Romeo and juliet

Romeo and Juliet

Friar Lawrence stated, “Wisely and slow, they stumble that run fast.” (2.3.101).This quotation demonstrates the importance of taking time to consider situations carefully and thoroughly. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the motif of rushing is constantly repeated and, as a result, characters act impulsively and tragic consequences ensue. The play consists of thepassionate love between two young desperate lovers from opposing families. They get married, but rather than experiencing the joyful results, tragedy is the outcome of their doomed love. Through the rushing motif developed in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses character development to present the idea that when an individual doesn’t posses a balance between reason and passion, negative consequencesresult. This main theme is created by Romeo, Friar Lawrence and Lord Capulet.

Romeo was governed by passion and, rather than reasoning logically, he rushes and acts impulsively. One way he displays this is while he is in the Capulet's garden. Romeo and Juliet express their wish to be married and Romeo assures her that he will make the arrangements for their wedding and let her know about themby nine the next day. They don’t hesitate or think of the consequences their marriage will cause. They blindly and impulsively agree and rush with the plans. Another way Romeo shows his impulsiveness is when he tells Friar Lawrence that he is in love with Juliet and desires to marry her. The Friar comments on the suddenness of his change of affection from Rosaline to Juliet, but this doesn't fazeRomeo. He truly wants Friar Lawrence to perform the ceremony that very day. Once Friar Lawrence agrees, Romeo is in a hurry to get on with it. He mentions, "O, let us hence; I stand on sudden haste", and pays no attention to Friar Lawrence's wisdom: "Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast" (2.3.100-101). A third way Romeo rushes is while he’s in Mantua, happily awaiting some joyful newsconcerning Juliet. His reverie is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Balthasar who delivers the tragic news of Juliet’s death. Romeo's response is swift and simple: "Is it e’en so?-Then I defy you, stars!" (5.1.25). Romeo doesn’t ask why or details of Juliet’s death and immediately decides he will go and commit suicide at Juliet's side. This action, therefore, has the negative consequence ofRomeo’s death along with Juliet’s afterwards. By wanting circumstances to be rushed and by being completely ruled by emotion, Romeo displays his lack of control and tragic consequences are the results of his impulsive actions.

Friar Lawrence is another character who doesn’t take the time to consider and opt for wiser actions. He, like Romeo, is also ruled by passion and he hurriessituations. One of these situations is Romeo and Juliet’s marriage. Eventhough he was hoping for their marriage to end the family feud between the Montagues and the Capulets, there were other wiser choices he could have made. He doesn’t consider the negative consequences Romeo and Juliet’s marriage can bring. Friar Lawrence doesn’t apply his own counsel to Romeo of doing things slowly and wisely. Instead,he opts for the immediate solution: Romeo and Juliet’s marriage without having anyone else know about it. Another situation where Friar Lawrence lacks reason is when Juliet comes to visit him after being told she’ll have to marry Paris the following day. Desperate, Juliet threatens suicide if the Friar cannot save her from marrying Paris. Not thinking and not considering alternative, betteroptions, Friar Lawrence tells her, “Let not the Nurse lie with thee in thy chamber.\ Take thou this vial,” (4.1.94-95), and he continues describing the state Juliet will be in after drinking the potion he has given her. After that, the Friar also makes plans to let Romeo know of the situation and what will happen afterwards, “In the meantime, against thou shalt awake,\ Shall Romeo by my letters know...