Romeo reacts just as irrationally. When he learns that he has been banished from Verona and will not be slain, he is incredibly upset, claiming that death would be better. He is unthankful, as Friar Lawrence notes, that the Prince has been willing to change the law so that he may continue to live. While Friar calls the punishment mercy, Romeo baptizes it as torture, for he will no longer be able to be with Juliet. Trying to calm the boy, Friar speaks of philosophy. When Romeo refuses to listen, he states the obvious that “madmen have no ears” (3.3.61). He continues, very wisely, on what could be dubbed a rant, for all the reasons Romeo has to live and be happy. Then he proposes the solution of going to Juliet a last time to consummate the marriage that night, leave in the morning for Mantua where in a few months he will be sought out, and then will return to Verona where he will be welcomed as Juliet’s husband. At the mere mention that he will be able to be will Juliet sexually at last, Romeo expresses how deeply he has been comforted and flees joyfully, his emotions turning on a dime. By this emotional instability, we see how his love is governed by physical and sexual attraction, and how immature his concept of unity is, likewise to Juliet.
-------------------------------------------------
Contrast of Capulet and Lady Capulet’s feelings towards Juliet’s Marriage Capulet and Lady Capulet both share the same wish for Juliet to marry Paris; however, they both take different roles in Juliet’s refusal to be the County’s wife. Lady Capulet takes the role of the wife of the era: sympathetic to the weary daughter, yet in compliance and submission to her husband’s wishes. When Juliet first protests she replies in a manner that indicates her inability to help in the situation. Then, as Juliet begs for the wedding to be put off for a while, she acts coldly in compliance to her husband’s command, but still hints at her sorrow for her child’s pain. “Talk not to me, for I’ll not speak a word, / Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee. “ (3.5.204-205) are her exact words. Capulet is very strong in his opinion that Juliet will marry Paris, despite her protests. He maintains his side ordering her “To go to Paris to Saint Peter’s Church, / Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither. / Out, you green-sickness carrion! out, you baggage! / You tallow-face!” (3.5. 155-158). This statement proves how important a deal it is for Juliet to marry Paris immediately, as otherwise he would not have become so enraged. Overall, this is the expected reaction of a husband and wife from this time period to the surrounding circumstances.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
At the start of Act 3 Scene 5, Juliet has just, unknowingly, said her final words to Romeo and had a premonition of his untimely death, something that later comes true when Juliet awakes from her drug induced slumber to find Romeo lying dead on the floor of the Capulet tomb. It is at this moment the Nurse informs Juliet that her mother is coming to her chambers. When her mother arrives, she finds Juliet in tears. However, instead of showing kindness towards her, she places a death threat on Romeo… believing Juliet’s tears to be sadness over the death of Tybalt and anger towards Romeo for killing him. However, this just adds to the distress Juliet is under. It is then Lady Capulet makes an announcement that, to Juliet, is the worst possible thing that could happen. She tells her that ‘’the gallant, young and noble gentleman, the county Paris, at Saint Peter’s church will happily make thee there a joyful bride” Here Lady Capulet is expecting a positive response, believing that this marriage will truly bring here out of her grief. So, the response she receives from Juliet would have been shocking, not only to Lady Capulet but to the contemporary audience… as it was expected at the time, that girls would do as their fathers told them and not dream of disobedience. The main emotion Juliet expresses in her response to her mother is anger. This very sudden, strong expression of her feelings on this matter has emerged due to this hasty marriage proposal being placed upon her already fired up emotions. Juliet is only a young girl, 13 years old and yet she is having to try and cope with problems/emotions that many of us will likely never have to face. It is the way Shakespeare portrays this that gains the sympathy of the modern audience and even partly the contemporary audience. Now although Juliet’s anger does show her youthfulness, it is quite clear to the audience she is not innocent little girl that her parents believe her to be. Juliet’s complete response to her mother…
- 682 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
