Romeo And Juliet Behind The Brain Essay

Behind the Brains
In today’s society, Romeo and Juliet are viewed as two teens that sacrificed their own lives purely out of love for each other, but is there something deeper? In the famous play Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, the protagonists are two teenages who fall in love. Their families are enemies and fight with each other constantly. They secretly get married and have to deal with the constant conflicts going on between their families. In the end, not being able to be together, they commit suicide. The reason for their drastic actions may not just be their love for each other, but could be due to the neural insulation, limbic system, and the prefrontal cortex of teenagers.
Neural insulation is a fatty coating in the nerves of the brain that help them transmit signals. Having spotty or under-developed

This is the front section of the brain that makes rational decisions. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo proclaims, “Then plainly know my heart’s dear love is set On the fair daughter of rich Capulet…”(Rom. 2.2 54-55) This is when Friar Laurence asks Romeo why he is happy. He responds by saying that he loves Capulet’s daughter. Romeo falls in love with Juliet instantly and makes an impulsive decision to marry her. This is an example of teens not making rational decisions. Teenagers do have the capability to control their behavior, but it is harder for them because they do not have a fully matured prefrontal cortex. Studies show that, “... a teen’s prefrontal cortex—the brain’s smart part—is out of sync with limbic growth” (Bernstein 2). While this does not mean that teenagers have no control over their actions, it does mean that it is harder for them to make good decisions. The prefrontal cortex affects the day-to-day decisions of teens. This may be another reason why Romeo and Juliet may have chosen to take their lives without fully thinking the situation