Who Is To Blame In Romeo And Juliet Essay

Love and Hate: Poison From the Same Vial

“To be, or not to be,: that is the question.” “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.” “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” From Hamlet to Macbeth, William Shakespeare wrote some of the most famous plays in history. One of his most renowned plays was Romeo and Juliet; where two “star-crossed” lovers face a horrifying end to their story. Both Romeo and Juliet belong to royal houses: Romeo of the House of Montague, and Juliet of the House of Capulet. Juliet appears innocent, but truly, she is an intelligent, reckless, and emotional girl. Romeo is a passionate, sensitive, and fearless young man. A long, cruel, and unforgiving feud has been going on between these families for many years; it costs both sides

While this may be true, it is important to understand that most teens are insecure, and very easily influenced by their peers, parents, and experiences. Teenagers are known for their impulsive decisions, and irrational minds. The stereotypical teen always finds sneaky ways to get out of obligations, as well as completely ignore responsibility. David Dobbs, a scientific writer, did a compelling paper on why teens act the way they do. He presents a multitude of ideas, one of them being that teens either react in a nonchalant way or in a drastic way because they lack experience. He states, “Along with lacking experience generally, they’re still learning to use their brains’s new networks. Stress fatigue, or challenges can cause a misfire”(13). When Juliet runs to the Friar for advice, it is because she is in distress and facing new feelings she has never experienced before. It is overwhelming, and can cause very irrational and on-a-whim decisions to be made. Not to mention, Juliet had absolutely zero support from anyone, which reveals that without proper guidance it was only a matter of time before such a catastrophic decision was made, and consequences were thought of. Another example of why Romeo and Juliet are not to blame for their own deaths is when Mercutio has just passed away and Romeo says, “O sweet Juliet, / Thy beauty hath made me effeminate / And in my tempor’s softened valor’s steel”(3.1.118-120). Romeo is completely infatuated with Juliet, her beauty has made him “effeminate,” or weak, and his “tempor’s softened” which indicates that he cannot think straight. Teens experience emotions at a higher intensity because those emotions are relatively new things; and Romeo saying this about his new wife is not surprising. Romeo thought he was doing the right thing by attempting to dissolve the fight, and make peace with Tybalt, however those