Think Before you Act

Think Before you Act

Has making a decision ever ruin your life? Have you ever done anything you could to settle a situation, but no matter what you do it just gets worse? In the play, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, a long-standing hatred between two families affects their two unlucky children, who have fallen in love with each other. Many situations arise where decisions have to be made. Only the lovers’ tragic deaths end the two family feuds. Out of all the poor decisions in the play, Romeo’s decision to kill Tybalt is one of the most important decisions in the play; it is the catalyst that leads to the ultimate tragedy.

Romeo’s decision to kill Tybalt leads to his banishment, which affects Romeo and Juliet to be wretched. As Romeo talks to the Friar he complains about how, “There is no world without Verona walls but purgatory, torture itself” (III. iii. 17-18.). Romeo thinks that being banished from Verona is like being banished from the world. He believes that exile is way worse than death and would rather die than not being able to see Juliet (III. iii. 12-14). In addition, Romeo’s banishment has also affected Juliet very much. She cries over Romeo’s banishment as she says, “There is no end, no limit, measure, bond, in that words death. No words can that woe sound” (III. ii. 126-127). Juliet is upset that Romeo has been banished. But, she convinces herself that the only reason Romeo killed Tybalt was because Tybalt wanted to kill him, so she forgives Romeo. She also believes “that ‘banished’ that one word… hath slain ten thousand Tybalts” (III. ii. 114-115). Somewhat like Romeo, Juliet believes that banishment is worse than death. Though in this case, she believes that banishment is worse than Tybalt’s death. Ki...

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...but it doesn’t work. She then finds a knife and says, “O happy dagger, this is they sheath. There rust and let me die” (V. iii. 183-184). Juliet, being the same as Romeo, would rather much die than to not be with him. So, she kills himself with the dagger beside Romeo. If Romeo hadn’t killed Tybalt, Juliet wouldn’t have gone to the Friar and the plan wouldn’t have happened.

Romeo killing Tybalt leads to his banishment, which leads to Juliet being unhappy. Wanting Juliet to become happy, Lord Capulet moves to marriage between Paris and Juliet forward. Since Juliet doesn’t want to marry Paris she goes to the Friar for help. A plan is set in action and doesn’t end well. If Romeo hadn’t killed Tybalt none of events afterwards would have happened. In life you should always think before you act. As one little mistake could lead to a series of unlucky things to happen.