Shakespeare writes about a young male who does not know the true meaning of love. Since he is still a teenager, he has not yet lived long enough to know the difference between true love and infatuation; hence, he falls in and out of love without difficulty. In his search for love, his immaturity is readily seen. He uses physical appearance as the test for compatibility. Romeo constantly changes his mind about who is the fairest. His shallowness is illustrated when he falls in love with Juliet. Their marriage is quickly assembled without the due time to get to know one another. He reveals himself to be an impetuous young boy who neither cares to discover the true meaning of love nor invest the time to get to know someone.
In the beginning of the play, Romeo grieves over the fact that Rosaline does not reciprocate his feelings. When he is talking to Benvolio, he tells him how he feels about Rosaline's beauty and her chastity, "For beauty starved with her severity, / Cuts beauty off from all posterity" (I. i. lns. 210-211). Romeo thinks that Rosaline's attractiveness is wasted because she will not give into his sexual desires. He is immature because he feels that love is based solely on attraction and sex. Friar Lawrence realizes that Romeo is naive and reprimands him, "Young men's love then lies / Not truly in their hearts but in their eyes" (II. Iii. lns. 67-68). Romeo ignores his admonishing and tries to prove he is unwavering, instead he proves the opposite.
When Romeo attends the masquerade party, he is eager to see Rosaline. While Romeo is at the party, he encounters Juliet and claims that he has never loved anyone so beautiful, Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! / For I ne"er saw true beauty till this night." (I. v. lns. 51-52). He feels that Juliet as the fairest girl that he has come across and that there are no words to describe her beauty, "Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear; / Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!" (I.
