In William Shakespeare's comedy Romeo and Juliet a tragic hero named Romeo is born from Verona. A tragic hero is defined as a protagonist destined to suffer and meet a downfall. By way of example, Prince says, “For there never was a sadder story / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” The lines above demonstrate that Romeo endures a great deal of pain and significant suffering throughout the play. Romeo is considered a tragic hero because he is of noble birth, strikes fear into the audience with his passing, and allows his tragic character flaw to influence his choices which subsequently leads to his downfall. Romeo is of noble origins because he is virtuous, respected by others and born into a family with a high social status. In the play, Romeo demonstrates virtue when he feels remorse, asks forgiveness from Paris' corpse, and refuses to fight both Tybalt and Paris. It is inferred that the Montagues have a high social status because Romeo's mother and father are not called by their name, but are instead called Lady and Lord Montague. Finally it is evident that Romeo is respected by others when Lord Capulet allows him to remain at the Capulet party and tells Tybalt: He bears him like a portly gentleman, / And, to tell the truth, Verona boasts of him / Of being a youth virtuous and well governed./ I would not do it for the wealth of this city/ Here in my house I would despise it (Iv66-70). These lines demonstrate that Lord Capulet believes Romeo to be a dignified gentleman with a reputation in Verona for being virtuous and well-mannered. To conclude, Romeo is virtuous, respected and born with a high social status which makes him of noble origins. In the play, Romeo instills fear in the audience when he fights both Tyba... center of the card.... .. commit suicide are influenced by his impulsiveness. In the play Romeo and Juliet there is much evidence that Romeo is a tragic hero. Romeo is of noble birth because he is virtuous, respected and of high social status. Furthermore, Romeo's character flaw of impulsiveness influences his actions such as marrying Juliet, killing Tybalt, and committing suicide. Additionally, Romeo instills fear in the audience when he fights both Tybalt and Paris, tries to stab himself, and drinks poison while Juliet is waking up. on. In conclusion, Romeo is considered a tragic hero due to his noble family, his ability to instill fear in the audience and to make choices influenced by his character flaw that leads to his downfall. Work cited Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. International Thompson Publishing Limited, 1997