Here’s a PEEL paragraph exploring how Romeo ‘s character is presented in the first scene:
Romeo’s state of mind before he encounters Juliet, is revealingly explored in his declaration to Benvolio that, ‘This is not Romeo/he’s some other else.’ Here, Romeo’s state of mind is shown through his evident frustration about his unrequited passion for Rosaline. His frustration is communicated through his use of gesture and irony as he teases Benvolio and the audience about his absent self, even though he is physically before us! ‘This is not Romeo.’ Here, Romeo feels diminished, his identity elsewhere, and his language strives to express this sense of diminishment through his use of irony. Romeo is also hinting, somewhat dismally, that his ‘real’ self has been compromised by his unsuccessful love and now he is but a cipher or stand-in, with the real Romeo ‘some other else.’ The syntactical awkwardness of ‘some other else’, foreshadows the return of Romeo to himself when he meets Juliet. For once he meets Juliet, his language ceases to be self conscious and awkward and becomes exultant and celebratory. Negation will change into affirmation when he is no longer ‘some other else’. He will inhabit language in a joyful way. Romeo’s wit will not be squandered on self pity, instead it will be utilised to delight and ‘enchant’ Juliet.
A little later in the same scene, Romeo says..
