Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Shakespeare where to start? This man has written so many influential pieces. I will be focusing on the behaviours of Romeo and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. There are multiple key themes in Romeo and Juliet, however, I will be concentrating on the theme of love and how the behaviours portrayed in the play can relate to humans today. Shakespeare’s character can show us that if we act on our emotions without thinking, there will be consequences.
Love primarily causes both Romeo and Juliet to behave immaturely, irrational, and irresponsible. Before Juliet met Romeo, she was already immature, probably because she was still a young teenager but anyways Juliet is shown to be of young age in an opening scene where her father tells the bride-seeking Paris his daughter is not old and grown-up enough to marry. ‘My child is yet a stranger in the world. / She hath not seen the charge of fourteen years.’ (Act 1, Scene 2). Immature behaviours are also portrayed in the balcony scene when Juliet agrees to marry Romeo after knowing him only a day.
If that thy bent of love be honourable,
Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow
…
And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay
And follow thee my lord throughout the world.
(Act 2, Scene 2)
Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow
…
And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay
And follow thee my lord throughout the world.
(Act 2, Scene 2)
Following Juliet’s marriage with Romeo, the Nurse tells Juliet that she is to marry Paris. She then storms to Friar Lawrence with a knife to her body, because she believes that the only way out of the situation is to kill herself.
If in thy wisdom thou canst give no help,
Do thou but call my resolution wise,
and with this knife I’ll help it presently.
…
Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife
Shall play umpire, arbitrating that
(Act 4, Scene 1)
Do thou but call my resolution wise,
and with this knife I’ll help it presently.
…
Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife
Shall play umpire, arbitrating that
(Act 4, Scene 1)
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Romeo also conveys immature, irrational and irresponsible behaviours. Romeo’s inclination to fall in love quickly was first shown in his love for Rosaline; this action is linked to immature behaviours as he falls in love very easily and makes rash decisions. It was illustrated perfectly when he first met Juliet. ‘Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! / For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.’ (Act 1, Scene 5). Throughout this scene Romeo displayed fickleness. This behaviour is relevant and similar to humans today as we often change our minds. Romeo was also immature, irresponsible and irrational by the way he handled Tybalt's slaying of Mercutio in Act 3, Scene 1, if you didn’t know Romeo was extremely infuriated and killed Tybalt and did not think about the repercussions of his actions, humans in modern society act in a similar way to Romeo as we often do not think before we do. However, most people will not kill.
These behaviours in my opinion affected and impacted the outcome. I think that the behaviours portrayed in Romeo and Juliet demonstrates a lot about human behaviours. In Romeo and Juliet there were repercussions from the behaviours that were presented by the characters, like the deaths of 3 characters. I think that the behaviours demonstrates that humans can be irresponsible and immature and make rash decisions no matter the age. Age is just a number, and not everyone acts sensible, rational, mature and responsible.
Romeo and Juliet's individual decisions to take their lives were results of misunderstanding, assumption, immaturity and irrational thinking. Assuming Juliet was dead, Romeo thought that his only option was to take his life. In Romeo and Juliet's naive minds, suicide was a fast answer to their problems; this is an act of irrational thinking. Romeo and Juliet's innocence show us that jumping into situations too quick and irrational thinking can cause enormous problems. The outcome of the play was significantly affected by the behaviours presented. Both Romeo and Juliet could still be alive of they did not act immaturely, irresponsibly and irrationally.
Shakespeare’s characters can teach us about the consequences of acting on our emotions without thinking. The most obvious consequence would be the death of both Romeo and Juliet in Act 5, Scene 3. The death of the children from both of the feuding-families essentially brought the families to peace. Another lesson that can be learned is to consider the needs and desires of others. For example, Romeo and Juliet were caught in a crossfire of hatred. If their families would have thought about the needs and desires of their children, Romeo and Juliet may not have been sacrificed in the name of love.
These behaviours in my opinion affected and impacted the outcome. I think that the behaviours portrayed in Romeo and Juliet demonstrates a lot about human behaviours. In Romeo and Juliet there were repercussions from the behaviours that were presented by the characters, like the deaths of 3 characters. I think that the behaviours demonstrates that humans can be irresponsible and immature and make rash decisions no matter the age. Age is just a number, and not everyone acts sensible, rational, mature and responsible.
Romeo and Juliet's individual decisions to take their lives were results of misunderstanding, assumption, immaturity and irrational thinking. Assuming Juliet was dead, Romeo thought that his only option was to take his life. In Romeo and Juliet's naive minds, suicide was a fast answer to their problems; this is an act of irrational thinking. Romeo and Juliet's innocence show us that jumping into situations too quick and irrational thinking can cause enormous problems. The outcome of the play was significantly affected by the behaviours presented. Both Romeo and Juliet could still be alive of they did not act immaturely, irresponsibly and irrationally.
Shakespeare’s characters can teach us about the consequences of acting on our emotions without thinking. The most obvious consequence would be the death of both Romeo and Juliet in Act 5, Scene 3. The death of the children from both of the feuding-families essentially brought the families to peace. Another lesson that can be learned is to consider the needs and desires of others. For example, Romeo and Juliet were caught in a crossfire of hatred. If their families would have thought about the needs and desires of their children, Romeo and Juliet may not have been sacrificed in the name of love.
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Humans can act in so many different ways, however, to think that Shakespeare chose to portray these demeaning characteristics remains to astonish me. How can someone 400 years ago correctly predict human behaviours as to how humans act nowadays in the 21st century? Truly astonishing. I feel as though perhaps humans act in a similar way to Shakespeare's characters, however, to an extent. In his plays, they are quite extreme compared to the norm because I for one don’t know any families who feud and would go to an extreme extent to kill one another. Another key difference would be how society is continuously evolving. There are a lot of new television program about this love at first sight theory, however, I think it’s a bunch of BS.
Although Romeo and Juliet was written during a strict and structured era, I believe that there is a key message in the play and a lot of lessons can be learnt especially from the consequences displayed. I think that some humans do act in a similar way to Shakespeare’s characters however definitely not everyone like I don’t fall in love easily, kill people and my family does not feud with others lol.
Feel free to leave any comments on this blog regarding Romeo and Juliet. Hopefully we can all start a discussion and meet new fanatics like myself.