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Jaclyn Burczyk
Mrs. King
English 9
26 May 2015
The star-crossed love of Romeo and Juliet
The play Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, took place around the 1300s in
Verona, Italy. It was set around two families, the Capulets, and the Montagues. Both of the
families had one child, the Capulets a daughter named Juliet, and the Montagues a son named
Romeo. These two kids are known as star crossed lovers and through the play their love is faced
with many difficulties and they have to overcome many obstacles so that they can be with one
another. Throughout the play, the theme When passion overrules reason, tragedy often follows
was present between many of the characters.
The theme When passion overrules reason, tragedy often follows was present between
the two main characters, Romeo and Juliet. This theme was existent in the following quote,and
it's showing how infatuated Romeo and Juliet are for one another. But love thee better thou
cant decise; till thou shalt known the reason of my love ( IIl. 1). During this scene, Romeo is
talking to Tybalt while hes fighting Mercutio. Romeo is basically trying to say how he doesnt
want to fight because theyre family, since Romeo is married to his cousin Juliet. This scene is
important to the book because this is
where the tragedy part of the theme occurs, when the first two characters are murdered. The
readers get a feel of how much Romeo truly cares about Juliet and doesnt want to hurt her
family, even though Romeo and Mercutio loathe one another. In this scene, the theme is
showcased because after Tybalt killed Mercutio, Romeo was furious and he wanted revenge

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against Tybalt, he wasnt thinking about reason and how killing Tybalt would end up horribly.
After Romeo killed Tybalt he was banished from Verona and thats where the horrible tragedy
started.
In the next scene, after Romeo was banished, the news traveled quickly to his newly
wedded wife, Juliet. When she got the news she didnt know whether to mourn her cousin, or be
angry with her husband. In this scene, Juliet and Friar Laurence devise a plan for her and
Romeo to be together since her parents want her to marry Paris, and since Romeo cant be seen
in Verona. Friar Laurence gives Juliet a poison which will make her seem dead, but really puts
her into a sleep-like coma for two days. Juliet proves how much she loves Romeo when she yells,
Romeo, I come! This do I drink to thee ( IV, 3). After this quote she drinks the poison so that
she could be with Romeo and run away together. Juliet isnt really thinking about the outcomes
of her actions and in this situation this poison that she's drinking could kill her, but she doesnt
care, as long as she's with Romeo. The plan that Friar Laurence had constructed didnt go as
planned and it lead to both of the main characters dying, and others.

After Juliet drank the poision during scene IV, something terrible also happens in the
next scene. During act V, Romeo gets news from his servant Balthasar that Juliet had died.
Romeo immediately went to see Juliet in the tomb. Once Romeo saw that Juliet was
truly dead he broke down crying and pulled out poison that he had gotten from the apothecary.
Romeo shows how much he loves Juliet and how much he wants to be with her when he says,
Here's to my love! O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick, thus with a kiss I die ( V, 3). This is
a very important part to the play and a big example of the theme being shown in the play
because Romeo and Juliet's passion for one another has caused this big catastrophe of them
being together, since Lord and Lady Capulet want Juliet to marry Paris, and since Romeo has

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been banished from Verona. This part of the play is basically the whole outcome of both Romeo
and Juliets actions and is the part where the tragedies unfold. After Romeo drinks the poison,
Juliet wakes up and notices him on the ground dead, not thinking about what would come from
her actions, she grabbed Romeos dagger and stabbed herself, falling next to her one true love,
Romeo.
Romeo and Juliet portrayed the theme When passion overrules reason, tragedy often
follows through their star-crossed love for one another. Both Romeo and Juliet has a dying
passion for one another and their actions werent thinking about their supposed hate for one
another and the family feud. The main characters, Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, Tybalt, Paris, and
Lady Montague all died in the play mostly because of Romeo and Juliets actions. None of the
characters really thought of what their actions would lead to, they just went straight into things
without thinking, which usually lead to the tragedy of the play. Overall, Romeo and Juliet
showcased their dying love for one another when they both killed themselves just so they can be
with one another. They were not thinking of their families, or friends, and also not knowing
what would happen in the future.

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Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. The Language of Literature. Evanston: McDougal Littell Inc.,
2002.
1044-1102. Print.