RoMeO & JuLiEt Haste


In Act 2, Scene 3 Friar Laurence warns Romeo, ‘Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.’ This sage advice could be offered to many of the characters in Romeo and Juliet. The calamity at the end of the play grows out of the often rash and impetuous behaviour of its characters.


HaStE AnD RoMeO Throughout the play Romeo acts in a hasty, often reckless, manner. This is first evident as Romeo rushes into love. Upon first seeing Juliet, he immediately exclaims, ‘Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! / For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.’ Even after Romeo learns that Juliet is a Capulet, he does not hesitate to risk his life by climbing into Capulet’s orchard and declaring his love to her. Romeo hastily arranges his marriage to Juliet, but Friar Laurence notes Romeo’s youthful tendency to rush headlong into love. He warns Romeo that his violent passion may lead to disaster: ‘These violent delights have violent ends, / And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, / Which as they kiss consume.’ Friar Laurence urges Romeo to proceed through life with less haste: ‘love moderately. Long love doth so: / Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.’ Shortly after Romeo and Juliet are married in secret, Romeo is confronted by Tybalt. Romeo wisely declines to fight Tybalt as they are now related by marriage. However, after Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo rushes to fight. He embraces his rage: ‘Away to heaven, respective lenity, / And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!’ and slays Tybalt. This indicates how Romeo’s passion overcomes his good sense, and pushes him to act with great haste. The disastrous consequences of hasty, impassioned action are revealed in the play’s final


scene. While in exile, Romeo learns incorrectly that Juliet is dead. Without pause or time for reflection, Romeo rushes out to buy poison. His servant Balthasar notes Romeo’s ‘looks are pale and wild’. Romeo hurries to Juliet’s tomb and there he takes his own life. Had Romeo acted with less haste, he would have seen Juliet awaken and could have prevented the sad ending of the play.


HaStE AnD JuLiEt At the beginning of the play, Juliet appears as a dutiful daughter, happy to be guided by her parents in terms of her marriage prospects. However, upon meeting Romeo she acts impetuously. First she rushes into love. We can see how eager she is as she waits excitedly for her wedding night:


‘Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, Towards Phoebus’ lodging. Such a waggoner As Phaethon would whip you to the west, And bring in cloudy night immediately.’


As she waits for news of the marriage arrangements, she complains that the Nurse is taking


too long to return from meeting Romeo. Juliet criticises the Nurse for her age and lack of passion:


‘Had she affections and warm youthful blood, She would be as swift in motion as a ball. My words would bandy her to my sweet love, And his to me:


But old folks – many feign as they were dead – Unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as lead.’


Juliet, like Romeo, embraces her youthful passion and rushes hastily into marriage. As events threaten Romeo and Juliet’s relationship, we again see Juliet’s impetuous, passionate nature. In obvious distress, she warns Friar Laurence that she will take her own life


218


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200  |  Page 201  |  Page 202  |  Page 203  |  Page 204  |  Page 205  |  Page 206  |  Page 207  |  Page 208  |  Page 209  |  Page 210  |  Page 211  |  Page 212  |  Page 213  |  Page 214  |  Page 215  |  Page 216  |  Page 217  |  Page 218  |  Page 219  |  Page 220  |  Page 221  |  Page 222  |  Page 223  |  Page 224