Romeo and Juliet, the Role of Immaturity in the Tragedy

Authors Avatar

Romeo and Juliet, the Role of Immaturity in the Tragedy

By Peter Liu

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare tells a tragic love story between two teenagers from feuding families. The story has considered this to be a tragedy caused by fate. However, evidence from the play suggests that it was the immaturity of the two young lovers that caused them to take risks which prove to be fatal.

Romeo’s words and actions in the play prove his immaturity. The Prologue of Act 2, lines 1 and 2 states that, “Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie and young affection gapes to be his heir.” From this, the audience can tell that Rosaline has long forgotten by Romeo, and that his only love is Juliet. The fact that Romeo had a sudden change of heart from a girl who he loved for a long time to someone who he just glanced at shows a great deal of immaturity. This was evident when Romeo saw Juliet and said, in Act 1 Scene 5, “Did my heat love till now? Forswear it, sight. For I never saw true beauty till this night.” This quotation also suggests that Romeo judges love only by physical appearance, where an adult might prioritize personality and connection. Romeo is also very fragile, and unable to face the consequences of his own action. This was shown in Act 3 Scene 3 when he tried to commit suicide because of his banishment for killing Tybalt. If he had been more mature, he would have tried to resolve his problem instead of escaping. Romeo, overall, is an immature and fragile person who fears facing the conflicts that he encounters.

Join now!

Juliet, the 14 year old, resembles her lover Romeo in many ways. In act 1 scene 5, lines 143 and 144, after she encounters Romeo, Juliet says, “If he be married, my grave is like to be my wedding bed.” This means that if Romeo is married, Juliet would rather die, which clearly shows her immaturity. She barely knew Romeo at that point, and she was already prepared to die rather than live without him. Juliet’s crying and extreme depression after Romeo’s banishment was the main cause of her father’s decision to force her into marriage in a rush, which ...

This is a preview of the whole essay