How Do Romeo And Juliet Make Decisions Essay

In “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”, William Shakespeare explicates how blinding love can make one when faced with decisions. In this play, Romeo and Juliet are lovestruck teens forbidden from loving each other by their rivaling houses. Their intense passion leads to the untimely death of many, including both of themselves. As for the reasons for their bad decisions, some modern studies on teens suggest that these choices could be the result of a still growing and maturing, teenage brain. When teenagers value rewards over risks, they tend to make unconscientious decisions. Some decisions teenagers make may seen like stupid ones, but to them, at that moment, they aren’t. In David Dobbs article he explains that his son “had been flying

“Here’s to my love! [Drinks]... Thus with a kiss I die.” (5.3.119-120). Romeo decides to commit suicide just because Juliet has “died”. Instead of thinking about the result of that action, he decides to focus on the reward of being free from the depressionate burden he would gain from his loss. In addition, Romeo doesn’t take much time in his decision. Just minutes after hearing news of Juliet’s “death”. “Come, cordial and not poison, go with me/ To Juliet’s grave; for there must I use thee.” (5.2.88-89). Romeo was already buying poison so he could die at her side. He wasted no time in deciding what he was to do. Rather than weigh his options, he was set on death early on. Romeo made an impulsive decision because he valued the reward of being free of grief over the risk of most likely going to hell for

Because she was being forced to marry Paris after already marrying Romeo, Juliet turned to ending her own life in a haste. She says to Friar Lawrence, “Be not so long to speak, I long to die.” (4.1.67). Juliet valued the reward of death rather than think about the consequence of not having the rest of her life. The only reason Juliet doesn’t dill herself is because Friar Lawrence was there to coax her out of it. Later on, though, Juliet does commit suicide. “This is thy sheath, there rust, and let me die. / [She stabs herself and falls on Romeo’s dead body].” (5.3.175-176). After finding out Romeo was dead, in a matter of seconds, she does harm to herself. The decisions that Romeo and Juliet make come in the form of reward over risk, and , as a side effect of being teenagers with growing