His impulsive side had caused quite some havoc. Romeo did not fall in love, yet merely was infatuated with Juliet, as well as Rosaline, “So soon Forsaken? Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes”(2.3.67-68). If Romeo hadn’t acted out on this infatuation towards Juliet then none of the rapid irrational actions of the couple would have occurred. Romeo then marries Juliet the next evening, a few hours later from meeting each other, he asks Friar Laurence who reluctantly accepts, but for other reasons, “That thou consent to marry us today”(2.2.64). Since the marriage was done secretly no-one else besides the Friar, nurse and Balthasar knew about it therefore it caused some problems. For example, Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel, yet Romeo has no intentions in fighting with Tybalt due to them being cousins, “Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee”(3.1.59). Tybalt doesn't know about the marriage so he takes Romeo’s remark as a sarcastic one which fuels his anger, “Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done to me”(3.1.63-64). When Mercutio is slain by Tybalt , Romeo takes it upon himself to avenge his friend’s death and slays Tybalt, but soon realized what he has done, “O, I am fortune’s fool!”(3.1.135). Romeo acted impulsively which leads to his banishment from Verona and breaking any chance of reconcile between the families, “Immediately we do…
- 848 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Throughout the course of the play, Romeo makes rash decisions without putting any forethought into it, and this ultimately leads to the deaths of him, Juliet, and the characters. For example, when Tybalt killed Mercutio, Romeo went after Tybalt and killed him to avenge his friend. Romeo, himself, was even willing to die for his friend and says “Either thou or I, or both, must go with him’ (III.i.125). Though avenging the death of his best friend was a noble action, this incident lead to the banishment of Romeo which caused the death of his mother and other problematic events that transpires later on in the tragedy. Also, at the beginning of the play, Romeo declares he loves a girl named Rosaline and his causes him to fall into a period of depression because she rejects his love for her. However, after he spends a small fraction of time with Juliet, Romeo completely forgets about the girl he was pining after and switches to Juliet without a second thought. Less than twenty-four hours after he meets Juliet, Romeo marries her even though he has only known her for a miniscule amount of time. Rushing into the marriage without giving it time or logical thought is a main reason for the two lovers’ deaths, and according to Friar Lawrence “They stumble that…
- 553 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
i. 81-110). Romeo, knowing that Tybalt was Juliet's cousin, lets his anger take over and fights him. Romeo eventually kills Tybalt, and then becomes aware of the scene he caused. He was careless as he did not think about the consequences that would come after his actions. He also acted impulsively and carelessly when he found out Rosaline was invited to the Capulet party. Being fully aware that he was a Montague and the party was hosted by Capulets, he still decides to attend, in hopes of catching a glimpse of Rosaline (I. ii. 88-101). When deciding, he was not thinking of the consequences that could arise if he and his friends were to get caught. When Romeo incorrectly finds out that Juliet is dead, he impulsively goes to the apothecary looking for a way to “follow his love” to the doors of death ( V. i. 80-86) . He did not give any thought about how is suicide would affect those around him, and acted carelessly. Romeo’s strong impulse and careless mind caused many things to go not as…
- 753 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Mercutio, a friend of Romeo, dissents his request and challenges him instead. This altercation led to the death of Mercutio, which led to Romeo’s desire for vengeance. Tybalt reaches his demise as Romeo stabs him with his sword. Romeo flees to Friar Laurence’s cell and receives the news that he is exorcised from Verona. Tybalt’s death causes Lord Capulet to move Paris and Juliet’s wedding on Thursday. Helpless, Juliet consults Friar Laurence for advice about postponing the wedding. Friar Laurence fabricates a plan to get Juliet away from Paris. “If, rather than to marry County Paris,/ Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself/ Then is it likely thou wilt undertake/ A thing like death to chide away this shame…” (IV.i.71-74) This is another mistake because he should have thought of an easier solution: one that doesn't require Juliet to fake her death, as it is a spurious plan. After informing Juliet with the plan, he proceeds by giving her a potion to mimic the effects of death. “Take thou this vial, being then in bed,/ And this distilling liquor drink thou off…” (IV.i.93-94) He also says he will get another friar to deliver the information about the plan, in the form of a letter, to Romeo. “I’ll send a friar with speed/To Mantua with my letters to thy lord.” (IV.i.123-124) Friar Laurence’s omission to deliver the letter himself was another…
