Depression In Romeo And Juliet Essay

The greatest stories are the ones that we can relate to, regardless of what time period they’re from. In the play, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare shows the problems of the teenagers and how they react to these problems. Today, teens might be able to relate these problems to their own problems, or someone else's. Romeo and Juliet constantly decide to jump to multiple conclusions without thinking about what could happen next or how these decisions can affect the people around them. Teenagers do that today too. Romeo suffers from depression and has attempted to commit suicide multiple times throughout the play (it even ends with him doing it). Some teens suffer from these problems too. William Shakespeare crafts scenes which are relatable to teenagers

in order to explore themes of love, depression, and poor decision-making, to reveal that the only way to defeat hate is with forgiveness. Shakespeare also shows how one person’s actions can affect other people and that theme is prevalent through any time period.
From the first scene to the very last, Shakespeare shows that love is the central idea of the whole story. Almost every action in the play is sprung up from love. Love was first introduced when Romeo and Benvolio were talking about Romeo’s reason for his sadness. “Romeo: Out of her favor, where I am in love. (Act I, Scene 1: Page 188)”. His statement means that he loves someone but that person doesn’t love him. Almost every teenager in our society has had feelings for someone but it’s only one sided. Teens feel depressed after rejection. Therefore, teens can relate to Romeo’s situation with Rosaline. Although she doesn’t love Romeo, he still loves her. Most teens have similar experiences to this. The servant, Peter, invites Romeo and Benvolio to the Capulet party. Benvolio then informs Romeo that Rosaline will be attending the party. Romeo agrees to go, but only to see the woman he loves. “Romeo: I’ll go along, no such sight to be shown, But to rejoice in splendor of mine own. (Act I, Scene 3 :Page #193)” He only attended the party because he wanted to see Rosaline. As soon as he saw Juliet at the party, he forgot about Rosaline. Sometimes teens go through break-ups or rejection and end up developing feelings for someone else the same week, or even day. So, Shakespeare shows love to relate to teenagers.
Teens suffering from depression is a recurring problem in modern society.

About 20% of all teens experience depression before they reach adulthood. Throughout each act, Shakespeare expresses that Romeo suffers from depression. In Act I, Scene 1: Page 188, Benvolio asks, “What sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours?”. Romeo responds by saying “Not having that which, having, makes them short.”. His statement means that he doesn’t have the one thing that makes time fly by, love. That sounds extremely depressing. This is just the first scene though. After Romeo kills Tybalt, Paris banishes him from Verona. Romeo then goes to Friar Lawrence and tells him about his banishment (Act III, Scene 3: Page #238). “Friar Lawrence: Hence from Verona art thou banishèd. Be patient, for the world is broad and wide.” He’s telling Romeo that banishment is a consequence that he should be able endure because the world is broad and wide. Romeo then responds saying “There is no world without Verona walls but purgatory, torture, hell itself. Hence ‘banishèd’ is banished from the world, and world’s exile is death. Then ‘banishèd,’ Is death mistermed. Calling death ‘banishment,’ Thou cutt’st my head off with a golden ax and smilest upon the stroke that murders me.” He then attempts to commit suicide by trying to stab himself. Luckily, Friar Lawrence stops him from doing by taking the knife and pushing Romeo away. This is relatable to teenagers because most teens don’t want to face their consequences and

whenever they have to, they resort to jumping to terrible conclusions. That happens a lot in this
This scene shows that Romeo suffers from deep depression, but this isn’t the final scene where this idea was showcased. In Act V, Scene 3: Page #272, Romeo finds Juliet’s body and assumes she’s dead. To be united with her, he feels the need to drink the potion that “killed” Juliet. Romeo gives a speech and then kills himself. “Here’s to my love! (drinks the poison) O true apothecary,
Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.”In this scene, Shakespeare shows us that having a terrible decision-making process will put you in terrible positions and love might be a crucial factor in depression. This scene thoroughly showcases Romeo’s depression. Shakespeare uses Romeo’s depression to show how Romeo and Juliet relates to modern day teenagers.
In several scenes, Shakespeare shows how one person’s actions will always affect other people. Romeo’s actions causes Mercutio, Tybalt, Paris, Juliet and his own mother to die. He even gets himself killed. Teens do really dumb things and never think of the consequences of their actions or how it can not only affect themselves, but others. In Act III, Scene 3: Page #231, Romeo and Mercutio fought Tybalt. Tybalt stabs Mercutio and Mercutio says “I am hurt. A plague o' both your houses! I am sped. Is he gone and hath nothing?” After he described what was hurting to Benvolio, Romeo tells him to have courage and that the pain couldn’t be much. “Mercutio: No, ’tis not so deep as a well nor so wide as a church-door, but ’tis enough, ’twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o' both your houses! Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat to scratch a man to death! A braggart, a rogue, a villain that fights by the book of arithmetic! Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm.” Help me into some house, Benvolio, Or I shall faint. A plague o' both your houses! They have made worms' meat of me. I have it, And soundly too. Your houses!” He then walks off stage and dies. In his rage, Romeo attacks and kills Tybalt. As a result in this, Romeo was banished from Verona. However, the death of Mercutio and his banishment were not the only consequences for his actions. In Act V, Scene 3: Page #276, Montague says “Alas, my liege, my wife is dead tonight! Grief of my son’s exile hath stopped her breath.” Romeo’s actions caused his own mother to die. Also in Act V, Scene 3: Page #271,
Paris thinks that Romeo must hate the Capulets so much that he has returned to the tomb to do some dishonor to the corpse of either Tybalt or Juliet, so he tries to kill Romeo.

Romeo wants Paris to leave but he refuses. So, they fight and Romeo kills him.“Paris: Oh, I am slain! If thou be merciful, Open the tomb. Lay me with Juliet.” Romeo also causes Juliet to die. Juliet faked her death, but Romeo thought it was real. He kills himself to be reunited with her. “Here’s to my love! (drinks the poison) O true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.” (Act V: Scene 3: Page #272). Directly after Romeo kills himself, Juliet wakes up and sees his dead body. She then kills herself to be united with him. “What’s here? A cup, closed in my true love’s

hand?
Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end.— O churl, drunk all, and left no friendly drop to help me after? I will kiss thy lips. Haply some poison yet doth hang on them,To make me die with a restorative.(kisses ROMEO) Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger, This is thy sheath. There rust and let me die. (stabs herself with ROMEO’s dagger and dies)” These scenes show how teens jumping to conclusions and not thinking about the aftermath of their actions can affect others. Although some teenagers don’t like the play, it doesn’t mean they can't relate certain scenes to their experiences or someone else’s. In conclusion, William Shakespeare crafts scenes using themes of love, depression, and poor decision-making, to prove that Romeo and Juliet is still relevant to the teenagers of today, and the teenagers of future generations.