Decisions In Romeo And Juliet

It is important to discern whether you are truly in love with a person, as problems can arise if one dives into an infatuation without thinking. This idea is made exceptionally obvious in Romeo and Juliet, seen through the lovers’ rash decisions which eventually lead to their dismal end. In the Elizabethan era it was not uncommon for people to marry as young as 12 years old, and Romeo and Juliet are pictured as being teenagers themselves, meaning that they are lacking the maturity that may be necessary in order for them to make the correct decisions in their relationship. From the onset of the play, Romeo is characterised as a person who is very passionate about finding love. Romeo mentions this himself, saying “This is not Romeo, he’s some
Shakespeare soon introduces the character of Benvolio. Benvolio’s function as a character is to tend to Romeo’s inexperience and immaturity. He reassures Romeo and gives him smart advice. When the servant arrives and informs Romeo and Benvolio of the ball, Romeo realises that Rosaline will attend, and suddenly becomes determined to go himself. Benvolio retaliates, stating, “Take thou some new infection to thy eye, and the rank poison of the old will die.” Shakespeare illustrates how Romeo’s love quickly becomes toxic through an oxymoron. Although Romeo may see women as beautiful and falls in love very quickly, Benvolio brings him back to reality by saying that his love is poisonous to him and everyone else around him. Romeo, still oblivious to this, refuses to listen to Benvolio’s advice and recklessly sets off for this dangerous party primarily with the certain hope of seeing Rosaline there. Romeo’s stubborn tendencies, exemplified in this scene, could have potentially ended in a dire situation. Luckily his fight with Tybalt at the ball does not last long, but Romeo’s obsessive love combined with his impetuous behaviour is a recipe for disaster. Almost unsurprisingly, this leads to his suicide at the end of the