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Romeo And Juliet Impulsive Choices Essay

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A Rash Choice A boy is enjoying himself in a party over the weekend. As he comes to get a drink, another boy approaches him, promising a fun experience if he inhales some smoke from a ‘popper’. He has heard the warnings of his parents to not trust strangers, but this friend of his would never dare to harm him in any way. Also, it was only a whiff, and he knew that if you only do a drug once, you won’t have any long-term effects. His friend promised him nothing would go wrong. Not knowing what would happen next, the boy took the ‘popper’, and cracked it open, inhaling the rich smoke coming out of it, and slipped into a dazed, lethargic state. Although William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet shows that teenagers made many impulsive choices in …show more content…

After simply being banished, Romeo seeks to take his life, without realizing that he is in a better situation than others (including his dead friend, Mercutio). Not understanding how his life will impact others, he makes the decision to die. Eventually, the Friar, an adult figure with a developed mind, steps in and uses reason, which Romeo lacks. Not only does Romeo act in such a manner, but Juliet also shares the same characteristic. After meeting Romeo at the Capulet’s party, knowing him for about 1 minute, Juliet kisses him, and they seek marriage. This is despite her saying later on that ”Although I joy in thee, / I have no joy of this contract tonight. / It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden” (Shakespeare II.ii 116-118). As Juliet is still a teenager, however, her animal instincts get the best of her, and they get married the next day. Through this, it is shown that while teenagers may know how to deal with things rationally (like Juliet’s little blurb on how she shouldn’t marry), their undeveloped minds get the better of them, and they go with their natural flow. While the theme of teenage impulsivity is relevant during the 1600’s, science and statistics prove that this theme is ever-present to this day. For example, in an article concentrated specifically on the irrationality of teenage boys, when referring to the changing brain of an adolescent, the writer

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