Shallow Romeo and Stupid Juliet

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Shallow Romeo and Stupid Juliet

We just finished reading the play Romeo and Juliet by William

Shakespeare. In this play we are introduced to the tragic story of their

forbidden "love" which ultimately leads to their deaths. Although Romeo and

Juliet is considered to be a timeless love story, I find Romeo to be too

immature for this to be so.

When we are first introduced to Romeo, he is involved with a girl by

the name of Rosaline. Benvolio inquired about Romeo's situation with her to

see if she was the cause for his melancholiness, when he discovered she was, he

advised him to forget her and move on to another girl.

"Tut man, one fire burns out another's burning;

One pain is lessened by another's anguish.

Turn giddy, and be helped by backward turning.

One desperate grief cures with another's languish.

Take thou some new infection to thy eye,

And the rank poison of the old will die."

Romeo takes the advise Benvolio offered, and not another word about loving

Rosaline is spoken.

On the same day, Romeo, Benvolio, and Mercutio went to the Capulet's

party dressed in masks so their identities wouldn't be known. At the party,

Romeo saw a beautiful girl dancing with Paris and instantly fell in love with

her. He asked a servingman what her name was but he didn't know.

"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!

It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night

As rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear-

Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear.

So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows

As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.

The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand

And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.

Did my heart love till now? Forsweare it, sight,

For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."

I find this hard to believe that Romeo could instantly fall in love

with Juliet by her looks alone. Even harder to believe, is that if he was

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