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"Romeo and Juliet": Hurriedness, Hastiness, and Impetuousness

Summary:   In "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, the main characters Romeo and Juliet as well as minor characters make decisions so hurriedly, hastily, and impetuously that they barely have any time to react to their decision. Shakespeare condensed the play's events to that of a few days, adding weight and heavy consequence to every movement, and gave the sense that the action is happening so quickly that characters barely have time to react. By the end of the play, matters are out of control, leading to disastrous results.

Hurriedness, Hastiness, and Impetuousness

Error is always in haste. For example, as in Animal Farm by George Orwell, Squealer was in such a hurry to change the rules of Animalism that he fell off of the ladder. Impetuousness always leads to disastrous results. In the events of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the characters make decisions in such hurriedness, hastiness, and impetuous ways that they barely have any time to react to their decision. They act without thinking, causing matters to careen out of control in the end. Romeo acted in a hurry many times, as seen at the Capulet party, after his banishment, and after Juliet's death. Juliet acted hastily, also, when she first met Romeo, when she fell in love with Romeo, and when she found Romeo dead. The supporting characters hurried the play along, too. The main supporting characters that rushed the play forward were Old Capulet, Friar Laurence, and Mercutio. The complex events during the few days of the play can certainly seem to take place over a time span much longer than the one it actually occupies. If all characters had taken some time to think things through, things might have turned out happier and calmer.

Love will make a person to crazy things. Romeo Montague is no exception. Romeo is the first character we see acting without thinking. Even before being involved with Juliet, Romeo makes a brash decisions to crash the Capulet party to find Rosaline, "I'll go along, no such sight to be shown, / but to rejoice in splendor of mine own" (I, ii, 105-106). Romeo decides to go to the Capulet party happening that night because of the few lines that Benvolio used to convince him to find a better girl. Then, at the party, Romeo, without thinking, grabs Juliet's hand, kisses it, and then kisses her. "Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged" (I, v, 109). Romeo says this to Juliet after he kissed her, not even knowing who she was. Maybe if he took slower steps to meeting this chick, he would have found out she was a Capulet and went looking for another girl, but, then there would be no play. The last move we see Romeo make without much thinking is trying more then once to commit suicide after his banishment and after Juliet's 'death'. He ignores the ideas the Friar gives him, and doesn't even bother to wait a day or two to calm down and think it out. "Tell me that I may / sack the hateful mansion (draws dagger)" (III, iii, 107-108). He is almost determined that he has no time to waste, and that he would rather be dead. Romeo acted too rash, too unadvised, and too sudden. If he had acted differently, the play would have turned out differently for the better.

Impulse manages things badly. Not only do we see that in Romeo, but also in Juliet Capulet. Though she seems to be a little more careful and reserved than Romeo, she does many things without thinking. In the beginning, after she had met Romeo at the party, she is standing in her balcony speaking to herself. "Deny thy father, and refuse they name. / Or if thou wilt not, but be sworn my love, / and I'll no longer be a Capulet" (II, ii, 34 - 36). Without thinking about who might hear her, she confesses her love for Romeo, whether he be a Capulet or not, knowing that a Capulet could never be with a Montague. When she says that if he will not disown his name, she will disown hers; her parents would probably have disowned her. Juliet knows nothing of love, and is now foolishly and brashly professing her love. While still on the subject of love, later in the scene, where Romeo jumps out of the bushes and talks to her, she is the first to bring up the idea of marriage. "Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee, / I have no joy of this contract to-night" (II, ii, 116-117). The word "contract" shows that, after their few lines of conversation, she feels they have committed themselves to one another. Again, this is brash and hurried behavior. The last major sudden move we see from Juliet is in the mausoleum with Romeo's dead body. She was quick to drink the potion, and now, after 42 hours, she wakes up to find the Friar and a dead Romeo. The Friar instructs her to leave with him and go live among a sisterhood of nuns, but she quickly grabs Romeo's dagger. "This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die" (V, iii, 170). She stabs herself to die and be with Romeo, thinking that it is the only thing that will make her happy. As we see in nature, nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. If only Juliet had taken the time to observe her surroundings and opportunities, she might have lived a long happy life.

Romeo and Juliet aren't the only ones making unruly decisions. A lot of the supporting characters make sudden moves that have a big impact on the play. First of all, Old Capulet was the supporting character that had the biggest impact on the events. In act IV, Old Capulet decides to move the wedding date of Juliet to Paris one day sooner because of his daughter's change in mood. "Send for the County; go tell him of this: / I'll have this knot knit up to-morrow morning" (IV, ii, 44 - 45). This is an alarming change of plans. The Friar had planned on having more than 60 hours for the plan to work; now suddenly 24 of those hours are gone because Old Capulet has suddenly moved up the wedding date from Thursday to Wednesday. Speaking of Friar Laurence, we know how quickly he acted, also. In his cell, where Juliet has come to see him after Romeo's banishment and after her father has told her to marry Paris, she pressures him to either give her a good idea to get out of this second marriage or let her die. The Friar, acting under anxiety, tells her, "Hold, daughter! I do spy a kind of hope, / which craves as desperate an execution / as that is desperate which we would prevent" (IV, i, 68 - 70). Everything about the Friar's idea is desperate and done in haste. He comes to the rash decision to give her the potion, which goes against all he lives for and his religion. The final character we see acting abruptly and without thinking is Mercutio. Mercutio was always talking too much for his own good, without even meaning half if what he said, but one time he just went too far and didn't think to back down. When Tybalt appears looking for Romeo, Mercutio quarrels with him, but Tybalt only wants Romeo. "Couple it with / something, make it a word and a blow" (III, i, 42 - 43). Mercutio is the first to suggest fighting on the streets; he knows that he was warned before, and just because he's in the mood to fight, he should have thought about the consequence. When Romeo does appear, Tybalt challenges him, but Romeo does not want to fight, for he loves Tybalt's cousin, Juliet. Mercutio, acting on impulse, challenges Tybalt in Romeo's defense. Mercutio gets stabbed by Tybalt, when Romeo gets between them, and dies unexpectedly. Even though they are supporting characters, they move the play quickly and hurriedly along by their actions.

In the events of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the characters make decisions in such hurriedness, hastiness, and impetuous ways. Romeo, Juliet, and many of the supporting characters acted hurried, hasty, and impetuous. The complex developments of events that take place in the few days of the most excellent and lamentable tragedy of Romeo and Juliet can certainly seem to take place over a time span much longer than the one it actually occupies. But, when Shakespeare condensed the play's events to that of a few days, he added weight and heavy consequence to every movement, and gave the sense that the action is happening so quickly that characters barely have time to react, and, by the end, that matters are careening out of control. Impulse and impetuousness cause disastrous results.