According to romeo what is the difference between rosaline and juliet

Although Lord Capulet changes his mind later, his wavering on the matter indicates the lack of a clear answer as to whether or not Juliet is old enough for marriage. From this reference, it becomes clear that Romeo is in love with a woman named Rosaline, and that she, like Juliet, is a Capulet.

And although Rosaline never appears onstage, she nevertheless plays an important role, since her rejection of Romeo ultimately leads him to his first, fateful encounter with Juliet. I do protest I never injured thee, But love thee better than thou canst devise Till thou shalt know the reason of my love. Young men, and particularly those from the aristocratic class, felt the need to protect against all attacks on their honor, as well as the honor of their friends and kinsmen. This preoccupation with honor made it easy for mere insults transform quickly into fatal duels.

Art thou so bare and full of wretchedness, And fearest to die? Famine is in thy cheeks; Need and oppression starveth in thy eyes; Contempt and beggary hangs upon thy back. The world affords no law to make thee rich. Romeo argues that the law against selling poison prevents the Apothecary from making a living. Thus, in order to survive, he should break the law. In order to break out of this double bind, the Apothecary must reject the law. Benvolio tells Romeo that Rosaline will be at the party.

Benvolio wants to help Romeo let go of his obsession with Rosaline, and he explains that, while at the party, Romeo will be able to compare her to other girls and realize she is not the most beautiful. Romeo, on the other hand, says he will go to the party just so he can see Rosaline, the woman he believes he loves.

Juliet seems less impulsive and more realistic than Romeo. With these words, Juliet demonstrates that she understands the risk of his being at her home and tells Romeo that they must wait to be together. When Romeo asks Friar Lawrence to marry him and Juliet, Friar Lawrence agrees because he thinks their marriage might bring about the end of the feud between their two families.

While Tybalt and Mercutio fight, Tybalt is able to stab Mercutio with his sword because Romeo, in his efforts to keep the peace, steps between the two. Mercutio is mortally wounded and becomes the first true victim in the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues. Even though he is a friend to Romeo, he blames both families for his death and wishes them ill. However, Romeo quickly changes his mind when Tybalt kills his good friend, Mercutio. The hot-headed young men in both families—the Capulets and the Montagues—might be the villains, especially Tybalt, who goes looking for Romeo even after Capulet tells him to leave Romeo alone.

On the other hand, there may be no specific character who is the villain in the play. Instead, the Verona society, with its emphasis on feuding and fighting and blind familial loyalty, might be seen as responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. He expresses the hope that the marriage of Romeo and Juliet might end the feud ravaging the Montagues and Capulets. Later that morning, just before nine, Mercutio and Benvolio wonder what happened to Romeo the previous night. Benvolio has learned from a Montague servant that Romeo did not return home; Mercutio spouts some unkind words about Rosaline.

Benvolio also relates that Tybalt has sent a letter to Romeo challenging him to a duel. He describes Tybalt as a master swordsman, perfectly proper and composed in style. Mercutio disdains all that Tybalt stands for. Romeo arrives. Mercutio immediately begins to ridicule him, claiming that Romeo has been made weak by love. Then Mercutio accuses Romeo of abandoning his friends the previous night. Romeo does not deny the charge, but claims his need was great, and so the offense is forgivable.

From this proceeds intricate, witty, and wildly sexual verbal jousting. The Nurse enters, trailed by the servant, Peter. The Nurse asks if any of the three young men know Romeo, and Romeo identifies himself. Mercutio teases the Nurse, insinuating that she is a harlot, thus infuriating her. The Nurse agrees to deliver the message. In this scene, we are introduced to Friar Lawrence as he meditates on the duality of good and evil that exists in all things.

Speaking of medicinal plants, the friar claims that, though everything in nature has a useful purpose, it can also lead to misfortune if used improperly:. The friar tries to put his theories to use when he agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet; he hopes that the good of their love will reverse the evil of the hatred between the feuding families. The thematic role of the friar in Romeo and Juliet is hard to pin down. Clearly, Friar Lawrence is a kindhearted friend to both Romeo and Juliet.

He also seems wise and selfless. But while the friar appears to embody all these good qualities that are often associated with religion, he is also an unknowing servant of fate: all of his plans go awry and create the misunderstandings that lead to the final tragedy. Friar Lawrence also returns the specter of Rosaline to the play.

He remains too quick to follow the classic examples of love, up to and including his suicide. In addition to developing the plot by which Romeo and Juliet will wed, Act 2, scene 4 offers a glimpse of Romeo among his friends.

Romeo shows himself to be as proficient and bawdy a punner as Mercutio. In the last scene, Juliet tried to battle the social world through the power of her private love; here Mercutio tries to assert the social language of male bravado and banter over the private introspection of love. Romeo must remain both the private lover and the public Montague and friend, and he must somehow find a way to navigate between the different claims that his two roles demand of him.

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