ThEmEs


rather than obey her parents and marry Paris. This creates great urgency and puts pressure on Friar Laurence to offer Juliet a desperate plan to avoid the marriage. In the final scene the terrible consequences of Juliet’s hasty actions are shown. Upon discovering Romeo’s body, she takes little time in taking her own life with a dagger. Had Juliet acted with some restraint and not succumbed to impetuous haste, the tragedy of the play could perhaps have been averted.


HaStE AnD ThE OtHeR ChArAcTeRs It is not only Romeo and Juliet who can be accused of acting hastily. Many of the characters behave similarly and contribute to the play’s tragic unfolding. Capulet’s insistence that Juliet marry Paris creates great urgency in the play and undoes Friar Laurence’s plans. He aggressively threatens Juliet that she will have to leave his home if she refuses to marry Paris. He arranges the wedding ceremony with only three days’ notice and then pushes the date forward by one day. Capulet never pauses to properly consider his daughter’s unhappiness nor does he take time to reflect on the best course of action. Had he done so, Juliet would not have felt compelled to drink Friar Laurence’s potion and fake her own death. Tybalt also acts with great haste in the play. In the opening scene he rushes to fight the Montagues despite Benvolio’s requests to help him restore peace. Similarly, at Capulet’s ball he eagerly moves to confront Romeo but is prevented by Capulet. Finally, his eagerness to fight both Romeo and Mercutio creates irrevocable disaster. Despite Romeo’s pleas for peace, Tybalt is determined to fight. Had Tybalt paused to reflect on his conduct, the course of the play may have been very different. Although Friar Laurence warns of the dangers of haste, he himself makes reckless decisions


in the play. He agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet despite knowing that their families are feuding. His intentions are noble: to create peace in Verona, but greater reflection may have deterred him. His plan to give Juliet the potion to simulate death is equally rash. His scheme has great potential for failure; a more considered, less hasty, plan may have worked out better. Finally, as Juliet awakens in the Capulets’ tomb, Friar Laurence hastily flees, leaving her by herself. Had he paused and waited with her, perhaps her suicide could have been prevented.


Romeo Juliet Other Characters


✓ Spurred on by his passionate nature, Romeo rushes towards his own death.


Haste


✓ Like Romeo, Juliet’s excitement and youthful energy encourage her to act hastily and eventually contribute to her death.


✓ Capulet’s haste to organise the wedding between Juliet and Paris contributes to the events leading to the tragic ending.


✓ Tybalt’s quick temper and haste to fight contribute to the play’s disaster.


✓ Although he is put in a difficult position and his intentions are noble, Friar Laurence makes spur-of-the-moment decisions with disastrous consequences.


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