The Ignorant Puppet
an essay on Romeo Montague
Romeo Montague may seem like a harmless character blinded by love, but he is shrewder than he lets on to the audience. In the last act of Romeo and Juliet especially, Romeo’s true self and motivations reveal themselves. Perhaps the most shocking revelation of them all is that Romeo buries Paris in a triumphant grave, not out of kind consideration, but as an act of self-elevation.
Romeo considers death, not Paris, to be his only competitor for Juliet’s love. “Death is amorous, and that the lean abhorrèd monster keeps thee here in the dark to be his paramour,” (V.3.103-105) Romeo says, appreciating every line of Juliet’s pale face. Romeo no longer sees mere men like Paris as worthy of his scorn, and in part, his reasoning is justified. As far as he knows, Juliet is already dead, and no other man but death can claim her to be his own. Romeo not only kills Paris, but, by committing suicide, again exerts his superiority over Paris: Paris is a mortal who dies at the hands of a mortal, whereas Romeo assumes the role of God by taking his own life. By doing so, Romeo also contradicts Juliet’s mother’s and nurse’s assertions that Paris is a better man than him. And though readers might expect Romeo to feel bitterness towards Paris, whose relationship with Juliet was socially accepted in a way Romeo’s was not, Romeo is instead “generous” with him. That is to say, once Paris and Juliet are both dead, Romeo feels unthreatened enough to sympathize with him. “O, give me thy hand, one writ with me in sour misfortune’s book!” he cries in front of Paris’ corpse. Romeo already has his reassurance that Paris will never get the shot he could have had with Juliet, for Juliet died as Romeo’s lover and wife, and in death will always remain so.
A man’s life (according to the Christian religion) belongs to God, but Romeo bestows upon himself godly privileges beyond the dramatic self-indulgence the readers have previously seen from him. He claims the right to three lives in scene V.3: Paris’, Tybalt’s, and his own. First of all, Romeo calls the grave that he lays Paris in a “triumphant” one. The language there implies the act as one of honor or mercy, as if Romeo were a generous individual for laying Paris in the tomb when his sword landed Paris there in the first place. Of course, it is Paris’ dying wish to be lain next to Juliet in the tomb, but Paris, to his very last breath, has no idea of the relationship between Romeo and Juliet—he charged at Romeo thinking that he was “come to do some villainous shame to the dead bodies” (V.3.52-53). If Paris had known that Romeo was not a bloodthirsty madman, but the one who stole Juliet’s heart, Paris wouldn’t have wanted Romeo’s sympathy or mercy. Given the knowledge that Romeo (not death) was his hidden rival in winning and keeping Juliet, Paris wouldn’t have wanted to allow Romeo to make his death into a feel-good experience.
Soon after burying Paris, Romeo notices Tybalt’s body, a reminder of yet another life ended at his hands. “O, what more favor can I do to thee than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain to sunder his that was thine enemy?” (V.3.98-100). He ruins the sanctity of Tybalt’s tomb by calling his murder of Tybalt a “favor,” condescendingly acting as if his actions were a right of his as a godly figure. Lastly, Romeo demonstrates his belief that he has trumped fate by referring to himself (not God nor destiny) as the pilot of his life: “Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark!” (V.3.117~118). This is one of his last lines before he drinks from the fatal vial. By successfully committing suicide, and with man-made drugs at that, Romeo believes he is interfering with the natural course of life. In the end, Romeo’s suicide may or may not have rebelled against his fate; it does, however, throw off the path his family wanted for him for the first time in his life.
