Romeo & Juliet: Haste.

Romeo and Juliet Essay

Haste, the over-eagerness to act, is an important element in any tragic play. William Shakespeare paid careful attention to this concept in the writing of his famous play Romeo and Juliet. Haste is certainly well shown, since most of the characters make rash decisions during the play.

Firstly, Romeo and Juliet best display haste when they decide to get married after having met merely a couple of hours earlier. While gazing into her orchard and delivering her soliloquy, Juliet notices Romeo. They express their love for each other, but Romeo is anxious to know that Juliet is his. He proposes to her by saying, "Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow," (II.ii.107). Romeo clearly loves Juliet enough to vow his love for her by the moon, which he speaks so highly of. Though Juliet returns his love, she does not wish to vow their love by the moon for she thinks that the moon is inconstant.

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Romeo and Juliet with Friar Laurence

Romeo and Juliet, Act I-Scene_3. Lady Capulet and ...

She expresses this through the lines, "O swear not by the moon, th'inconstant moon, /That monthly changes in her circl'd orb, /Lest that thy love prove likewise variable." (II.ii.109-111). She continues with, "Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee, /I have no joy of this contract tonight, /It is too rash, too unadvis'd, too sudden, /Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be" (II.ii.117-119). Evidently, Juliet does not think it is wise to make such a life changing decision after just having met Romeo. She questions the strength of his love and believes that his declaration of love is just spur of the moment. She settles the discussion by replying, "If thy bent love be honourable, /Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow," (II.ii.143-144). Juliet thought that if Romeo was still madly in love with her in...