Romeo And Juliet Rash Decisions Analysis

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written in the late 1550’s. The play, set in the city of Verona, tells a tale of two teenagers, Romeo and Juliet, who come from rivaling families, and fall in love. The progression of their love occurs over the course of only a few days, and their rash decisions affect their lives significantly. Romeo, in particular, rushes through his actions and follows his heart. Over the course of the play, Romeo’s hasty and thoughtless actions increase, ultimately leading to his death, demonstrating the consequences of rash decisions. Initially, Romeo is devastated from a broken heart; however, he quickly falls in love with Juliet, displaying his first hasty action and quick change of mind. Romeo is
While talking to Benvolio, his cousin, about love’s disappointment, he says, “She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow/Do I live dead that live to tell it now” (I.i 224-225). In this quotation, Romeo cannot focus on anything besides the damage love has caused him. When Romeo says, “Do I live dead that live to tell it now,” he is displaying that love has figuratively killed him and the only reason he is alive is to tell everyone what happened. The use of the word “dead” validates the extremity of Romeo’s broken heart. Romeo is using hyperbole to exaggerate the extent of his loss of love. Despite being in enormous pain caused by his love for Rosaline, Romeo sees Juliet and quickly falls in love with her. The moment he sees her he says, “It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night/Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear,/Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear” (I.v.42-45). Here, Romeo has just seen
Romeo falls in love with Juliet rapidly, and they decide to get married within a day. The morning of their wedding, Romeo is talking to the Friar and says, “Amen, amen. But come what sorrow can, /It cannot countervail the exchange of joy/That one short minute gives me in her sight” (II.vi 3-5). In response to Romeo’s comment, the Friar advises, “Therefore love moderately. Long love doth so. /Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow” (II.vi 14-15). Here, Romeo explains to the Friar that looking at Juliet for “one short minute” fills him with joy. In response to Romeo’s speech, the Friar tells him to slow the relationship down. Soon after Romeo and Juliet’s wedding, the consequences start to come into effect. Romeo, not thinking through his actions, kills Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin. Romeo kills Tybalt because he is filled with rage after Tybalt has killed Mercutio, his dear friend. When Benvolio is explaining the fight to the citizens, he says to the Prince, “And to't they go like lightning, for ere I/Could draw to part them was stout Tybalt slain. /And, as he fell, did Romeo turn and fly” (III.i 134-136). Romeo quickly makes a decision to kill Tybalt after a fight that broke out in haste, not thinking about the consequences of his actions. Benvolio uses a simile, “’they go like lightning,” demonstrating how fast the fight started and ended.