Romeo burying Paris in a triumphant grave is his ultimate claim that Juliet died as his lover, not anyone else’s. “Here’s to my love!” (V.3.119) Romeo cries, before emptying his vial. His use of the term “my love” here suggests a certain possessiveness, as if Romeo is emphasizing the fact that Juliet died as his wife and lover, not as Paris’ fiancée or Capulet’s daughter. This line also reflects a great inner fear of Romeo’s: his fear that Juliet might stop loving him. Throughout the book, Romeo craves confirmations of Juliet’s loyalty, asking for “the exchange of [her] love’s faithful vow” (II.2.127) for his own, even when Juliet pushes him away (“ O, wilt though leave me so unsatisfied?” (II.2.125)). Juliet’s death, at least, ensures that Paris will never be able to steal her away from Romeo. He can say goodbye to Juliet (and to Paris) with a complete sense of ownership and pride about his love—“his love” here being both Juliet and the act of loving Juliet. And if Romeo is claiming Juliet as his girl in the line “Here’s to my love,” he claims to be his own man in the line, “O, here I will set up my everlasting rest and shake the yoke of inauspicious stars from this world-wearied flesh” (V.3.109~112). “Stars” here can either be referring to fate itself or the people around Romeo who try to determine his fate for him. No matter which meaning, Romeo clearly believes that suicide will be his ultimate act of rebellion. One may also argue that Romeo seems too passive about death to be committing suicide as an act of defiance (rather than just as an act of desperate love). However, the line “Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavory guide!” (V.3.116) is less passive than it is assertive. Romeo is putting down death. He thinks he is such a great force to be reckoned with that even death has to bow down to him. In this line, Romeo contradicts the usual visual associated with suicide—death will come to him, as opposed to him walking towards death.
Romeo thinks he trumps “death” and “fate” by committing suicide, as well as overrides the wishes of all the adults around him, but he fails to recognize his real foe—Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet’s “story of woe” (V.3.209) is little more than Shakespeare’s way of neatly wrapping up the play, making the death of these two lovers reconcile two families at war. So were Romeo’s attempts to trump fate also a part of fate? In the end, Romeo falls right into Shakespeare’s trap, fulfilling the destiny that was already determined by Shakespeare in the eleven lines of the prologue. Romeo doesn’t stand a chance against Shakespeare, and the audience knows it. Though Romeo himself may believe he was acting upon free will by assuming god-like responsibilities, he is Shakespeare’s pawn; a pawn that falls victim to the plot Shakespeare had in mind for him perhaps the very moment he sat down to write this tale of “star-crossed lovers.”
Romeo considers death, not Paris, to be his only competitor for Juliet’s love. “Death is amorous, and that the lean abhorrèd monster keeps thee here in the dark to be his paramour,” (V.3.103-105) Romeo says, appreciating every line of Juliet’s pale face. Romeo no longer sees mere men like Paris as worthy of his scorn, and in part, his reasoning is justified. As far as he knows, Juliet is already dead, and no other man but death can claim her to be his own. Romeo not only kills Paris, but, by committing suicide, again exerts his superiority over Paris: Paris is a mortal who dies at the hands of a mortal, whereas Romeo assumes the role of God by taking his own life. By doing so, Romeo also contradicts Juliet’s mother’s and nurse’s assertions that Paris is a better man than him. And though readers might expect Romeo to feel bitterness towards Paris, whose relationship with Juliet was socially accepted in a way Romeo’s was not, Romeo is instead “generous” with him. That is to say, once Paris and Juliet are both dead, Romeo feels unthreatened enough to sympathize with him. “O, give me thy hand, one writ with me in sour misfortune’s book!” he cries in front of Paris’ corpse. Romeo already has his reassurance that Paris will never get the shot he could have had with Juliet, for Juliet died as Romeo’s lover and wife, and in death will always remain so.