- 683 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Driven by these traits, he acts upon his emotions not logic. At the start of the play he pursues Juliet even though she is the daughter of his family’s enemy; putting his feelings before sense. This impulsiveness is in the middle of the play once he kills Tybalt acting upon his emotions in a passion of hate. ‘Alive in triumph—and Mercutio slain!, Away to heaven, respective lenity, and fire-eyed fury be my conduct now. Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again, that late thou gavest me’ .Reason would have told Romeo that Tybalt would have been slayed in the justice of the law. This impulsiveness then puts him at the end of the play; he banished and Juliet faking death. Once Balthasar reveals Juliet’s death, Romeo immediately thinks upon his emotions once again and is determined to kill himself so that he and Juliet could be together. ‘Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight’ – (Romeo. . Throughout the course of the play his impulsiveness still remains the same and this in turn prevents him from developing as a character. His obsession with love also prevent him from changing. His love for Mercutio that made him fight Tybalt, his love for Juliet that made him want to kill himself. Together the two traits, impulsiveness and obsession with love, tie in together to prevent Romeo from changing as a character and maturing as a…
- 793 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
These deaths that occur appear in, and greatly impact, both the Montague and Capulet families. When Romeo first appears at the Capulet party, Tybalt instantaneously notices him, and becomes quite angry. Tybalt runs to Lord Capulet, to see he can be granted to permission to remove of Romeo. Lord Capulet responds surprisingly well to the news of Romeo arriving at the party. “Content thee gentle coz. Let him alone.” States Capulet in act 1 scene 5. However, Tybalt has a different opinion on what should happen to Romeo. Because of Tybalt’s differing opinion, he later, in act 3 scene 1, finds Romeo and proceeds to throw insults around. Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend, becomes angry at Tybalt for insulting his best friend, and decides to fight with Tybalt. Romeo disagrees with this decision and tries to break up the fight. Mercutio ends up being stabbed by Tybalt, and then out of anger Romeo kills Tybalt. Because all of these characters had differing opinions, lives were lost, leaving long lasting effects on both…
- 581 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Romeo kills Tybalt in revenge for the death of his friend, Mercutio. The Prince then utters a decree, banishing Romeo from Verona. Romeo doesn't know what decree the Prince has made. In Act 3 Scene 3, Romeo hears the news of his banishment from the Friar. He says that exile is far worse than death because he has to live without Juliet (Romeo and Juliet 3.3). " Ha, banishment? Be merciful, say "death" For exile is hath more terror in his look, much more than death. Do not say banishment" (Shakespeare 156). Romeo says he would rather die than be banished and tries to kill himself. Romeo's stubbornness is shown when he doesn't listen to the wise Friar's advice on how thankful he should be for not being sentenced to death. He is also stubborn for deciding that killing himself will solve the hardships and problems he faces now. He fails to realize how blessed he is for staying alive. He doesn't consider alternatives, such as: he would be able to meet Juliet again somehow and if he had, had more patience, he would have known of the plan of Friar Laurence and Romeo and Juliet could have been together. However, Romeo's stubbornness made him unable to endure the momentary suffering of being separated from Juliet and concluded that killing himself would solve the problem. He didn't realize what his death would mean to other characters like Juliet. He was being too self-centered. Another of Romeo's…
- 923 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
After the lovers finally marry, a terrible fight ensues in which Tybalt kills Mercutio, and as a result, Romeo kills Tybalt. The Prince recently decreed that any more public fights between the Capulet and Montague families would result in punishment by death, and as Tybalt was a Capulet and Romeo is a Montague, it looks as though Romeo should be executed. Instead, the Prince lessens the sentence to banishment, as Mercutio, one of his kinsmen, was among the casualties. Friar Lawrence delivers this wonderful news, but to Romeo, but the youth provides a less than happy response.Instead of being grateful and working with the situation, Romeo complains and insists that banishment is worse than death, even though he will still see his true love and family. Later, he even throws himself on the ground crying, and threatens suicide. Unless he gets exactly what he wants, it is the end of the world for poor Romeo. Similarly, Juliet becomes extremely dramatic when problems arise. After dealing with Romeo’s banishment, her parents try to make Juliet happy again, but get the wrong idea for her happiness. They decide to arrange a marriage between her and a rich Count, not knowing she is already married to someone she loves. After a brutal argument between Juliet and her parents, the young woman quickly goes to the Friar. Instead of calmly explaining the situation Juliet, enters and demands. Although she does…
