How The Development of the Teenage Brain Explains Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is a story that is thought to be 428 years old about two teenagers who make bad decisions in the name of the infatuation they call love but can science actually explain why teenagers like Romeo and Juliet make so many impulsive and bad decisions? Recent research and an article by Marty Wolner may help answer this question. Romeo and Juliet are both two teenagers from feuding families in Verona, Italy. Once they meet each other they instantly fall “in love”, however, this love causes them to make impulsive decisions such as in the famous balcony scene in Act 2 Scene 2 they propose to each other despite just meeting each other mere hours ago “If that thy bent of love be honorable, thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,” (Page 79). Moreover, Juliet immediately turns to suicide the second Romeo is banished and unable to see her, threatening the Friar with killing herself in front of him if he doesnt do anything. “If in thy wisdom thou canst give no help, do thou but call my resolution wise, and with this knife I’ll help it presently.” (Page …show more content…
This impulsive and illogical behavior could be explained by the development of their brains, the area of their brains responsible for logical reasoning, understanding consequences, and responsible decision making is still being formed as Marty Wolner says “Even though the brain is almost physically mature, the grey matter in the thinking part of the brain (pre-frontal cortex) is still making connections. So teenagers are left with most of the information reaching their brains being processed in the emotional part (limbic system).” (2). As a result,