Essay Sample: Romeo’s Impulsiveness

Acting on impulse can lead to more than just death. Romeo acts on impulse and that impulsiveness leads to him getting rejected and not wanting to see any other girls, him getting a wife in the matter of a few days, and getting himself and his wife killed. In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Romeo’s fatal flaw was his impulsiveness that leads to his decisions of love and death.

First, in the story, Romeo falls in love impulsively and goes through rejection, and doesn’t want to see any other girls again by his instincts. In this quote “Did my heart love till now? Foreswear it sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night” (Shakespeare 50-51). Romeo says this quote to Rosaline his first love and swears she’s the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen and she was his only true love. Romeo says all these words at the moment and doesn’t think or know what true love is. Romeo’s actions such as impulsively saying these things lead to his love and death.

Secondly, Romeo goes to his family’s enemies’ party to see his love Rosaline but instead falls in love with Juliet the daughter of his enemy. Romeo falls in love with Juliet from love at first sight and says the same thing he says about Rosaline to Juliet. Romeo’s impulsiveness is shown when wanting to marry Juliet after just barely meeting her. In this quote, Romeo begs Friar Lawrence to marry Juliet by saying “My hearts clear love is set on the fair daughter of rich Capulet as mine on hers, so hers is set on mine and all combined, save what thou must combine by holy marriage” (Shakespeare 57-61). The friar marries them but knows those who speed too fast will stumble and fast, like Romeo and Juliet’s relationship.

Lastly, Romeo hears of Juliet’s death and goes to a nearby store to get poison and doesn’t think twice about his actions. Romeo begs the man in this quote “The world affords no law to make thee rich. Then be not poor, but break it, and take this” (75-76). Romeo doesn’t spare a breathe and goes to get poison to kill himself. Romeo doesn’t care about his own life and doesn’t want to live without his wife Juliet. Romeo’s impulsiveness gets him killed and his wife which was his most fatal flaw.

To sum up everything and all of my points Romeo’s fatal flaw was his impulsiveness that leads to his love and death. A current relevance that relates to my essay would be teens’ actions. I think they relate because Romeo acted in the moment and from his feelings. Also, teens, act on their emotions and on being in the moment. Romeo and teens’ actions go hand in and hand is just alike.