In every great work of literature, there is always a character that stands for all that is good and right in the world.
This character represents morality and virtue, and serves as a guide to the story’s main characters. In many cases, this character even serves as a moral guide for the reader.
In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, the character of Benvolio embodies the archetype of The Good Man. He stands for all that is morally upright and pure in society during this time period.
He attempts to dissuade his brother Romeo from pursuing romantic interests in another family member, he tries to calm down his sister when she finds out about her husband’s infidelity, and he attempts to keep the peace between the Montagues and Capulets at the ball. All of these actions prove his status as a Good Man.
Sincerity
In this scene, Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin, is introduced. He is described by the narrator as being a man of sincerity.
Sincerity is one of the major archetypes in literature. Literally meaning “without concealment,” sincerity refers to someone who is honest and open about their thoughts and feelings.
People who are sincere are not hiding anything and are being genuine about what they say and do. The opposite of a sincere person is one who is deceitful or sly.
In this scene, Benvolio exemplifies the archetype of sincerity by being honest about his opinions and telling Romeo to stay away from Juliet. Even though he knows that what he says will not change anything, he still tries to warn him.
Rationality
Along with his brother, Mercutio, Benvolio is an important character in the first scene of Romeo and Juliet. He is introduced as a friend of Romeo and Juliet’s family, as well as being mentioned as one of the sane members of the Capulet family.
He is portrayed as being rational and level-headed, especially when compared to Mercutio. He attempts to calm down Mercutio when he sees Paris at the party, and later tries to reason with him when he finds out about his supposed love for Rosaline. He also attempts to calm down Romeo when he finds out about his supposed love for Rosaline as well.
Benvolio represents the archetype of The Rationality personality type. He is level-headed and tries to use logic whenever possible. He seeks truth and prefers practical solutions over idealistic ones.
Friendship
In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, one of the main characters, Benvolio, represents the archetype of friendship. He is present in almost every scene, helping to develop the plot and move it along.
He is a wise and witty character who tries to keep the peace between the Montagues and Capulets. He also tries to keep his brother, Romeo, from fighting with anyone.
He is very loyal to his family as well as his friends. When violence breaks out between the two families, he attempts to stop it but is unsuccessful.
He continues to try to calm things down and prevent further bloodshed until Tybalt kills Mercutio. At this point, he fights back out of anger for losing his friend. This shows how strong his loyalty is towards his friends.
Peaceful
One of the characters in Romeo and Juliet is named Benvolio. He is Romeo’s uncle and cousin to Juliet.
Along with his brother, he tries to keep the peace between the Montagues and the Capulets. This is an archetype of someone who seeks peace among those who are in conflict.
He attempts to stop Romeo from going to the Capulet party, warning him of possible danger, but Romeo ignores his warnings. Later, he tries to stop him from entering the Capulet mansion after hearing about the wedding. Again, no success!
Archetypes are universal figures that appear in stories across time and culture. The concept of the peacemaker appears often in stories about warring cultures or cities. This character tries to stop violence before it starts, but often fails.
Compassionate
In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, the character of Benvolio embodies the archetype of The Compassionate. Although he is not featured heavily in the play, his small roles have a large impact on the story.
Compassion is defined as sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. In this case, Benvolio is shown to be compassionate toward his family, Romeo, and Juliet.
Through his words and actions, he shows concern for the well-being of others. He attempts to calm down his brother, Romeo, when he hears about the Capulet Ball and that he may not attend.
He also tries to warn him about what may happen at the ball due to their family feud. This shows that he cares about his brother’s safety.
Sensitive
In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, the character of Benvolio embodies the archetype of the sensitive man. He is kind, considerate, and thoughtful, showing these traits when interacting with his sister, Rosaline, and Romeo.
Sensitive men are men who are in tune with their emotions. They are aware of their feelings and able to express them when needed.
While this is a good quality, it can sometimes get them into trouble. They may avoid confrontation because they do not want to upset anyone or make them feel bad. This can lead to things being left unresolved which then become problematic down the road.
They are also very in tune with the needs of others which can distract them from taking care of themselves at times. Self-care is a necessity for everyone but especially for the sensitive man.
Understanding
The character of Benvolio represents the understanding archetype. He is Romeo and Juliet’s cousin, and he spends a large portion of the play trying to keep the two apart.
He understands that romance is not what Verona needs at this moment, but rather peace. He tries to explain this to Romeo early in the play, but Romeo is too enamored with Juliet to hear him.
He continues to try to explain this to him later in the play after the party where he almost meets Juliet. At this point, he has given up trying to make him see reason and only wants him to be safe.
Archetypes are universal forms that can be found in stories, legends, fables, or literature. The understanding archetype is one that represents a character who tries to understand another character or situation and help them resolve their conflict.
Kindness
In this scene, the character of Benvolio embodies the archetype of kindness. In this scene, Benvolio is first introduced as a friendly man who looks out for others.
He is noted as being kind and compassionate, especially toward his sister, Rosaline. He seems to have a strong sense of right and wrong, as he tries to stop Romeo from fighting with Tybalt due to the wrong that was done to him.
Throughout the play, he continues to be a source of compassion and kindness. When Romeo berates him and tells him that he has killed his friend, Benvolio responds with compassion by asking if Romeo is alright. He also offers to help find a cure for his supposed illness. This shows that he really cares about people, specifically his friends.
Overall, the character of Benvolio embodies the archetype of kindness due to his constant display of compassion towards others.
