Teenage Actions And Consequences In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Teenagers are unpredictable and emotional human equipped with an undeveloped brain full of hormones. Falling in love easily, doing dangerous things, and not preparing for the future, teenagers need to be taught the importance of responsible risk-taking. Two perfect examples of teenage actions and consequences are Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet’s behavior can be explained through the science of the teen brain and its development. Throughout the play Romeo was embodied with depression, most of the time for no good reason at all, just like Romeo many teens suffer from depression. Teen brains are very susceptible to depression and can be very impulsive. Erika Forbes at the University of Pittsburgh states, “They can’t respond naturally when something good happens” (Hamilton 2). The study done at University of Pittsburgh can explain why Romeo didn’t have a good reaction when the prince spared his life and banned him, instead of killing him. Romeo’s depression was not helped, but hid behind what he thought was love, ultimately becoming his demise.

Being teenagers Romeo and Juliet act on impulse, having no thought of the future. The teenage brain is still under construction contributing to the way teenagers act. “One interpretation of all these finding is that in teens, the parts of the brain involved in emotional responses are fully online, or even more active than in adults, while the parts of the brain involved in keeping emotional, impulsive responses in check are still reaching maturity” (“The Teen Brain; Still Under Construction” 5). This scientific discovery enlightens people on why teenagers can be so arrogant and impulsive. Romeo and Juliet are the icons of true teenage love, but when looked at closely they are just teens acting on sexual