In Character

In Character 

What’s in a name? that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d

Retain that dear perfection which he owes

Without that title. (II.ii.47-51)

What is in a name? How are we defined as beings or products? A person can attain the title “beautiful” and “talented” as being a description of a positive characteristic. There are also negative ones such as “slow” or “stupid”. Are we given these names to live up to them or are we given them to be something we are not while straying away from our true personality?

When given a name that puts us into positive light, us as human beings greatly influenced by acceptance by society try to attain that name. At times we are complimented out of pure politeness. With a newborn self-pride by the name, we tend to stray away from our selves and try best to fit the qualifications of the name. Sometimes out of modesty we try to limit ourselves to being a lower quality of “greatness” to receive less attention, but most the time we find honor in receiving a positively guided name and carry it with satisfaction.

When given a name that puts us into a negative light, we either to one of two things; one, try to prove them wrong and that the title does not describe you at all or two, find it as a challenge to become such a foul being. You become a person that will either “show them what _____ is” or try to change. It will either bring you back to our original state and then some to try and be better then the terrible title someone has bestowed upon you or turn you completely and utter revolting.

As for a name, we are obviously blessed with the name our parents gave us to try and give us some direction. Under that title of being relatives, what defines one as a person is the name that society gives you. We are constantly judged and challenged to be, like a character in a play, something we normally wouldn’t be to either fulfill a name or completely reject the name.