A man’s life (according to the Christian religion) belongs to God, but Romeo bestows upon himself godly privileges beyond the dramatic self-indulgence the readers have previously seen from him. He claims the right to three lives in scene V.3: Paris’, Tybalt’s, and his own. First of all, Romeo calls the grave that he lays Paris in a “triumphant” one. The language there implies the act as one of honor or mercy, as if Romeo were a generous individual for laying Paris in the tomb when his sword landed Paris there in the first place. Of course, it is Paris’ dying wish to be lain next to Juliet in the tomb, but Paris, to his very last breath, has no idea of the relationship between Romeo and Juliet—he charged at Romeo thinking that he was “come to do some villainous shame to the dead bodies” (V.3.52-53). If Paris had known that Romeo was not a bloodthirsty madman, but the one who stole Juliet’s heart, Paris wouldn’t have wanted Romeo’s sympathy or mercy. Given the knowledge that Romeo (not death) was his hidden rival in winning and keeping Juliet, Paris wouldn’t have wanted to allow Romeo to make his death into a feel-good experience.
Soon after burying Paris, Romeo notices Tybalt’s body, a reminder of yet another life ended at his hands. “O, what more favor can I do to thee than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain to sunder his that was thine enemy?” (V.3.98-100). He ruins the sanctity of Tybalt’s tomb by calling his murder of Tybalt a “favor,” condescendingly acting as if his actions were a right of his as a godly figure. Lastly, Romeo demonstrates his belief that he has trumped fate by referring to himself (not God nor destiny) as the pilot of his life: “Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark!” (V.3.117~118). This is one of his last lines before he drinks from the fatal vial. By successfully committing suicide, and with man-made drugs at that, Romeo believes he is interfering with the natural course of life. In the end, Romeo’s suicide may or may not have rebelled against his fate; it does, however, throw off the path his family wanted for him for the first time in his life.
Romeo burying Paris in a triumphant grave is his ultimate claim that Juliet died as his lover, not anyone else’s. “Here’s to my love!” (V.3.119) Romeo cries, before emptying his vial. His use of the term “my love” here suggests a certain possessiveness, as if Romeo is emphasizing the fact that Juliet died as his wife and lover, not as Paris’ fiancée or Capulet’s daughter. This line also reflects a great inner fear of Romeo’s: his fear that Juliet might stop loving him. Throughout the book, Romeo craves confirmations of Juliet’s loyalty, asking for “the exchange of [her] love’s faithful vow” (II.2.127) for his own, even when Juliet pushes him away (“ O, wilt though leave me so unsatisfied?” (II.2.125)). Juliet’s death, at least, ensures that Paris will never be able to steal her away from Romeo. He can say goodbye to Juliet (and to Paris) with a complete sense of ownership and pride about his love—“his love” here being both Juliet and the act of loving Juliet. And if Romeo is claiming Juliet as his girl in the line “Here’s to my love,” he claims to be his own man in the line, “O, here I will set up my everlasting rest and shake the yoke of inauspicious stars from this world-wearied flesh” (V.3.109~112). “Stars” here can either be referring to fate itself or the people around Romeo who try to determine his fate for him. No matter which meaning, Romeo clearly believes that suicide will be his ultimate act of rebellion. One may also argue that Romeo seems too passive about death to be committing suicide as an act of defiance (rather than just as an act of desperate love). However, the line “Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavory guide!” (V.3.116) is less passive than it is assertive. Romeo is putting down death. He thinks he is such a great force to be reckoned with that even death has to bow down to him. In this line, Romeo contradicts the usual visual associated with suicide—death will come to him, as opposed to him walking towards death.
Romeo thinks he trumps “death” and “fate” by committing suicide, as well as overrides the wishes of all the adults around him, but he fails to recognize his real foe—Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet’s “story of woe” (V.3.209) is little more than Shakespeare’s way of neatly wrapping up the play, making the death of these two lovers reconcile two families at war. So were Romeo’s attempts to trump fate also a part of fate? In the end, Romeo falls right into Shakespeare’s trap, fulfilling the destiny that was already determined by Shakespeare in the eleven lines of the prologue. Romeo doesn’t stand a chance against Shakespeare, and the audience knows it. Though Romeo himself may believe he was acting upon free will by assuming god-like responsibilities, he is Shakespeare’s pawn; a pawn that falls victim to the plot Shakespeare had in mind for him perhaps the very moment he sat down to write this tale of “star-crossed lovers.”