Romeo And Juliet: The Influence Of Children And Adults

Choi 1

Timothy Choi

Mrs. Baez

English 1H, Period 1

10 March 2023

The influence of children and adults From the moment we were born, we were in the safety of our parents' arms, taken care of, guided, and loved. Our parents were the ones who helped us grow, the ones who gave us a path, the ones who made us who we are now. They are the influence on our lives. But it’s not just the children that are changed. Shakespeare uses Romeo & Juliet to show how both children and adults influence each other in different ways. Children and adults share a relationship where both sides influence and are influenced by each other, changing each other’s perspectives, attitudes, behaviors, and lives. Every action that adults do, bad or good, has an impact on

Children will listen to the adult's words and can follow their will, but can also go against it. A healthy example of an adult influencing a child can be seen in the relationship between Romeo and Friar Laurence, where as Friar Laurence is chiding Romeo for doing nothing but crying and complaining, he says, “Hold thy desperate hand. Art thou a man? Thy form cries out thou art; Thy tears are womanish, thy wild acts denote the unreasonable fury of a beast.” (3.3.125-128) Friar Laurence, after looking at the helpless mess of Romeo, tells Romeo to take his responsibilities as a man and take action to fix this situation. This quote demonstrates Friar Laurence’s influence on Romeo, able to guide and support him towards the right path. He acts as both a mentor and father figure to Romeo, willing to help him navigate through tough situations as such. On the other hand, there are instances where adults are nothing but horrible influences toward their children. This is shown in the relationship between Juliet and her parents, where when Juliet refused to marry Paris, Lord Capulet responded with "I tell thee what: get thee to church a' Thursday,

Even the tiniest actions that children do in front of adults have an impact on the adults, changing and influencing their thoughts, opinions, and actions, going as far as creating love and peace. This can be seen in the relationship between Romeo and Friar Laurence, where just before Romeo and Juliet get married, Friar Laurence brings a few words: "So smile the heavens upon this holy act, that after-hours with sorrow chide us not!" (2.6.1-2) Here, Friar Laurence is expressing his concerns for what this marriage can bring to all of them but goes through with his promise anyways, swayed by the passion and love of Romeo. This quote shows how Romeo’s powerful love and determination to marry Juliet was to Friar Laurence, influencing him to take dangerous actions that he might not have done otherwise, out of his love for Romeo. Similarly, this can be seen on a larger scale, where two children changed the lives of multiple families. We are talking about the influence of Romeo and Juliet on their respective families and their grudges against each other. As Romeo and Juliet were both found dead and their truth revealed, the Prince of Verona brings a conclusion by saying, "Where be these enemies? Capulet! Montague! See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love." (5.3.315-317) Here, the Prince is calling out both heads of each family, highlighting