Mallory 1

Mackenzie Mallory
English 9
Mrs. King
May 29, 2015

When Passion Overrules Reason, Tragedy Often Follows

Mallory 2

In Romeo and Juliet (Act 1. Scene 1.) has Tybalt saying, What, drawn, and talk
of peace? I hate the word as I hate hell, all montagues, and thee, coward! [they fight]
From this line in Romeo and Juliet it expresses the hatred towards each family.
Montagues and the Capulets are two wealthy families who live in Verona and theyve
always disliked each other greatly. Tybalt, who is a Capulet shows the audience and
reader that he hates Montagues and will not talk of peace but will fight. Right after the
fight the Prince comes. Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments. To wield old
partisans, in hands as old, canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate. If ever
disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. For this time all the
rest depart away. ( Act 1. Scene 1.) is what the Prince said to the Capulet and
Montague family. The Prince is very mad at the families for fighting so he enforces a
law. Even with this threatening law in place the two families feud between each other is
too strong. From this type of attitude towards each other bad things are soon to happen.

As predicted the families get into another fight. Tybalt is angry and gets into a
fight with Mercutio and later stabs him. Romeo is furious and sad and doesnt control
himself so he goes off to find Tybalt. In Act 3. Scene 1. Romeo says to Tybalt, That late
thou gavest me, for Mercutios soul is but a little way above our heads, staying for thine
to keep him

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company. Either thou or I, or both, must go with him. With these emotions getting in the
way of Romeos reasoning and thinking he kills Tybalt. This action broke the law and
Romeo would have to pay the price. Romeo is lucky that the Prince was a relative to
Mercutio because the Prince only banned Romeo. The Prince says, And for that
offense immediately we do exile him hence. (Act 3. Scene 1.). From this banishment of
Romeo it will cause others to suffer. From this Juliet is very sad.

After the banishment of Romeo, Juliet goes to the Friar in search for help. He has
come up with a plan so that Romeo and Juliet would be able to see each other and live
together. Friar laurence did not however think of what could go wrong. Once Juliet takes
the potion to make her dead Romeo comes to her tomb to see her because he heard
from his servant that she was actually dead. In grief and sorrow Romeo kills himself
because he can not be with his true love Juliet. Moments later Juliet wakes up to find
Romeo lying dead next to her. In shock and disbelief she says, Haply some poison yet
doth hang on them. Yea, noise? Then ill be brief. O happy dagger! [Grabs dagger] This

is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die. [She stabs herself and dies]. ( Act 5. Scene 3.)
Juliet loves Romeo so much she kills herself and doesnt even think about it.

Romeo and Juliet is an amazing play written by William Shakespeare and has a
lot of passion in it. However, too much passion can lead to terrible events and make
many

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people suffer. Romeo and Juliet's deaths could have been prevented if the two families
would have just gotten along. There were many different acts in this play where it
showed
passion overruling reason. Many people have died because reason is blinded by their
passion.

Mallory 5
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Evanston, Illinois: McDougal
Littell, 2002. 1007. Print.