When we think of William Shakespeare, the play arguably most commonly associated with the playwright is Romeo and Juliet. It was written in the late 16th century and premiered in 1597. The plot follows the young Romeo and Juliet of the rival Montague and Capulet families. They meet by chance in Verona, Italy and fall in love. Tragically, their relationship is doomed by an ancient feud between the families. Shakespeare was inspired by earlier Italian tales of "star-crossed lovers". This play is synonymous with the term, due to its complex characters and the blend of romance, conflict and tragedy.
This guide explores the main and supporting characters in Romeo and Juliet, which are key to understanding the play. Each one allows Shakespeare to explore major themes, including love, honour, family duty and fate. Plot examples and key quotes are given for each character. This article is designed for students revising for their GCSE English Literature exams.
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Romeo Montague
Romeo Montague is one of the two protagonists. He is portrayed as a sensitive and introspective young man from the outset. He is heartbroken over his unrequited infatuation with Rosaline, one of Lord Capulet's nieces. He goes to a ball at the Capulets' house in the hopes of seeing Rosaline. Instead, he meets Juliet and falls in love with her. This marks a turning point in Romeo's character, as he becomes impulsive and passionate. They quickly marry in secret with the help of Friar Laurence. This shows the intensity of his love and a lack of caution.
This impulsiveness is Romeo's fatal flaw (known as a "hamartia"). He acts on his emotions before he has had time to think. When Mercutio dies protecting him from Tybalt, Romeo confronts and slays Tybalt in his grief and guilt. The Prince exiles him, and Romeo is banished. Despite this flaw, audiences are encouraged to sympathise with Romeo for his love for his friend and his devotion to Juliet.
When Romeo discovers Juliet seemingly dead, he utters this famous line and takes poison. The quote shows his passion and his tragic destiny - that he chose death over life without Juliet:
"Thus with a kiss I die." (Act 5, Scene 3)
Juliet Capulet
Juliet Capulet is the second protagonist. She is thirteen years old when the play begins and is obedient and sheltered. The Count Paris asks her father if he can marry Juliet, and Capulet asks him to wait two years. When she falls in love with Romeo at first sight, she shows remarkable independence and maturity. She loves him in spite of the rivalry between their families. However, Juliet is cautious and warns Romeo not to swear oaths too rashly.
Her bravery grows and wins out when she marries Romeo in secret. This directly defies the wishes of her parents, as does her later refusal to marry Paris and be his "joyful bride". When Juliet sees that Romeo has taken poison upon discovering her supposedly dead, Juliet stabs herself with his dagger. She chooses her own pathway, even if it leads to tragedy.
Juliet's last words show desperation and also her courage. It reinforces the idea that they are inseparable lovers, even in death:
"O happy dagger! This is thy sheath: there rust, and let me die." (Act 5, Scene 3)
Mercutio
Mercutio is a kinsman to Prince Escalus, who rules the setting of Verona. He is also Romeo's witty and energetic friend. Mercutio often mocks love in a playful way, contrasting with Romeo's romantic idealism. and a close friend of Romeo, brings wit and energy to the play. He is quick-tongued, playful, and often mocks love, providing a sharp contrast to Romeo’s romantic idealism. The following is an extract from his famous Queen Mab speech, when he refers to a fairy in an imaginative yet cynical manner. He suggests that love is driven more by fantasy than reality:
"O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. / She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes / In shape no bigger than an agate-stone / On the fore-finger of an alderman, / Drawn with a team of little atomies / Athwart men's noses as they lie asleep" (Ac 1, Scene 4)
Mercutio is also reckless and provokes Tybalt into a confrontation with his mocking. Mercutio fights on Romeo's behalf and his fatally wounded when Romeo tries to break up the fight. His death is a turning point, as the dominant theme shifts from romance and comedy to tragedy.
His final words reflect the bitterness and destructiveness of this feud between the two families. The curse also foreshadows the events to come, leading to Romeo killing Tybalt, which in turn leads to his banishment and the death of the star-crossed lovers:
"A plague o’ both your houses!" (Act 3, Scene 1)
Tybalt
Tybalt Capulet is the cousin of Juliet. He is fiery, proud and aggressive. Called the "Prince of Cats" due to his skill in wielding a sword, Tybalt is fiercely loyal to his family and upholding honour to the Capulets. He is always quick to confront when he encounters the Montagues, such as when he tries to kill Romeo, who sneaks into the Capulet ball. He sees violence as the best way to protect his family's honour.
Lord Capulet restrains Tybalt in his fury at Romeo's presence at the ball. His hot-headed nature leads to a confrontation with Mercutio, who fights in Romeo's place. Ironically, this is because Romeo now considers Tybalt a kinsman. Tybalt then dies at the hands of Romeo after killing Mercutio.
The line below is when Tybalt recognises Romeo at the Capulet feast. It shows his fiery nature, instinctive violence and the inability to let go of the feast. He acts as a foil to Romeo and a catalyst for the tragedy:
"This, by his voice, should be a Montague.—Fetch me my rapier, boy." (Act 1, Scene 5)
Friar Laurence
Friar Laurence is a mentor and confidant to both Romeo and Juliet. He is a Franciscan friar who hopes to reconcile the two families by marrying the young lovers in secret. His character reflects the hope that religion and authority can influence people's actions in Shakespeare's time.