- 981 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
William Shakespeare’s, Romeo and Juliet, is a tale of two star-crossed lovers who died tragic deaths. Romeo and Juliet both made horrible, quick decisions but, the one who made the worst decisions was Romeo. Mercutio, Tybalt, and Juliet’s lives were all affected by Romeo’s decisions. Romeo’s impulsive behavior negatively affects the three characters in this tragedy.…
- 610 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
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’.” (III, iii, 12), this shows that he deems that life without Juliet is a life not worth living. He then continues to weep and decides to take his own life, the Friar stops him but had Romeo stopped being so quick to make decisions he would have realised banishment is better than death and would be rejoicing instead of weeping. Romeo hears about Juliet's “death” from his servant Balthasar and 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, taken any advice or sat down and thought about what had happened then 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’s nature of making decisions without thinking or barely thinking at all is shown at many key parts in the story and leads to his…
- 812 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
I would cry with joy that Romeo is alive, but I should cry tears of grief because Tybalt is dead. My husband, whom Tybalt wanted to kill, is alive. Tybalt, who wanted to kill my husband, is dead. All this is comforting news”(3.2.98-110). Juliet only cared about Romeo and did not care about tybalt at all because she will eventually be able to see Romeo and will never be able to see Tybal again.…
- 467 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Amid the play, there are various decisions that Romeo and Juliet make that can be considered ill-informed and irrational. Romeo and Juliet hastily decide to get married, despite Friar Lawrence warning them that ‘Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow’ (2.6.15), meaning that it is dangerous for the two to fall in love so rapidly. Furthermore, Romeo declares that ‘Then love-devouring death do what he dare’ (2.6.7) as long as he is able to be with Juliet. This illustrates that Romeo has lost rational thought, and influences the decisions he makes throughout the remainder of the play that ultimately lead to their tragedy. When Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo acts foolishly and kills Tybalt. He states ‘and fire-eyed fury be my conduct now’ (3.1.86) and allows for his rage to guide his actions. As a result of the murder Romeo commits, he is banished from Verona and unable to see Juliet again. If Romeo hadn’t…
- 664 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Juliet cries and wails in despair when she sees the love of her life dead on the floor. Juliet’s blood runs cold with sadness and she soon becomes to quake in agony. A life without Romeo isn’t worth it, she thinks. Soon after, with a blade, she seals her fate as Romeo did. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, this tragedy was the greatest of them all. Two star-crossed lovers took their lives to avoid living without each other. If it were not for Romeo being impulsive with love, him slaying Tybalt, and him drinking the poison, both Juliet and he wouldn’t have died so tragically. Romeo is to blame for his own death and Juliet’s death as well. Henceforth, Romeo is to blame for the famous tragedy.…
- 1037 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
The bodies of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet were found today in the Capulet tomb. Romeo had taken a poison, and Juliet stabbed herself with Romeo’s dagger. But the question is why? It all begins with the feuding Montagues and Capulets. Romeo and his friends sneak into a Capulet party, where Romeo meets and falls in love with Juliet. With the help of Friar Lawrence, who hopes to reconcile the families, they are secretly married the next day. Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, who hates the Montagues more than anyone, challenges Romeo to a fight. Romeo refuses. Mercutio is offended by the way Tybalt treats them and accepts the fight on Romeo’s behalf. Mercutio ends up getting killed. Romeo loses his self control and kills Tybalt in return, which leads to his exile by the Prince. He threatens to execute Romeo if he returns. Juliet is distressed. The Capulets misinterpret it, and threaten to disown her if she does not marry Paris. Friar Lawrence gives Juliet a potion that will put her in a death like state. Balthasar, unaware of the plan, gives Romeo false news that Juliet is dead. Heartbroken, Romeo purchases a poison and goes to the Capulet tomb where he murders Paris. Still believing Juliet to be dead, Romeo drinks the poison which kills him instantly. Juliet awakens, finding Romeo dead beside her, and stabs herself. The families are reconciled by the deaths of their children and agree to end their violent feud.…
- 563 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays