In William Shakespeare's tragedy, "Romeo and Juliet", the two teenage lovers experience normal behaviors exhibited by adolescents. Romeo and Juliet cannot be blamed for being impulsive or dramatic. From a spontaneous proposal to threatening suicide, the only things to blame are their undeveloped, teenage brains.
Romeo displays extreme impulsiveness throughout the play. According to Sara Johnson, an assistant professor at the Joh Hopkins Bloomberg School of public health, "The brakes come online somewhat later than the accelerator of the brain." Robin Nixon mentions in his article "Adolescent Angst: 5 Facts About the Teen Brain" that actions are mostly influenced by emotion, because the limbic system is in control.
This is shown in "Romeo and Juliet" when Romeo goes to the Capulets party sulking over Roseline, but as soon as he sees Juliet, He "falls in love" with her. Romeo says in Act one, Scene five,"… My lips are two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss", right before kissing her twice. The two
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Without hesitation, he tells her that he will send a messenger at nine the next morning. The next afternoon, they get married after knowing one another for less than twenty-four hours. Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel shortly after the wedding. Unfortunately, Tybalt stabs Mercutio from right under Romeo's arm , and this quickly fills Romeo with anger. Acting upon his shock and rage, Romeo states, "This gentleman, the prince's near ally, my very friend got mortal hurt in my behalf- my reputation stained with Tybalt's slander...."After saying this, Benvolio informs Romeo that Mercutio died. He runs after Tybalt in pure rage and hurt, and kills him without thinking of the consequences. Several times throughout this story, Romeo acts solely on emotion, with little thought
Romeo senses tensions are high with Tybalt, so he states, “I do protest I never injured thee but love thee better than thou canst devise.” (Lines 65-66 Act Three, Scene One). Romeo is trying to diffuse the situation because he realizes that Tybalt is his love's cousin. Mercutio is surprised by Romeo’s behavior, so he decides to fight Tybalt himself. Mercutio’s decision to fight Tybalt leads to his own death. Romeo is angered by the death of Mercutio and states, “Now, Tybalt, take the “villain" back again/ That late thou gavest me; for Mercutio’s soul.” (Lines 123-124 of Act Three, Scene One). Romeo is indicating that Tybalt is the villain now, because he slayed Mercutio. Romeo forgets about his attempt to befriend the Capulets and slays Tybalt. Romeo, murderer of Tybalt, solely focuses on Juliet and states “Ha, banishment? Be merciful, say “death"/For exile hath more terror in his look.” (Lines 12-13 of Act Three, Scene Three). Romeo does not care about Tybalt’s life, but only cares for the way it affects his relationship with Juliet. Romeo’s mother dies out of grief because of his banishment. Romeo’s recklessness in loving Juliet has led to the death of three
sure she was ready. Though he did tell him to "woo her, gentle Paris, get her
In act three scene one it says this about the fight, "Tybalt insults Romeo, but Romeo, who has just returned from his wedding, remains calm. Mercutio, on the other hand, is furious with Tybalt, and they begin to fight. As Romeo tries to separate them, Tybalt stabs Mercutio, who later dies." Romeo feels this sudden rage. Romeo then, "Romeo
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet demonstrate the ignorance and susceptibility of men to making impulsive decisions without considering the consequences. Juliets beauty instantaneously mesmerizes Romeo, which ultimately diminishes his previous affection for Rosaline. In this scene, impulsive behavior and decision-making are greatly portrayed. During Romeo and Juliets first encounter, he asks for a kiss “[my] lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready to stand, / To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss” (I.v.95-96). In his initial reaction to seeing her, Romeo boldly approaches Juliet with the sudden desire to kiss her.
While in the play Romeo and Juliet is about tragedy and drama, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore’s speech The Mysterious Workings of the Adolescent brain is about how an adolescent’s brain works. Based on Shakespeare’s tragedy story Romeo and Juliet there are six deaths in one whole week caused by Romeo’s mood swings. According to Blakemore’s TEDtalk adolescents prefrontal cortex is still developing. Blakemore believes that young kids don’t really think about the decisions they make and that they don’t really see the consequences.
Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, depicts an ancient feud ended by a pair of star-crossed lovers’ deaths. A lord and lady from warring families seek a forbidden love with guidance from a friar and nurse. Due to a tragic course of mischances and fateful errors, their attempt of eloping led the lovers to a tragic end. Because of rash decisions, the four characters are torn apart by miscalculating events and misunderstandings. Ultimately, the four characters encounter a heartbreaking ending, as a result of their hastiness.
“We met, we woo'd and made exchange of vow, I'll tell thee as we pass; but this I pray, That thou consent to marry us to-day.” (Shakespeare II.III. 60). Romeo’s impulsiveness is clearly shown through this quote that he states. The reason for Romeo’s impulsiveness is because he just recently met Juliet and he decides to marry her very quickly. Also this quote reveals to the audience Romeo’s hamartia. Since he is too quick and rash it will inevitably lead him to his fatal death; and through this quote you could see where Romeo went wrong and how it will greatly affect him. Furthermore Romeo leads the audience to believe that he is just infatuated by Juliet’s looks; due to the fact he was strongly in love with Rosaline and then all of sudden falls in love with Juliet and forgets about Rosaline which he claimed to be his one and only love. “Young men’s love then lies Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.”(II.III.65). This quote that Friar Lawrence states planted into the readers mind that Romeo might not be truly in love but rather infatuated. This tragic play takes place in fair Verona where a quarrel between two families takes place due to an ancient grudge. Both families, Montague and Capulet hate each other with a great passion. Two lovers named Romeo and Juliet are both from the two opposing families and they love and marry each other in secret without their families knowing. Because of their impulsiveness and rash decisions it causes them to lead themselves to die a tragic death. Foil characters aid to heighten or highlight an attribute in another character which furthers the plot. Romeo is heightened and influenced by secondary characters that eventually brings out his hamartia, peripeteia, and anagnorisis. These chara...
In William Shakespeare’s most well-known play, “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare illustrates an emotional tragedy by using through the behaviors of Romeo and Juliet’s behavior. Doomed upon falling in from love at first sight, the lives of two teenage lovers were eventually lost. Modern studies suggest that teenage behavior can be explained by is created due to the dramatic changes the brain undergoes at the age of adolescence. Since decision- making is vital in the teenage years, more options and opportunities tend to lead to better choices.
One of the most common character tropes is the moody, teenage sibling who’s always in trouble and fighting with the parents. Teenagers are often stereotyped as reckless and emotional. They take too many chances and act like everything is the end of the world. Young adults are constantly experimenting and taking risks, but what is the force behind their actions? During adolescence, the areas in the brain controlling reward processing and control begin to change. According to neuroscientist Laurence Steinburg, the shift creates an imbalance between emotion and restraint (Sukel, 46). The play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, focuses on the teenager, Romeo, during a dramatic period of his life. He faces many difficult situations involving love
Romeo fights and kills Tybalt just because Tybalt slays Mercutio, despite knowing the consequence of fighting -death- he still takes it upon himself as a way to seek repentance for Mercutio’s death. He is able to restrain himself before the death of Mercutio but after his death Romeo falls to his impulsiveness and fights Tybalt. After killing Tybalt and getting banishment instead of a death sentence, Romeo refuses to look on the bright side and goes to Friar Lawrence where he says “Ha, banishment! Be merciful, say ‘death’.” (Act 3, Scene 3 line 12), this shows that he deems life without Juliet life not worth living. He then continues weep then decides to take his own life, the Friar stopped him but had Romeo stopped being so quick to make decisions he would have realised banishment is much better than death and would be rejoicing instead of weeping. Romeo hears about Juliet's “death” from his servant Balthasar he instantly decides to kill himself, he doesn't mourn his loss or even cry, he simply buys poison, rides to Verona and kills himself. Had he spoken to anyone and taken any advice he would realize that suicide is not the answer but he had his mind made in a minute, he wanted to be dead with his wife. Romeo impulsiveness to make decisions is a very important characteristic for him to have and for the rest of the
Throughout Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, Romeo’s character is desperate and impulsive which ultimately contributes
Romeo states, “I see more danger in your eyes than in twenty of their swords” (II.II.75-76) Romeo is willing to risk bodily harm from the Capulets and alienation from his family for the love of a girl he just met and is the daughter of his family’s hated enemy. As unlikely as it seems, studies conclude teens are prone to engage in reckless behavior due to the reward system in their brains being very sensitive. Romeo perceives the reward of Juliet’s love is worth the risk. With this in mind, as stated from the text, Teenage Brains are Malleable and Vulnerable, by John Hamilton, “Circuits involved in self-control are not developed yet.” Thus, the adolescent brain are vulnerable to impulsive decisions.
After catching Romeo at a party he was not supposed to be at, Tybalt had it out for Romeo. Just after Romeo and Juliet’s wedding, Tybalt comes looking for him wanting to fight. Romeo does not want to fight because he now loves Tybalt since he is family to him, but neither Tybalt or anyone else knows this reason. Quickly, Mercutio steps in and tells Tybalt that he will fight him in honour of Romeo. Sadly, this led to the death of Mercutio.
Romeo’s numerous rash decisions demonstrates his great impulsiveness. Romeo at first grieves over his unreciprocated love for Rosaline, but after he sees Juliet; he forgets about Rosaline entirely. His hastiness leads him to make decisions that are not intelligent or to his benefit. Shortly after meeting Juliet, he asks her to “exchange [her] faithful vow” for his ( 2.2.132). Romeo’s recklessness is evident that he does not think before he makes important decisions; prompting him to propose to Juliet just hours after their first meeting. Yet the morning before, Romeo was suffering from depression because he could never have his Rosaline. After what seems like a lifetime of loving Rosaline and promising to never love anyone but her, Romeo sees Juliet and instantaneously all his thoughts of Rosaline vanish. Romeo becomes infatuated with Juliet, with whom he exchanges less then fifty words before “falling in love.” The next morning he begs Friar L...
The average person doesn’t meet someone, profess their love for them, and ask her hand in marriage all in one night… but Romeo does. In Shakespeare’s calamity of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is the idiot that does all of this. I blame Romeo for the death of these star-crossed lovers, along with the other four characters. If it wasn’t for his impetuous nature, none of this would have happened. Romeo’s relationship with Juliet could be more thought out and more planned. Although the play ended with his death included, without him Juliet and others would have kept their lives.