The Adolescent Brain In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

The article “Inside the Teen Brain’ by Marty Wolner, states that the human brain provides parents with shocking new evidence to possibly explain the sometimes irrational, illogical, and impulsive behavior of teenagers. Teenage years are radically more active and dynamic than they previously thought. So teenagers are left with most of the information reaching their brains being processed in the emotional part (limbic system). Information processed in the limbic system without benefit increases the processing in the prefrontal cortex. It may result in impulsive, egocentric, and maybe even risky behavior choices. The prefrontal cortex of the teenage brain does not excuse inappropriate or irresponsible behavior from the teen. The brain is not yet

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore is a scientist who conducts experiments with the functions of the brain of all ages. She states “Prefrontal Cortex… [is] involved in a whole range of high-level cognitive functions, things like decision-making, planning… this region… really undergoes dramatic development during the period of adolescence” (Doc A). Romeo was undergoing prefrontal cortex development during his adolescent stage. The days he was with Juliet, his decisions for marriage in a premature relationship shows the effects of the dramatic changes in the prefrontal cortex. In a common relationship, marriage is proposed when both partners know the other partner adequately and is able to “discover the delicate balance [of] fate and responsibility” (Doc E). Romeo’s adolescent brain was eager for the relationship, this made Romeo move rapidly through the relationship. The early marriage between the two star-crossed lovers was performed not knowing the responsibilities that they would have in the future because of their fate. The imbalance of these elements made it very difficult for the relationship to be constant and promptly led to their

“Romeo and Juliet” is an amazing tragedy about two people which love each other and the whole world says no. This tragedy shows that impulsivity doesn’t always lead to a happy ending “ These violent delights have violent ends.”(Ⅱ,ⅵ,9) and that thinking over an action twice is a good decision. With the help of the article “Beautiful Brains” Romeo’s and Juliet’s actions are more understandable due to the slow process of brain development in

With similar effects as the adolescent brain, the brain in love is to be arraigned because it produced an intense obsession that the two lovers had for each other, to the point of overlooking practical common sense. In Helen Fisher’s “The Brain in Love” she states, “Romantic love is an obsession, it possesses you. You lose your sense of self. You can’t stop thinking about another human being” (Document C). The brain in love is so driven that it is as if it controls all the pursuits and actions of the person in love. A brain possessed by romantic love has the capability and motivation to do anything to obtain the love of the other person, including partaking in perilous plans. Moreover, Fisher goes on to say, “That brain system - the reward system for wanting, for motivation, for craving, for focus - becomes more active when you can’t get what you want. In this case, life’s greatest prize: an appropriate mating partner” (Document C). Throughout the play, Romeo and Juliet were faced with countless obstacles to overcome in order to be together. Under those circumstances, their brains in love pushed them to the point where they would both rather be dead than live apart from each other. The brain in love is an obvious component of the cause of their deaths because many irrational or hazardous actions taken during this time were caused by their uncontrollable urge to be

What do you think when you hear the word “teenager”? Most people think of teenagers as pugnacious and restless human beings. Their rebellious and rambunctious behavior usually leads people to believe this. Teens tend to participate in jeopardous activities such as dangerous driving, binge-drinking, or fighting that could land them in serious trouble, the ER or the police station. Although engaging in these exercises is strongly frowned upon, some studies show that most of these actions cannot be controlled. Adolescents are drawn to risky acts due to specific messengers in the brain, peer pressure and their odd methods of apprehending the outcomes of a situation.

The teenage brain Teenagers are known for many things but especially for being unpredictable. They don’t think things through and are always making a scene. Many articles have been written to improve our knowledge and understand these behaviours. Research shows that a teenager’s brain doesn’t begin to resemble that of an adult until the early 20’s (TBHKI). Typical adolescent mannerism is well demonstrated all throughout the play Romeo and Juliet.

Romeo may put Juliet first, by risking to stay in the city for their wedding night, but Juliet puts her wants first before Romeo’s safety, which proves they are not equals. Their connection is merely based off the adrenaline rush they get from being with each other and the sexual frustration they have pent up since their first meeting. Keeping this in mind, studies have shown that many teenagers have such impulses and sexual frustrations because of how adolescent minds develop. According to The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction, published by the National Institute of Mental Health, “reproductive hormones shape (...) sex related hormones and behavior”. These behaviors include the urge to try new sexual things with others and explore the physical and emotional experiences that are new to them.

Since it was written, Romeo and Juliet has been regarded as the arguably most famous love story of all time. Two star-crossed teen lovers are so drowned in their own world that they commit suicide in the hope of eternally being with each other in the afterlife. In reality, were the characters’ actions truly drawn from a sense of fervent love, or rather from hormonal triggers acting in unfavorable ways deep within the teenage brain? In a modern analogy, are teenagers’ brains functioning on the basis of specialized thought processes, or because of biological shortcomings? In reality, rash decisions made by teenagers mostly correlate with hormonal judgement because of skewed neurological development, although environmental influences can aggravate a teen’s emotions.

