Ms. McKay
ENG-1D0-G
April 30th 2013
Dangers of Young Love Displayed in Romeo and Juliet
Young love often starts off as a small crush and then leads towards a relationship, which is a teenager’s happiest moment ever. In every young love relationship there are always main conflicts that couples go through, sometimes these conflicts can potentially ruin the relationship. Centuries ago in Verona Italy, there were two rival families. Both families had an only child; Romeo from the Montague family and Juliet from the Capulet family. One day the two met at the Capulet ball and they fell in love instantly and eventually got married the following day. Unfortunately, luck was not on their side and they took their lives because they could not be together. The play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, shows effective warning about young love and the dangers through choices, actions and emotions of the star-crossed lovers. For the most part, William Shakespeare has effectively displayed that choices are a great danger to young love, especially ones that were made to quickly. Teenagers often do not re-think their choices that they think of doing, Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy was based on the choices they made. A poorly thought out choice is when Juliet took the potion from the friar was in need for desperate help, she went to Friar Laurence and asked him for some advice. The Friar had gave her a potion and told her to take it alone. Ever after all the thoughts that ran through her head she decided to take it. Her last words were “Juliet: “... Romeo, I come! This do I drink to thee.” / [She falls upon her bed within the curtains]” (IV.iii.58). In this scene Juliet had made a quick decision to drink the potion Suthar 2 because she did not want to marry Paris, since she was already married and in love with Romeo. Instead of Juliet drinking the potion that could possibly kill her, she could have run away in the night to Mantua with Romeo. Furthermore, Juliet made another bad choice by telling Romeo to marry her. It was as if Juliet was testing Romeo’s love for her, she says “Juliet: If that thy bent of love be honorable. / Thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow” (II.ii.143-144). This choice was a very bad idea because by them getting married it could likely enhance the feud between the two families. Also, instead of coming to a conclusion that they were going to get married, Romeo and Juliet could have waited longer to see where their feelings lead to. In conclusion, if the two lovers had rethought their choices, the outcomes would have been different from what they were. Bad choices affect the chances of better opportunities and so does actions. In the same way, that choice’s are a danger, so are actions. Both Romeo and Juliet made vicious choices which led to hasty actions. Romeo had made a very rushed action when he took his life after seeing Juliet ‘dead’. He only said several sentences and then drank the poison. “Romeo: “...Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die” [Dies]” (V.iii.119). As soon as Romeo saw Juliet he did not think about anything else and did not try to seek advice from anyone. Romeo had acted to quickly on his part, because moments later Juliet had awoken from her deep sleep. If the young man had just waited several minutes, the two could have been on their way to Mantua. In addition to Romeo’s hasty actions, he was in love with a girl named Rosaline but seconds after seeing Juliet he did not even remember who Rosaline was.
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To this he said “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sigh! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” (I.iv.52-53). If Romeo thought about his ‘love’ for Juliet, maybe he would have realized that it was not actual love towards her. The actions that Romeo and Juliet made all came from their emotions to each other.
When it comes to emotions, they are a great danger