How Did Romeo And Juliet Make Bad Decisions

Teenage brains are still growing and maturing during their adolescence causing them to make poor decisions that adults are less likely to make. Romeo and Juliet were star-crossed lovers from rival families that became quickly infatuated with each other. Due to this love they shared and their adolescent brains, they made many poor decisions throughout the play. Especially Romeo, who married a girl he just met, killed himself so he could be with her, and murdered Juliet’s cousin to avenge his friend. Romeo’s decisions and experiences were poorly influenced by his adolescent brain because he acted on emotion, idealized his and Juliet’s relationship, and caused self-endangerment under the influence of a crush.

Romeo tended to be a victim of idealization

Romeo professed his love for Juliet the same night he met her and arranged to marry her the next morning. For instance, “My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself/ Because it is an enemy to thee./ Had I it written, I would tear the word” (2.2.60-62). Romeo is telling Juliet that his name means nothing to him and he wishes he wasn’t a Montague. Romeo has just met Juliet and is already implying that he would rather be able to be with her than be a part of his own family. Romeo has created a superficial impression of Juliet and fallen in love with it. He impulsively married her the next morning causing an abundance of problems for the two of them. This was caused by the teenage brain's reactions to a crush. The teenage brain tends to struggle with the feelings one feels towards their crush. For example, “Because a romantic crush is a potent mix of

He couldn’t control his feelings and took it out on Tybalt. Romeo declared, “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, for Mercutio’s soul / Is but a little way above our heads,/ Staying for thine to keep him company./ Either thou or I, or both, must go with him” (3.1.123-130). Mercutio, Romeo’s friend, was just stabbed by Tybalt. Romeo was enraged and acted upon this emotion. Ultimately, Romeo killed Tybalt and was banished from Verona. This was a turning point in the play because everything went downhill for Romeo and Juliet from there. If Romeo hadn’t taken his emotions out on Tybalt for killing his friend, he would have never been separated from Juliet. Teenagers tend to deal with their emotions in malicious ways. As you can see, “Many crimes committed during adolescence involve emotionally fraught social situations,” (Underwood 1). Underwood is stating that most teens' crimes are committed because of emotional situations. Many adolescents act on their emotions which typically results in poor decisions. Romeo’s crime was caused by the emotions he felt after Mercutio’s death. This emotional situation ended up putting Romeo in a devastating place, being banished from Verona. Romeo acted on his emotions and killed Tybalt, causing him to be banished from