of

Montague and Lady Montague. He is about 16 years old, and could be described as handsome,

intelligent, and sensitive. The heroine, Juliet Capulet, is the only daughter of the patriarch of the

House of Capulet. She is a 13 year old girl who falls in love with Romeo. The accomplice to

Romeo is his close friend Mercutio. The villain in this play could best be described as the cruel

hand of fate.

A second element to a Romanticism play is that it appeals to emotions rather than

intellect. For example Romeo is a sensitive, impulsive, and immature character whose decisions

are based in idealism and passion. He lives in the middle of the violent feud between his family

and the Capulets but he is not at all interested in that violence. His only interest is love. This

appeal to emotion rather than to intellect is best illustrated by his secret marriage to Juliet, the

daughter of his father's worst enemy.

Finally, a play in Romanticism has a protagonist who is portrayed as strong and unique

and often succeeded in trusting his or her gut and emotions. Juliet begins the play as a naive

child who has little interest in love or marriage, but she grows up quickly when she falls in love

with Romeo. She shows amazing courage in trusting her entire life and future to Romeo, even

refusing to believe the reports getting into a fight with her cousin. Ultimately both the hero and

heroine are guided by their gut and what they perceive to be their everlasting love.