Teenage Brain In Romeo And Juliet

In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, there are many aspects of the play which are linked to the teenage brain and how it functions. The teenage brain does not work the same as it does in adults and therefore helps the plot of the play move along quickly. Many of the parts that function in the adolescent brain can be seen in almost every decision that Romeo and Juliet make. Many studies have been created to take a look at how the adolescent brain works. There are some key elements to the brain of adolescents that show why most teens make these impulsive and adventurous decisions. As shown in Romeo and Juliet, teens do things because some parts of the brain do not mature until later in life, teens want a taste of risk, and the chemical

Romeo is saying that he has fallen for Juliet, Lord Capulet’s daughter, and even though they are enemies, it does not matter because he loves her. Romeo and Juliet want to get married very quickly and Romeo asks the Friar to marry them in secret. This big step in their lives is decided on very quickly and should have been taken into more consideration. Another example of impulsive decisions in the play is when Juliet wants to kill herself because she doesn't want to marry Paris. Thankfully, the Friar gives her another choice but it is still a risky one. Friar Lawrence gives Juliet a potion so that she will be in a deep sleep and it will look like she is dead. This way she will not have to marry Paris. Juliet chooses to take the vial and says, “Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Here’s drink. I drink to thee” (4.3, 59)! Juliet is drinking this potion for Romeo’s sake so that she will not have to be married to Paris. It is very risky for Juliet as she makes the impulsive decision to drink from the vile and doesn’t think how it will affect her family if they think she is gone forever. She should have thought of another way to get out of the marriage but since her ability to control impulses is not fully developed, she made the rash decision to take the potion, not knowing exactly what would happen. One last example of impulses taken in the play is when Romeo goes to the apothecary and buys a poison that will kill himself. Romeo goes to the apothecary and says, “Let me have a dram of poison, such fast-acting gear, as will disperse itself through all the veins, that the life-weary taker may fall dead” (5.1, 62-65). As soon as Romeo, who is in Mantua, hears that Juliet has died, he goes to the apothecary to get some poison to kill himself. Romeo says he just wants a drop of poison that will kill him so he can be with Juliet. Romeo did not receive the letter from Friar Lawrence