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Liam Smith

Mr. Taylor

Honors English I

28 May 2019

Romeo’s Depression

Many of the events in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, ​Romeo and Juliet​, can be explained

using modern psychological theories and knowledge of psychological disorders. During the

beginning of the story, Romeo is often seen wandering around, distraught over the fact that

Rosaline does not love him. This causes him to not want to partake in any social situations and

immediately reject the notion of going to the Capulet feast, even though Benvolio convinces him

to reluctantly go. In the end of the story, Romeo commits suicide after thinking that Juliet has

died when he is inside the Capulet prison (Shakespeare). The actions that he takes can be partly

explained as symptoms of depression, a psychological disorder in which a person has a constant

feeling of sadness, lack of energy, or thinks about death continually (“Depression”). In the play,

Romeo and J​ uliet​,​ Romeo​ can be diagnosed with depression based on his consistent lack of

interest in socializing or any enjoyable activities as well as his thoughts of suicide and eventual

act of killing himself, even though some may disagree and point to anxiety as the root cause of

his demise.

The first sign of depression that Romeo shows is a lack of enthusiasm in regards to social

and enjoyable activities. One manifestation of this is during the first act, ​in which​ he

immediately rejects the notion of going to the Capulet feast. In addition, he is often seen

wandering around outside in the early morning hours before going up to his room and staying
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inside for the remainder of the day (Shakespeare). ​Romeo’s consistent withdrawal from social

situations and intentional isolation is one of the main symptoms of depression​. (“Depression”).

This proves that Romeo can be diagnosed with depression because he is often seen attempting to

isolate himself from others and keep himself in his own world, ​a major indication that the

disorders is present​. This constant withdrawal from anything enjoyable helps to establish

Romeo’s character during the early stages of the play.

The second sign of depression that Romeo shows is the contemplation and ultimate act of

suicide, as shown in several different situations. Romeo first brings up suicide when he threatens

to kill himself after he realizes in Friar Laurence’s cell that Juliet may think of him as a murderer

(Shakespeare). Later, in the fifth act, Romeo commits suicide on a whim after he thinks that

Juliet is dead, when in reality she is under the influence of a sleeping potion. This shows that

Romeo has depression because he both threatens to commit and actually commits suicide within

the book, a major signal of the disorder because of the enormity of this action (“Depression”).

Romeo’s final act before his untimely demise shows a clear manifestation of this disorder and

hasty decision making, a common trend in the play.

Although there is substantial evidence that demonstrates that Romeo can be diagnosed

with depression, another interpretation of the events in the play can lead to a diagnosis of

anxiety, but those who support that conclusion fail to realize the full extent and significance of

his actions. Those who point to a diagnosis of anxiety may focus on the common symptoms of

the disorder, such as an inability to relax and constant worrying ​(“Anxiety”)​. While he does

show these on the surface with his constant worrying about Juliet and his stress over the loss of

Rosaline, depression is a more appropriate diagnosis because his withdrawal from the rest of the
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world was motivated by a much deeper stimulus: the knowledge that Rosaline did not love him.

This ​motive, along​ with the rationale for his eventual demise​,​ prove that his actions were not

simply because of anxiety; they showed a deeper level of his pain, and it was one that can only

be explained by the symptoms of depression.

Since Romeo established and maintained a withdrawal from social situations, it can be

inferred that ​Romeo has depression​. Throughout the story, Romeo chooses not to interact with

others and threatens to kill himself, eventually coming through on that threat when he commits

suicide, ​showing that this disorder has a tremendous impact on the outcome of the story​.

However, modern psychological knowledge about disorders such as depression ​and how​ to seek

proper treatment could have ultimately prevented the tragic end to the story and saved the lives

of both Romeo and Juliet.

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Works Cited

“Anxiety Disorders: Symptoms, Types, and Treatments.” ​PsychCentral​, psychcentral.com/

disorders/anxiety. Accessed 15 May 2019.

“Depression: Symptoms, Types, and Treatments.” ​PsychCentral​, psychcentral.com/disorders/

depression. Accessed 15 May 2019.

Shakespeare, William. ​Romeo and Juliet​. Open Source Shakespeare, opensourceshakespeare.org/

views/plays/play-view.php?WorkID=romeojuliet&Scope=entire. Accessed 15

May 2019.