Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Romeo the Hasty

"O wilt though leave me so unsatisfied?" (II.ii.132)

Romeo, a mere sixteen or so years old, met Juliet just a few short hours before he says this. He is rushing into things. He has only known her for such a short time and is already her to be his lover. He hasn't spoken to her that much and is already trying to "get to know her." Yes people were married early in Shakespeare's time but they at least knew each other for more than twenty-four hours. Romeo is always hasty. He got proposed to her moments later. That is the equivalent of me proposing to someone I met at Homecoming and asking to, as Juliet puts it, "enjoy" her. Now that it's put that way, doesn't that seem a little creepy? Even if you believe in true love at first sight, you have to admit that when you think about it Romeo is acting extremely hasty.

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