There are many instances in our lives when we act with unnecessary haste, which can sometimes have less than favourable outcomes. When an individual makes decisions in haste, then they do not think through the situation or consequences of their actions, which ultimately leads to their demise, or the demise of others. The subject of haste, and its sometimes deadly outcomes, is very prevalent in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. We are able to see hastes tragic outcomes through Balthasar's rushing to tell Romeo of Juliet's death, Mercutio's quick willingness to fight Tybalt, and Romeo and Juliet's impulsive love in its entirety.
When Balthasar hurries to tell Romeo of Juliet's death, he fails to make sure that what he observed was true. “I
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Not only was their love quick to start, by marrying after only knowing each other for a few hours, but it came a very abrupt and untimely end. When Juliet states “[S]end me word tomorrow, by one that I’ll procure to come to thee, where and what time thou wilt perform the rite, and all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay and follow thee my lord throughout the world” (Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 150-154), we able to see that both Juliet and Romeo are prepared to become husband and wife, despite meeting only hours before. Because of their decision to marry so quickly, there are many consequences that neither of the two lovers considered, which later leads to their loves grim end. When Romeo rashly decides to take his life due to his belief that Juliet is dead, this again shows the hastiness that is involved in their relationship. When Romeo says “Thus with a kiss I die” (Act 5 Scene 3 Line 121), it shows how despite the fact that Romeo and Juliet have known each other for mere days they feel as though they are so in love that they would rather die than be without the other. This situation shows once again their naive and impulsive tendencies when it comes to their love, and how their decisions had multiple disastrous outcomes.
As we are able to see through examples in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, acting with haste rarely works in our favour. We can see this in how Balthasar’s haste