***Before beginning this planning, students will write a one page quick write. The quick write is the first assignment in their binders, Writing Section 3, worth 10 pts. This planning handout will be the second assignment in the binder.
Causes of Romeo and Juliet’s Deaths
Youth and Inexperience – this means that because of Romeo and Juliet’s age, they were making decisions with their emotions rather than with their intelligence. Therefore, they were impetuous – hasty or rash – when it came to their actions.
Act I – Romeo shows his youth and inexperience by the way he handles the break up with Rosaline because he pouts, exaggerates his emotions, obsessive, and weeps over his loss. All of these behaviors show his adolescence because it reveals his need to control the situation and want things his way. In other words, he is acting like a child
Juliet –Shows her youth and inexperience biologically, she is only 12 going on 13. Even her mother thinks she’s too young although it is expected for her to marry at this age.
At the party – kissing right away “Love at first sight” - Their youthful desire for physical touch controls their actions at this time. Their inexperience is shown when they follow their physical desires without knowing what will happen next (wanting to go further).
Act II – At the balcony, they kiss again. Their youth and inexperience is shown by their decision to marry each other after only knowing each other for a few hours. They did not “THINK” about the consequence of their marriage upon their families. They wanted “satisfaction.”
Act III – Now Romeo and Juliet head towards getting married. This shows their youthfulness and inexperience because they have only known each other 12 hours which means they have no clue about each other, about how their families will react, or how they will have to suffer from their actions. All they are thinking about is themselves which is selfish and could be fatal. They wanted what they wanted, and they wanted it NOW.
Act IV – They say their farewells, however, both young adults contemplate suicide. They can see no hope for the future without the other one being a part of their life. This a narrow and inexperienced view of life.
Act V – Romeo’s inexperience is seen when he doesn’t understand that Juliet’s lips are still warm because she was only in a deep sleep due to the potion and not dead. Had he been more experienced in life, he may have prevented his own death and her death. Juliet’s youth makes her over react to Romeo’s death, thus causing her to kill herself. Because she feels that she can not live without Romeo, which shows she can’t conceive of life without him, she makes the poor choice of killing herself.
Adult Interference – this means that the adults in Romeo and Juliet’s life had some control over what the lovers were allowed to do. The adults set in motion the patterns and options that Romeo and Juliet used to make their decisions.
Act I – The play opens with a street fight between the Capulets and Montagues. This feud shows that the adult Capulets and Montagues had already set in motion a conflict between these two families. This conflict sets the stage for Romeo and Juliet to be cautious of each other’s identity and they realize they have a forbidden love.
Act II – Lord Capulet lets Romeo stay at the ball. This decision by an adult allows the lovers to meet and creates Tybalt’s anger towards Romeo which leads to the killing of Mercutio and Tybalt and Romeo’s banishment, etc.
Act III –Romeo seeks Friar Laurence’s counsel. When he agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet, he acknowledges that they know what they are doing. He has to support their decision because he performed the sacred ceremony of marriage. The nurse also supports Juliet’s decision to marry Romeo because she wants Juliet to be happy. Neither adult is capable of talking these two lovers OUT of their decision to be married.
Tybalt’s anger influences Romeo and Juliet because he will kill Mercutio and Romeo will kill Tybalt. If this event wouldn’t of happened, Romeo and Juliet may have been married; however, Romeo wouldn’t be seen as such so bad and thus Lady Capulet won’t desire revenge. The Prince will banish Romeo.
***These adult infer because they think the marriage will end the feud!!!!
Act IV – Friar Laurence and the nurse keep Romeo and Juliet from killing themselves. Juliet’s parent will force Juliet to marry Paris. Lord Capulet will force Juliet to marry Paris quickly which makes her feel pressured and upset, thus she seek counsel from Friar Laurence. Friar Laurence is the one who makes up the plan for Juliet to take the potion, fake her death, and then call for Romeo to be there when she wakes up. Of course, his plan backfires and Romeo and Juliet die.
Act V – Friar John gets stuck in a town because of the plague and can not deliver the letter to Romeo. When Juliet wakes up, Friar Laurence leaves her alone which wasn’t wise knowing she was unstable. Apothecary is an adult who was influential in Romeo’s death because he sold him the poison that killed him, thus leading to Juliet’s death.
Fate and Destiny – this means that there existed an already determined course of action that Romeo and Juliet were meant to follow. Once they were on this course, they could not change what the outcome was going to be.
Act I –When the Prince says that there will be a death if the feud continues, this signifies that there is already a plan in place. Romeo and Juliet are destined to be the deaths as a result of this feud.
Act II – In the balcony scene, they act as “star-crossed lovers” which indicates that they are controlled by the forces of the stars, moon, earth, planets, whatever outside force they believe was acting upon them. Therefore, the lovers go with the flow, they give themselves over to this force or to their fate.
Act III – Destiny shows up in the presence of Friar Laurence who happens to be in the right place just when Romeo and Juliet need him. Timing or coincidence of Tybalt being present when Romeo arrives, thus the fight and deaths that occur because of the fight is not just a coincident but an act of what was suppose to happen. Coincidences are acts of fate = suppose to happen.
Act IV – The letter is prevented from arriving because of the Black Plague – which just happened to be a problem at the time that Juliet had taken the potion.
Act V - The lovers actually die the night of the new moon or “the night of new beginnings.”