Impulsive Decisions In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet, a play, a tale of two, sane, mundane lovers, and of course their wonderful in-laws, yes? No for what would such a story be without any drama? The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, by famed Renaissance playwright William Shakespeare, lacks such content and carries quite the opposite. These two lovers through a lack of communication and short-sighted choices dig themselves and their relatives down the rabbit hole to the extent of their deaths. However, it is the impulsivity of Lord Capulet and his daughter Juliet throughout the play that creates troubling situations for these young adults, resulting in the tragedy of young people being forced to make adult decisions.

During the play, Juliet’s temerity and affinity for impulsive decisions lead herself and those around her to difficult situations. For one, when she and Romeo discuss their love from her balcony, she says to him “I gave thee mine [vow] before thou didst request it/And yet I would were I to give again”(2.2.135), and in doing so promises herself to Romeo without thought as to what doing so could mean for her. Furthermore, in this statement she implies that she had been thinking about marriage with this guy, glossing over the fact they met the night before. Later, Juliet in an act of desperation declares that if Friar

Though this does make for great drama in an unrealistic situation, what would it be without it? It is the thought (or lack thereof) in what we choose to do that shapes our lives. Without using our heads for what we do, our choices may not reflect the intent of what we want to accomplish. In society today, time is essential, efficiency is key, but safer is the runner who took the time and stopped to tie their shoelaces than the runner who tried save time not doing