Ultimately, the wisdom and good intentions of Friar Laurence are unsuccessful. The events he arranges directly lead to tragedy. He plans for Juliet to drink a sleeping potion, which will place her in a death-like coma for "two and forty hours". He promises to send Friar John to tell Romeo of the plan. Juliet takes the drug the night before her wedding and is placed in the family crypt when discovered. However, Romeo doesn't receive the letter due to a plague that complicates Friar John's delivery of the message. He buys poison, kills Paris in a confrontation in the crypt, and then drinks the poison just before she wakes.
The friar warns Romeo about acting too quickly in the famous line below. This captures the danger of intense passion without caution:
"These violent delights have violent ends." (Act 2, Scene 6)
The Nurse
The Nurse is Juliet’s personal attendant and her closest confidant. She is a comic presence who is affectionate towards Juliet, having cared for her since she was an infant. She often talks in a humorous, down-to-earth manner. This contrasts sharply with the formal speed of the noble members of both houses, her jokes and long-winded stories providing comic relief to the play.
When she discovers Juliet's secret romance, she is supportive and acts as a messenger - this loyalty waivers when she advises Juliet to marry Paris after Romeo has been banished. Feeling betrayed, Juliet chooses never to share any more secrets. Instead, she turns to Friar Laurence and her desperate plan.
One of her most emotional moments is when she finds Juliet's seemingly lifeless body, which shows her grief and the deep bond she has with Juliet:
"She’s dead, deceased, she’s dead; alack the day!" (Act 4, Scene 5)
Minor characters
There are several supporting characters who add depth to the story and shape the outline of the two young lovers. They represent the themes of family duty, law, friendship and social order.
Benvolio
Benvolio Montague is Romeo’s cousin and a close friend. He is calm and reasonable, often acting as a peacemaker. This contrasts with Romeo's friend, Mercutio, who is more reckless. He tries to stop fights, but is often ignored. However, Benvolio and Mercutio are both also responsible for beginning the tragic pathway of the protagonists, when he urges Romeo to attend the Capulet ball in the hopes of meeting Rosaline.
The line below shows Benvolio's peaceful role in the opening confrontation between the warring families. He is an important character as he shows not all Montagues are keen to fight:
"I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword." (Act 1, Scene 1)
Paris
Count Paris is a nobleman who is related to Prince Escalus. He wants to marry Juliet and is told by her father to wait two years, as Juliet is too young. He represents the societal expectation of arranged marriage, as Juliet has no say in the matter. His courtship of Juliet is formal and based on family approval.
Paris is effectively a foil to Romeo - he is dutiful and respectable, but lacks the passion of his counterpart. However, it is unfair to say he doesn't care for Juliet. His grief is genuine when she is discovered, apparently dead:
"Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew." (Act 5, Scene 3)
Prince Escalus
Prince Escalus rules Verona. He represents law and order in his attempts to resolve the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues. However, his strict warnings and banishment of Romeo are unable to control the violence. We clearly see his anger at the conflict in the quote below:
"Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, / Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel" (Act 1, Scene 1)
At the end of the play, Escalus reflects on the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, reminding the audience of the cost of hatred:
"A glooming peace this morning with it brings; / The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head: / Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; / Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished." (Act 5, Scene 3)
Lord and Lady Capulet
Juliet’s parents represent family duty. Lord Capulet initially seems protective of his daughter when he tells Paris to wait two years before marrying Juliet (she is only 13 years old). He changes his mind when Tybalt dies and accepts the marriage proposal. This is partly due to misinterpreting Juliet's grief. It's also a reflection of societal pressures for stability and alliances. He is furious when Juliet refuses and threatens to disown her:
"Hang thee, young baggage! disobedient wretch!" (Act 3, Scene 5)
Lady Capulet supports the marriage to Paris, albeit less forcefully. She can't understand Juliet's resistance and refuses to listen to her daughter's concerns about the upcoming marriage:
"Talk not to me, for I'll not speak a word, Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee." (Act 3, Scene 5)
Lord and Lady Montague
Romeo’s parents play a smaller role in the play. They also highlight the impact of the fugue. Lord Montague is worried about Romeo’s melancholy at the start of the play. He is devastated by Romeo's death, while his wife suffers most and eventually dies from grief:
"What further woe conspires against my age?" (Act V, scene 3)
When he discovers the tragedy in Capulet's tomb, Lord Montague agrees to end the feud between the houses.
Balthasar
Balthasar is Romeo's loyal servant. He unwittingly triggers the tragic ending of the young lovers when he wrongly tells Romeo of Juliet's death, which he hears of in Verona. This leads Romeo to despair:
"Is it e’en so? Then I defy you, stars!" (Act 5, Scene 1)
His character represents loyalty and also the dangers of misinformation.
Final thoughts - Characters in Romeo and Juliet
The characters in Romeo and Juliet stress the key themes in the play, including love, honour and tragedy. Each character shapes the outcome and enduring power of the play: from Romeo's passion to Tybalt's rage. Supporting figures show the contrast between personal choice and family duty, such as Benvolio, Paris and the Nurse.
For further reading, you can learn about the historical context of Romeo and Juliet from SparkNotes. There is also an article on key quotes to memorise in Romeo and Juliet by SaveMyExams.
If you need help learning this Shakespeare play, TeachTutti has qualified GCSE English Literature tutors who can teach you in person or online. Every tutor has an enhanced DBS check and will tailor lessons to your specific needs.
