Name: Abigail VanDeusen

Using William Shakespeare’s play ​The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet​, choose one character and analyze
his/her actions and motivations. What motivates him/her to make certain choices? How do his/her choices
complicate the plot?

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet​ is often known as one of the most important and influential love

stories of all time. Written in 1597, by William Shakespeare, ​The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet​ all started at a

Masquerade Ball when eighteen year old, Romeo first laid eyes on thirteen year old, Juliet. Unfortunately, the

two were not allowed to be together due to a family feud that had been going on for years and years between

their two families, but Romeo just couldn’t resist Juliet. So after much sneaking around, the two decided they

would go against their families and get married, although Juliet’s parents told her that she was going to marry a

young man named Paris. Romeo and Juliet came up with a plan to get married and then run away together,

but unfortunately, the plan never happened because Juliet drank a potion that made Romeo think she was

dead, so he killed himself thinking Juliet was dead. So, when she woke up, she realized he had killed himself,

so she did the same thing. Although, Romeo and Juliet never got their happily ever after, Juliet went through

many times where she had to make decisions that complicated the whole story, such as Friar Lawrence and

his potion, Juliet’s parents and the way they forced her into things, and love, as a whole, that makes her do

things she knows she is not supposed to do.

One of the most important decisions that Juliet was forced to face was drinking the potion that was

made by Frair Lawrence, due to her decision to drink the potion, Romeo and Juliet both ended up dead. One

way that Juliet making the decision to drink the potion complicated things would be, according to ​The Tragedy

of Romeo and Juliet​, “Here’s to my love! O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die” (Lines

119-120). This means that since Romeo thought that Juliet was dead, he decided to kill himself because he

thought he wouldn’t be able to live without Juliet, so therefore, if Juliet wouldn’t have drunk the potion to make

her look dead, then Romeo would have never thought she was dead. Another way that Juliet’s decision to

drink the potion made by Friar Lawrence had an effect on the plot would be, according to ​The Traedy of

Romeo and Juliet​, “Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; their rust, and let me die”

(Lines 169-170). This means that Juliet killed herself, as a result of Romeo killing himself, so if Juliet would
have never drunk the sleeping potion that made her look dead, then the two would’ve been able to have their

happily ever after. Overall, Juliet’s decision to drink the potion made by Friar Lawrence complicated the plot.

Another one of the most important decisions that Juliet was forced to face was whether or not she

should listen to her parents when it came to her life and marriage. One way that Juliet not listening to her

parents' complicated things would be, according to ​The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet​, “Marry, that “marry” is

the very theme I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet, How stands your disposition to be married” (Lines

64-66)? This means that if Lady Capulet, Juliet’s mother, would have never even brought up the conversation

of love, then Juliet would have never had to deal with the anxiety of choosing someone to spend the rest of her

life when she was only thirteen. Another way that Juliet’s decision to go against her mother and not marry Paris

had an effect on the plot would be, according to the ​The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet​, “Speak briefly, can you

like of Paris’ love” (Line 97? This means that if Lady Capulet would have just stopped bringing Paris up after

Juliet said she was not into him, then nothing would have ever happened and Juliet would most likely still be

alive. Overall, Juliet’s decision to not listen to her parents had a very negative effect on the plot.

One of the last important decisions that Juliet was forced to face would be deciding whether or not she

was going to love Romeo and go along with their grand plan to run away together. One way Juliet’s decision to

fall in love with Romeo complicated the plot would be, according to ​The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet​, “His

name is Romeo, and a Montague, the only son of your great enemy” (Lines 134-135). This means that even

after the Nurse told Juliet that Romeo was apart of the Montague, she still continued to meet up with him and

fall in love with him, even though their families were enemies long before either one of them were born.

Another way that Juliet’s decision to continue to love Romeo, even when she knew she wasn’t supposed to

would be, according to ​The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet​, “To cease thy suit and leave me to my grief.

Tomorrow will I send… a thousand times good night” (Lines 154-158)! This means that Juliet continued to see

and talk to Romeo, even after she found out that he was apart of the enemy family, if she would have just cut

ties with him right after he found out, then nothing would have ever happened between the two. Overall, Juliet’s

decision to continue to be with Romeo after she found out she was not supposed to be with him.

In conclusion, Juliet’s decisions throughout all of ​The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet​ had effects on the

plot and complicated it, especially her decision to drink Friar Lawrence’s potion, not listening to her parents,
and continuing to love Romeo even when she knew she wasn’t supposed to. Although many people would say

that Juliet’s decisions had no effects on the plot, if she would have never made some of the decisions she

made, then both Romeo and Juliet would both most likely be alive.