Throughout the play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare presents the character of Romeo as someone strongly affected by love. This is highlighted through the way Romeo is contrasted with the other male characters in the play.

This is first seen when Romeo is seen brooding over his unrequited love for Rosaline. He says, "O brawling love, O loving hate". The use of an oxymoron emphasises the inner turmoil Romeo feels and how truly dejected he is over the rejection of Rosaline. Romeo's behaviour mimics that of a Petrarchan lover, Shakespeare may have done this to present Romeo as a lover early on in the play so that this characteristic results in conflict with the other characters. Romeo's feelings about love are seen as unmasculine and are joked about with the other characters "If love be rough with you be rough with love". This was said by Mercutio in response to Romeo pining over Rosaline. The extreme contrast between the two characters reinforces Romeo's effeminate characteristics and how he stands out as the protagonist. The use of contrast causes the audience to feel pity towards Romeo as he is unable to fit in with the other characters and is not truly understood. The original audience would have been interested in Romeo's character as he goes against the standard for male protagonists. Similarly, a modern audience may relate to Romeo as many people have gone through the pain of an unrequited love. Shakespeare may have done this to highlight the youth of his protagonist and to go against the norm of this other plays that follow the conventions of masculinity.

This is also seen throughout the balcony scene as Romeo us professing his love for Juliet after only one encounter. Romeo says, "love's light wings". The use of a metaphor could be symbolic of Romeo's idealistic view point on life and how he is the dreamer among the characters. The metaphor also reveals how Romeo feels like a bird this could be interpreted as how love makes him feel free and that he can reach his desires. The comparison to a bird could also be Shakespeare's way of revealing how love has made Romeo bold in his approach to Juliet. The use of the adjective "light" could be a contrast to Romeo's previous statement on love "Under love's heavy burden do I sink". This has been done to show that Romeo no longer feels grief over Rosaline's rejection and is fully enamoured by Juliet's presence. Shakespeare could have made this connection to show how quickly the youth move on and fall in love. The metaphor makes the audience feel hope for Romeo and Juliet's relationship as birds are often connotated with peace and life. A modern day audience may view this as dramatic irony as while the characters feel love and peace the audience is aware of their tragic ending.

Later in the extract Romeo says, "I have night's heavy cloak to hide me from their sight". The metaphor "night's cloak" could allude to the idea that Romeo and Juliet's love is forbidden as they can not be seen by others. This motif is continued throughout the play as Romeo often praises the night due to it allowing him to see Juliet. This shows how deeply enamoured Romeo is as the night is often portrayed and symbolic of evil and wrong doing however, for Romeo it is his saviour. Shakespeare may have done this to show how anyone could reject the conventions of society for love. This causes the audience to pity Romeo as he has finally changed from as Petrarchan lover to a Courtly lover however, it is too late as the subject of his love is a forbidden fruit and will only lead to his downfall and ultimately his death. Overall, the imagery of night is foreshadowing how what Romeo believes has saved him will truly be his downfall and his extreme love upon first sight can not be actualised due to the hatred between other characters and the two families. The original audience may have been able to relate to the character of Romeo as Elizabethan society prioritised status and wealth over love in terms of marriages.

Romeo's extreme love for Juliet is emphasised by the reoccurring theme of fate. He says, "I am fortunes fool". The use of alliteration emphasises Romeo's feelings of betrayal as he feels the universe has abandoned him. The noun "fortune" could be interpreted as fate itself is messing with him as the Elizabethan society believed in the supernatural and God's role in the lives of humans. "Fortune" could also be referring to Juliet. He blames his love for her making him effeminate. He believes he is Juliet's "fool" and that by killing Tybalt he has ruined their chances to be together. His inability to live peacefully with Juliet has built resentment for the universe. The audience feels sympathy for Romeo as his only wish is to live with Juliet however, the consistent obstacles prevent this from actualising. Perhaps Shakespeare has done this to highlight how Romeo's hamartia, his impulsiveness, has resulted in his death, Juliet's death and the death of multiple other characters within the paly. Shakespeare wants the audience to pity Romeo and he achieves this through his impulsive actions in the name of love, his childlike language and his declarations against fate.

Similarly, when learning of Juliet's death Romeo declares, "I defy you stars". The celestial theme of fate is continued to reference the idea that the universe is intentionally working against Romeo. The verb "defy" highlights Romeo's childness and youth as he is acting like a child going against their parents when in reality he is going against the universe. Romeo's grief and devastation over Juliet's death is comparable to a child's tantrum. Perhaps Shakespeare has done this to emphasise the reality that Romeo is still a child and does not truly understand what it means to be in love. He has a warped view on relationships and only understands the extreme like a child learning fairy-tale stories. The audience understands Romeo's grief but feels empathetic due to the dramatic irony as the audience are aware Juliet is not truly dead.

Romeo's last act in the name of love is dying in order to be reunited with Juliet. His final words are, "Thus with a kiss I die". The contrast between "kiss" and "die" continues the theme of love versus hate even in Romeo's final moment. When being reunited with Juliet he is unable to escape the violence that lead them to their graves. Romeo is so deeply enamoured by Juliet that living without her is comprehendible to him. Shakespeare has ended the play as a tragedy to show how love does not truly concur all and that grief and loss are required when a person chooses to love another. While the setting and characters would have been new to the original audience the pain of being unable to be with the one you love would have been common place for Elizabethan society. Similarly, grief and love is a universal experience for both the original audience and modern day audience. We view Romeo as a character who lover too much and was unable to protect what truly mattered to him due to his impulsiveness and youth.

Overall, Romeo is so deeply affected by love he disregards a feud between families, gets exiled and dies. He does all this to be with the one he truly loves but in the end it was futile as je was unable to live with Juliet. Their death ending is symbolic of an eternal love as they are able to be together for eternity in the afterlife. Perhaps Shakespeare has created the character of Romeo to criticise the toxic masculinity in Elizabethan society and to show how love has died due to the social rules that separate lovers for social and financial gain. Romeo may have died too soon but he was able to feel love most never find.