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Romeo

Literary Character
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Tragic hero of Shakespeare’s play, whose passionate love for Juliet and impulsive actions lead to fatal consequences and reconciliation.

Detailed Definition
Romeo, impulsive and passionate, defies family feud for love, leading to his and Juliet’s tragic deaths. In poetry, he symbolizes youthful ardor, romantic idealism, and the intensity of first love.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet," Romeo’s “But soft! what light through yonder window breaks?” exemplifies lyrical idealism in love; In W.H. Auden’s “The Sea and the Mirror,” Romeo embodies youthful passion doomed by circumstance; In T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land,” Romeo’s romanticism contrasts with modern sterility; In Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy,” Romeo’s love is subverted by darker unions; In modern poetry, Romeo often symbolizes impulsive, transcendent desire; In Tracy K. Smith’s “Watershed,” Romeo’s fate mirrors systemic barriers to union.
Additional Notes
Romeo, Shakespeare’s passionate lover, symbolizes youthful idealism, impulsive devotion, and the tragedy of miscommunication; poets reference his balcony scene or fatal haste to explore the intensity and fragility of first love—his name has become synonymous with the romantic hero, though modern readings often highlight his performative or immature aspects.
Also Known As
Star-Crossed Lover Montague Youth Juliet’s Devoted
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