As Friar Laurence secretly weds Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Romeo and Juliet, he ominously foretells of the consequences of their hasty marriage. The later of the quote: “that run fast” alludes to how quick the families are to judge one another and dismiss them as enemies because of their relations to their enemy (II.iii.94). Consequently, “They stumble” and remain oblivious to the others’ redeeming character traits, continuing the feud until it becomes the families’ downfalls. With these allusions in place, this famous quote clearly foreshadows how their respective families’ impulsive decisions ultimately lead to their downfalls through the deaths of their offspring. Instead of “wisely and slow[ly]” making decisions regarding