Moreover, in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, he illustrates that adolescents show decision making. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet , Juliet states “or true to my heart with treacherous revolt turn to another, this shall stay them both”(3.1.59-60). This rationalizes Juliet’s decision by saying she can’t betray her heart, which she has already given to Romeo by giving it to Pairs and believes killing herself will resolve the issue. Juliet’s decision making in this scene was based on how she couldn’t betray Romeo. Many teenagers are impulsive because they are not fully developed for example in the article titled “ Why Are Teens So Moody And Impulsive” author Carolyn Gregoire reveals “ the brain is developing until the mid-20s”(Gregoire,1). In other words,

The play, “Romeo and Juliet,” by William Shakespeare, and the article, “The Teenage Brain: Still under construction,” from the National Institute of Mental Health, prove that hormones affect teens in multiple ways. In the play, Romeo falls in love at first sight with Juliet, but their families hate each other. In the end the hate is relieved from the families due to the death of the two children. Also, in the article it explains what causes teenagers to act out, and why it happens. As soon as teenagers stop letting their hormones control them, they will be able to make better decisions and control how they feel.

The portrayal of adolescence in a film is a relatively new concept, and one that many directors have attempted in their career to varying results. Some directors are able to capture the awkward, bumbling phase of adolescence perfectly. However, there are some representations of teenagers that cause much debate, and can generally leave viewers confused about the director’s intentions. On one hand, a director can undoubtedly celebrate teenage culture through a variety of techniques, however on the other hand they can criticise teenagers and their aimed demographic, in some cases simultaneously, and especially when adapting Shakespeare. William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet is an adaptation that has stirred much controversy since its release, and it’s easy to understand why. Critics deemed the film kitsch, tasteless, and even went as far as to dismiss it as “MTV Shakespeare” because of its fast-paced style and blatant advertisement in some of Shakespeare’s most paramount scenes. I thoroughly believe that Baz Luhrmann is attempting to get teenagers interested in Shakespeare by reducing the complex themes of forbidden romance and familial rivalry into a superficial film that contains many aspects of an MTV music video, which can be deemed problematic as it assumes that that is all that teenagers would ever be interested in.

There is a reason a child and a adult are two different types of people. Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, is a play set in Verona about an abiding feud between two families, the Capulets and the Montagues. Romeo and Juliet fall in love when they meet at a party, which is a dilemma because they come from contradictory families. The two young teens soon surreptitiously get married by Friar Lawrence. Lady Capulet then informs Juliet that she is to marry Paris, which distressed Juliet severely. Friar Lawrence gives Juliet a vial that will make Juliet appear dead so that she doesn’t have to marry Paris and can run away with Romeo when she wakes. Word quickly spreads to Romeo that Juliet is dead; Romeo does not know that Juliet will soon

Among the reasons adolescents are incapable of the same reasoning and maturity as an adult is the fact that their brains have not yet fully developed. According to the “Young Adult Development Project” at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT), the human brain does not reach full maturity until at least the mid-20s. As a result, minors do not possess the mental capacity to understand the consequences of their actions. They cannot fully comprehend the seriousness of the situation until it is already too late. Teenagers are especially susceptible to this, which can lead to regret, guilt and many obvious mistakes. Researchers at MIT point out the limitations of the teen brain in their Young Adult Development Project, “At the same time young adults are experiencing new levels of sophistication in thinking and emotional regulation, their brains are undergoing changes in precisely the areas associated with these functions.” Additionally, The University of Rochester Medical Center writes in their article “Understanding the Teen brain” that “Good judgement is not something [minors] can excel in... yet.” In 2016 a 10-year old boy shot and killed his brother while they were playing cops and robbers with a rifle he did not know was loaded.

Juliet expressed her love for Romeo by stating “My only love sprung from my only hate.” In Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, there are many examples in which the main characters show lack of common sense. Romeo and Juliet were from two houses that had a fued, yet they managed to find love in the desperate of times. The play was based around the tragic, yet romantic, story of the forbidden star-crossed lover. However, some of the impulsive choices made throughout the play question whether what Romeo and Juliet had was love or lust. Many studies although have proved that the lack of common knowledge is because of the undeveloped brain. With this, scientists have dug deeper and found out that the reward system for adolescents is highly superior to the risk factor. Knowing this valuable information, some may conclude that the decisions made in the play might have

Imagine not thinking through situations all the time. Also, these same situations are not being thought through enough to the point that someone can be hurt or even killed. In the drama Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, these events happen quite often. This is due to impulsive adolescence. Most People think that the only message that Shakespeare tries to convey is that family should not control their children's hearts. However, Shakespeare has a more prominent underlying message of the dangers of Impulsive Adolescent behavior. Impulsive adolescence is teenagers acting before they think everything through all the way. Some examples of this are the death of Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt and Mercutio's death, and Romeo getting banished from Verona.