Why was the Rosaline infatuation included at all?

[Jane]

Rosaline was included to reveal that Romeo is fickle. She helps illustrate his character

[h.]

Stephen wrote: "Many folks have criticized Shakespeare's Romeo for being inconstant and not knowing what he wanted because of the easy way he forgot all about his pining for Rosaline after first seeing Juliet.

I..."
Totally agree. And it gives him a chance to wax poetic and at length in Act 1 which further develops his character. Notice he speaks a lot more than J. Take for example, his death speech vs. hers. Often times, she's all business. Doesn't have the luxury of being verbose or poetic.

That's my take on it.

I like how Zeferilli gives audience a glimpse of R at the ball.

h.

[Bree]

To be honest I believe she was a waste of character as I've noticed some other people also think. There were other ways the intensity of Romeo's love could've been presented and I believe that adding Rosaline decredited his love (if he could easily get over her because she wouldn't sleep with him- it doesn't help him.) It would've been interesting if she actually had a later role, to which would mean they couldn't both die, such as Juliet dies and Romeo, not wanting to share a bed with another woman marries Rosaline out of companionship, not lust, or perhaps they both live and she comes back into the picture (which would complicate the plot), but still as she is in the work, while I can understand the intent, in my eyes she just makes Romeo look bad. I think his love would be more apparent/ stronger if she wasn't included. That's just my input though.

[Jacquelyn]

Bree wrote: "To be honest I believe she was a waste of character as I've noticed some other people also think. There were other ways the intensity of Romeo's love could've been presented and I believe that addi..."

I don't think she was included to "make" Romeo look bad. She was included to poke holes in his infatuation with Juliet from the beginning because the whole point of Romeo and Juliet is to warn against this idea of true love at first sight and to warn of getting caught up in strong emotions without thinking through their legitimacy. Rosaline's character was very necessary because she set the precedent for when he becomes enamored with Juliet. And Romeo's further actions throughout the play do enough to add to his fickleness even without Rosaline. During the balcony scene, for example, he starts spinning sonnets that could reference literally anyone and Juliet calls him out for it. Romeo is a surface-level kind of guy and Rosaline just helps to instill that even more.

[Frances]

It is well known that Juliet is the strongest character of Shakespeare's work,it is also proved at the end: she kills herself with a dagger while Romeo swallows poison,i think Rosaline was included to demonstrate that Romeo is fickle but it could have been also a "cutting remark" of Shakespear to the courtly love characters of that time,Juliet's love infact is expressed in a far more genuine way.