Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet

"Youthful rashness skips like a hare over the meshes of good counsel."

                                                    - William Shakespeare

        In the book Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, in act two, scenes three to six, Romeo asks Friar Lawrence to wed him to Juliet. These lines portray Romeo's conversation with Friar Lawrence, and the Friar Lawrence's doubts about Romeo truly being in love. There are many debates as to whether or not Romeo is with Juliet, or if he is only acting out of youthful rashness, which is acting out of impulse, or without a second thought. I believe that there are many reasons as to why Romeo was acting out of youthful rashness.

         

Firstly, Romeo says that he forgot Rosaline’s name and her name's woe (2.3.61-62), which means that Rosaline means nothing to him. However, I find it quite impossible that after immensely mourning for Rosaline, he completely forgot her. I believe the Romeo is not in love but he is in love with the concept of love. Which on the other hand would mean that he is using Juliet to get over Rosaline, because of his grief. In other words, Romeo is blinded by his true emotions, and sometimes that is what love does to people. You can't just forget about someone in 24 hours because they still exist, and somewhere in the back of your mind you know that they're still there. This is why I find it extremely hard to believe that Romeo is over Rosaline after about a day, when he spent so long grieving over her. Also, when Benvolio told Romeo to look for someone else, Romeo said that it was impossible and that Rosaline was basically the only one. Now, after meeting Juliet, he suddenly feels like it's time to move on, and he barely even knows Juliet. Moreover, Romeo might not have been completely in love with Juliet, in fact, Juliet could have been his way to move on.  

       

To add on, many people during the class debate stated that two people (Romeo and Juliet) were destined, by the stars, that they were to fall in love in order to end the feud between their families. However, in the prologue of the story it states, "Do with their death end their parents' strife." This contradicts to the point that many people have made. It was not their love that ended the rivalry, but the death of Romeo and Juliet. A fellow classmate also pointed out that there were two other deaths that occurred before the death of Romeo and Juliet. The death of Mercutio, who is Romeo's best friend, and the death of Tybalt, who is the cousin of Juliet. The classmate stated that after these two deaths, nothing changed to end the rivalry between the two households, so there is no clear statement that Romeo and Juliet's death is what ended it. However, the death of these two people were not as important and tragic to the two families as the death of their own children. For example, if this were to be connected to real life and your best friend or cousin were to die, you would be devastated of course. On the other hand, your parents might show some sympathy, and some sadness, but it is not moving enough for them to completely stop all their duties.  However, if it were you who died, your parents may be moved enough, and emotionally traumatized enough to discard of their duties because of sadness. When that sadness passes, they will decide on any changes, or anything that must be done differently, because they will learn a lesson. In addition, the scene in which Mercutio and Tybalt died was a dark, and more anger-filled scene rather than a sad one. Tension was already building up since the beginning, and in this scene all the tension turned into pure anger. So, no, Mercutio and Tybalt's death could not have led to the end of the feud between the two families of Romeo and Juliet. Instead, the two deaths brought forth more anger, and more tension between the families. Furthermore, I don't think that it was "written in the stars" that Romeo and Juliet were supposed to fall in love. I believe that it was "written in the stars" that the death of Romeo and Juliet is what would have ended the feud, even if they weren't in love.

       

To conclude, I strongly think that Romeo was acting out of youthful rashness when he jumped to the conclusion that he was in love with Juliet. This is because, love made him blind to the fact that Juliet isn't the only person in the world. It also made him blind to all his other emotions. As Romeo said, love is a rough thing, it is not tender, and it does not come with a tender feeling. However, I think that his grief mixed in with his love and clouded his past thoughts about love, and when he met Juliet all he was left with was this surreal image of love, that he would have denied only the day before he met Juliet. In other words, Romeo was never truly in love with Juliet, and maybe if they got to know each other more thoroughly, their beliefs on true love would have changed.  

Our Actions Define Who We Are as People

     "Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity." 

                                                - Edwin Hubbel Chapin  

           

            Our actions can determine who we are as people. It can also determine our relationship with others. However, many people use their words to either show or conceal their true feelings, even when actions can hold a greater value. Words can be covers for lies, but action will always hold the truth.

            In the book, “The Blood of Olympus” by Rick Riordan is the fast paced finale in the Heroes of Olympus series. In the book, the demi god team is finally up to the last battle, where they will fight the mother earth, and they know that in order to succeed one of them must pass on. Though every person in this book is completely capable of being independent they still depend on each other in many ways. Also, like most people they need someone to watch their backs. Throughout the book, each demi god relies on each other for help, and their actions either help to start a beautiful relationship or end one that had little chance of lasting.

            One relationship that sparks within this book is the friendship of Reyna and Nico. In page 57 of the book, Reyna states “Strangely, that made Reyna trust Nico more… Nico had proven himself in other ways… he carried so much sadness and loneliness, so much heartache. Yet he put his mission first. He preserved. Reyna respected that. She understood that.” Nico is someone Reyna can connect through pain and loss. She’s been alone for most of her missions, and she understands what it is like to feel alone. Reyna has the power to give her energy to others, however with such a great power comes a consequence. Not only can she feel the energy flowing inside the person she is aiding, but she can also feel the pain they go through each time they take a step, and fall. His actions of hiding his true feelings and keeping secrets that he knows can destroy the loyalty of two sides have brought her closer to him. She understands why he always puts his mission first, to appeal to those around him o he will get noticed, even if it is for a little while. Additionally and most importantly, his strong perseverance makes Reyna respect Nico, and it is said that respect is the hardest yet most wonderful thing to gain in the world.

