Teenage Behavior In Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet: Common Teenage Behaviors
All teenagers act in a way which is unexplainable. In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the teenage characters act very irresponsibly. Throughout the years, scientists have tried to research why teens act in such a troublesome way, and they may have just found the answer. The characters in the play support this research in many different ways. Characters such as Romeo, Tybalt, and Juliet act in a way that is very teenage-like. Reading Romeo and Juliet may further the understanding as to why teens act a certain way and what is going on inside their brain during these awkward years. Although the characters in the play are from several years back, they still portray the certain characteristics

For example, he grows a hatred for Romeo and tries to get in as many fights as possible. He is risking his life by doing this. Shakespeare writes: “Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford; No better term that this: thou art a villain” (Shakespeare 3.1.61-62). The fact that Tybalt is not afraid to fight and knows what the consequences may be makes him a huge risk taker. The teen brain is still developing, and it is extremely common for teens to take the most risks compared to other age groups. In his article, “Beautiful Brains,” David Dobbs explains, “Teens take more risks not because they do not understand the dangers but because they weigh risk versus reward differently: In situations where risk can get them something they want, they value the reward more heavily than adults do” (Dobbs). Dobbs’ research suggests the teen brain is still developing thus making the teen know nothing different besides to take risks. It is what the teens get out of taking risks that is so rewarding to them. Overall, Tybalt and his friends take many risks that have the potential for bad consequences, but that does not stop

Teenagers have the tendency to act impulsively due to the rapid changing in their brains. For example, Romeo and Tybalt both seem to act very riskily in times when they know what the possible consequences could be. Romeo decides to marry Juliet, but he knows this could result in both his death and Juliet’s death. Similarly, Tybalt has the tendency to get into fights when he knows the Prince will kill him and the Montagues if he sees a fight again. Likewise, Juliet tends to make irresponsible decisions such as faking her death so she would not have to marry Paris. Scientific studies have shown that the teen brain is still under development causing teenagers to not fully think through decisions. Characters in Romeo and Juliet portray very similar characteristics to modern teens today. Overall, the teenage years are very complicated because of what is going on in the brain, so if people would better understand this concept, teenagers would receive more