Question

Romeo: Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee to-night.

Let's see for means: O mischief! thou art swift

To enter in the thoughts of desperate men.

I do remember an apothecary,

And hereabouts he dwells, which late I noted

In tatter'd weeds, with overwhelming brows,

Culling of simples; meagre were his looks,

Sharp misery had worn him to the bones:

And in his needy shop a tortoise hung,

An alligator stuff'd, and other skins

Of ill-shap'd fishes; and about his shelves

A beggarly account of empty boxes,

Green earthen pots, bladders, and musty seeds,

Remnants of packthread, and old cakes of roses,

Were thinly scatter'd, to make up a show.

Noting this penury, to myself I said

An if a man did need a poison now,

Whose sale is present death in Mantua,

Here lives a caitiff wretch would sell it him.

–Romeo and Juliet,
William Shakespeare

Which character traits does Romeo exhibit that lead to his tragic downfall? Check all that apply.

an overly passionate sense of love
a difficulty deciding what action to take
a tendency to act impulsively
a capacity for feeling all emotions too deeply
an ability to calm those around him

Answer 1

Select the ones that apply:

- an overly passionate sense of love — Yes. Romeo's decision to die with Juliet and his earlier rapid shift from Rosaline to Juliet show excessive, consuming passion.
- a tendency to act impulsively — Yes. He quickly resolves to buy poison and end his life rather than pause for a plan or more information.
- a capacity for feeling all emotions too deeply — Yes. His language (“O mischief! thou art swift…”) and extreme emotional swings demonstrate intense, disproportionate feeling.

Do not select:

- a difficulty deciding what action to take — No. In this passage he decides quickly and resolutely rather than hesitating.
- an ability to calm those around him — No. Romeo’s presence generally escalates emotion rather than calming others.