            On the other hand, Annabeth’s simpler actions has brought her closer two people who have worked hard for almost all their lives. Both Piper and Nico feel reassured when Annabeth is around that they are not alone, nor will they ever be alone. For example, in page 156 Nico states, “He wanted to hate Annabeth, but he just couldn’t. She’d gone out of her way to thank him in Epirus. She was genuine and sincere. She never overlooked him like most people did. Why couldn't she be a horrible person? That would have made it easier.” Annabeth is normally the type of person that is kind and wise. She knows when someone deserves to be thanked and she knows that no one deserves to be avoided like Nico is by others. Many people just avoid Nico because he is different, and because he is the son of Hades. However, Annabeth takes any chance she gets to include Nico in the rewards he deserves. Another example of Annabeth’s kind actions was written in Jason’s perspective. In the book he states, “Annabeth’s fingers trembled. After all the things she’d been through, Jason found it odd that she’d freak out while Piper acted so calm. Then it occurred to him- Annabeth could afford to be scared for him. Piper couldn't. She was completely focused on trying to save him.” (39) Annabeth is always patting Piper on the back, and reassuring her with many kind gestures that everything will be all right. This is why piper feels strong whenever they are in a tough situation, although she wants to be scared she knows she can’t, but she knows that Annabeth will always have her back. In this scene, Piper “entrusted” Annabeth with the job to reveal Piper’s feelings as her own. In other words, she knew that she could trust Annabeth to express what she was feeling. Furthermore, although Annabeth’s actions are small and simple, they hold a great amount of meaning in them.

            Lastly, Jason has been most strongly affected by his mother’s actions. When someone breaks their promise to you, you may feel torn and lost; however Jason used a broken promise as a moral for his life. In the book it states, “His mother’s unkept promise was at the core of who he was. He’d built his whole life around the irritation of her words, like the grain of sand at the center of a pearl. People lie. Promises are broken. That was why, as much as it chafed him, Jason followed his rules. He kept his promises. He never wanted to abandon anyone the way he’d been abandoned and lied to.” As you can see your actions can affect a person greatly. Whether it is thanking someone for their hard work, or completely abandoning someone, it will always hold an effect, and sometimes the affect of those actions may not last forever, but the feeling the person can get from it may. When Jason’s mother abandoned him he felt torn and broken, and since then he worked hard to always be loyal to those who care about him. Moreover, his mother’s actions are the core for who he is as a person.

            To add on, our words can be lies, and you can always go back on your word. However, once you have done something (whether it’s good or bad) you can never erase its existence. That is why people need to learn that their actions can affect those around them, and it is important to remember that our actions can affect our relationships with others. Kind actions that have been thought about multiple times before it has been done can have more of a positive effect on people. Also, small gestures and having courtesy (like Annabeth) can bring you closer to a person. Words can be meaningless if the actions behind those words hold a negative or no effect, actions hold the truth behind the lies of spoken words from notorious people. After all, actions speak louder than words.

           

           

                                                                                                                                               

"Invasion of the Drones" By Patricia Smith

           Drones have been increasingly used in wars for years. In fact, they've been used so much for warfare that it seems like drones make war easier. The Upfront article, "Invasion of the Drones" by Patricia Smith is about the ubiquitous use of drones, not only in wars, but also for delivering pizza and taking pictures of homes for real estate companies. In the article, Patricia Smith talks about the three main concerns for the use of drones in society. Privacy, safety, and warfare are three concerning topics that pop out when the usage of drones seemed to have too far. Additionally, there is evidence that these three problems can affect normal people. Moreover, I do not believe that drones should be used for things like deliveries, pictures, etc. 

          Drones have been posed as a threat to a person's privacy. These drones can be made with built in cameras, and can take pictures of unsuspecting people that mind their own business. For example, in the article Patricia Smith stated that drones were used by almost everyone, from farmers, to scientists, and police, the use of drones is increasing all around the world. This provides a great deal of concerns with the Fourteenth Amendment, which offers protection from "unreasonable searches and seizures." In this case, many people do not know when or where a drone may be hovering above them, which raises the question, "Does that constitute an 'unreasonable search'?" Secondly, safety has also been a widely varied concern. There has been many issues with drones getting "out of control" of their operators. "Flyaways" are drones that escape through their operators control and may crash due to software glitches, operator errors, and wind gusts. According to the article, these drones are likely to crash into buildings and trees. In another scenario, there have been dozens of incidents where drone and planes have "near misses", several where at airports in New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. This can put many people on the planes in harm's way. Lastly, drones have been used in wars very easily. In fact, the president can use a drone for attacking enemy locations without Congressional approval. It is said in the Constitution that the president is in charge of the military, but only Congress can declare war. Many fear that drones have made war seem more like a video game than a life-or-death situation. To add on, the usage of drones has been an upbringing of many concerns for the society's privacy, safety, and the ruling of the Constitution. 

          I believe that drones have been misused in public, and the experimental usage of drones in jobs like pizza delivery and real estate should be put to a stop. This is because, when drones are used for jobs like delivery and more, it decreases the number of jobs for a person. Someone who has been working as a delivery man may not be needed because he can be replaced by a drone. Also, the thought of drones flying around, unseen, makes people feel uncomfortable, and I don't think I would be comfortable in the situation either. However, I disagree that drones make war seem too easy. I think drones should still be used for attacking very dangerous terrorist locations, and they should be used for war. I think this because I realized that by using drones as a replacement for soldiers, and actual people in war, can actually save lives while also destroying the enemy. Furthermore, I feel as though the usage of drones in wars should continue, however I believe that usage of drones for simple jobs, like taking pictures of a house, should end.