Amruta Potdar

5/17/14
Per. 2-1

In the tragedy Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare portrays Romeo as a tragic hero through a
non-deserving fall, a partial benefit from the heros fall, and the cause of the downfall being the
heros personal choice.
To be considered a tragic hero instead of a hero, the character must experience some type
of downfall which should not have occurred. In this play, Romeo experiences several of these
falls. The most popular and important is his untimely death. He died at such a young age and he
did not deserve this fate. Instead of living happily with the love of his life, feuds within two
houses caused him and Juliet to be separated forever. Miscommunication between the Friar and
Romeo also led to his ill-fated death. In reality, both Romeo and Juliet were teenagers who
experienced love and wanted to share a life together. This is not a real crime, but Romeo is
punished for it although he is undeserving. Before the final fall, Romeo experiences the death of
his close friend Mercutio. Due to the conflicts between the Montagues and Capulets, Romeo is
forced to face issues when people fight, like Tybalt and Mercutio. Once again, Romeo did
nothing wrong throughout this play to deserve that fate that he and Juliet received.
Additionally, the fall of a tragic hero must have some type of positive effect. In Romeo
and Juliet, both of the protagonists die due ultimately to their feuding families. The Montagues
and the Capulets have had an ongoing problem for many generations because both are alike in
dignity. The Prince is regularly forced to get involved and end disputes that cause disruptions to
the town. The two star-crossed lovers die because their families cannot see past their issues. In
the end, the tragic deaths of their children causes Montague and Capulet to end the fight for good
to prevent future incidents.
Amruta Potdar
5/17/14
Per. 2-1

Although, the familial problems were the reason Romeo died, his death was ultimately
due to his choice. At the beginning of the play, Romeo is seen to be in love with a woman named
Rosaline. If he had chosen to pursue only her, he would not have died alongside Juliet. At the
ball when Romeo meets Juliet for the first time, he is aware that she is a Capulet but still
continues the romance. Throughout the rest of the play, both Romeo and Juliet are aware of the
consequences their love could bring. Instead of staying separated after the Prince exiles Romeo,
they make a plan to reunite again. These start-crossed lovers had many opportunities to save
themselves but chose not to. This makes the death of Romeo his fault more than that of his
family.
In conclusion, Romeo displays the characteristics of a tragic hero in many ways
throughout the play. Had Romeo not died an undeserving death, ended the feud between the two
families, or received a death due to his own actions, he would not be considered a tragic hero.