Instructions: select the correct answer.

in this excerpt from act v of shakespeare's romeo and juliet, romeo encounters paris when he enters juliet’s grave. paris challenges him to a duel, but romeo pleads to be left alone before he is forced to fight. what does this excerpt reveal about romeo’s character?

romeo: i must indeed; and therefore came i hither.
good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man;
fly hence, and leave me: think upon these gone;
let them affright thee. i beseech thee, youth,
put not another sin upon my head,
by urging me to fury: o, be gone!
by heaven, i love thee better than myself;
for i come hither arm'd against myself:
stay not, be gone; live, and hereafter say,
a madman's mercy bade thee run away.

a) romeo has become desperate and reckless because of juliet's death.

b) romeo has descended into madness because he thinks juliet has died.

c) romeo doesn't want to cause any more suffering after he has already lost juliet.

d) romeo has become suicidal because of his pain over the thought of a life without juliet.

e) juliet's death has made romeo lose all feeling and not care about fighting anyone.