Romeo and Juliet is a story that has been told time after time. Everybody knows the plot to the famous play. Star-Crossed lovers from feuding houses get married and eventually take their own lives. However, many have questioned the characters of Romeo and Juliet and their brash decisions. Are Romeo and Juliet to blame for their ill-thought-out and immature choices? Or can it be blamed on the teenage brain and a lack of impulse control. Romeo and Juliet should not be blamed for their decisions because the teenage brain is still rapidly developing and maturing in the teen years. It has a lack of impulse control, poor decision making, and is going through massive hormonal changes. Romeo and Juliet cannot be blamed for their actions, because their brains are not mature yet, …show more content…
But this is not completely their fault. According to the NIMH, “The parts of the brain responsible for more “top-down” control, controlling impulses, and planning ahead—the hallmarks of adult behavior—are among the last to mature.” The teenage brain cannot control impulses very well, and that shows in Romeo and Juliet. Questionable actions and a surprising lack of thought go into Romeo and Juliet’s decisions. But this can be blamed on the teenage brain and the lack of impulse control it has while the brain is developing. The article “Teen Brains: Still Under Construction” shows this using a study done on teen brains. “This let the adults use a variety of brain resources and better resist temptation, while the teens used those areas less often and more readily gave in to the impulse to look at the flickering light—just as they're more likely to look away from the road to read a text message.” Teens are much more likely to be distracted and impulsive than their adult counterparts. The brains of teenagers and adults are not the same and cannot be treated as