Romeo and Juliet Character Summary

Romeo & Juliet Characters

Romeo

• Heir of Montague
• 16 years old
• Impulsive and immature, but passionate and likeable
• Only interested in love
• Quick to act, questioning his decisions
• Serious about marrying Juliet, willing to die for her

Juliet

• 13 years old
• Naive, lacks experience with love and marriage
• From an aristocratic family, with limited freedom
• Courageous and trusting, willing to defy family for love
• Closest friend is the Nurse, but feels shut out when the Nurse advises against Romeo

The Nurse

• Breastfed and cared for Juliet since childhood
• Sentimental, providing comic relief
• Juliet's confidante, keeping her secrets
• Loyal intermediary in Romeo and Juliet's affair
• Wants Juliet to have a good-looking husband, but doesn't understand sacrificing for love

Tybalt

• Juliet's cousin on her mother's side
• Becomes aggressive and violent when provoked
• Loathes the Montagues
• Has intense dislike and disgust towards Romeo's family

Friar Lawrence

• Franciscan friar, friend to Romeo and Juliet
• Kind, civic-minded, and always planning
• Marries lovers to bring peace between families
• Expert in mystical potions and herbs as a Catholic Holy Man

Mercutio

• Kinsman to Prince and Romeo's closest friend
• Imaginative, witty, and fervent
• Hot-headed, hates people, and is obsessed with fashion
• Thinks Romeo's romance is tiring, reducing love to sexual appetite

Themes

Major Themes

• Tragedy
• Love and Hate
• Light and Dark
• Destiny
• Fate