There were endless amount of tears running down my face, I felt very hot and a mix of negative emotions rising within me. I wanted to kick, punch, and destroy something out of fury on one side but on the other I wanted to just cry and scream at somebody letting my feelings out. I had never cried this much since my mother passed away. I was very saddened by this injustice, everyone around me could tell because I’m not one to cry- but I couldn't believe or understand what had happened, I just couldn't.
I was so sure that we were gonna win and there was never a doubt. We walked back home, Scout looked really tired and, Dill was somewhat upset like me. As we came close I started running and headed straight for my room and jumped on my bed not wanting anyone to talk to me. Unintentionally, I ended up falling asleep and when I woke up the next day I felt slightly better. I walked into the kitchen and everyone was staring at me. I sat down not saying a word and just played with my food I didn’t have any appetite. Calpurnia became upset and told me to stop playing with the food and eat, I just stayed still and did not respond. Looking down I asked Atticus to be excused he allowed me to be excused under the condition that I had to eat at least half of my plate. I somewhat ate and then headed out not knowing where I was going but I wanted to get fresh air and go on a walk, walking down the street I felt someone following me and as I turned Scout bumped in to me and Dill into her. I told them to stop following me, go back home, and leave me alone but, they said they were concerned about me and wanted to know if I was okay. Realizing that their intentions weren’t bad and that it wasn't right for me to take my anger off on them I stayed silent and just kept walking. We ended up at the park and we were all in silence swinging, when all of a sudden, we heard my name and it was Mrs. Maudie and she was calling me over. We climbed the wooden steps and onto Miss Maudie’s new front porch. When we got inside she had one large cake sitting in the middle of her table she told us to sit down and cut the cake serving us each a piece. I felt conflicted because I wanted to tell her everything, how badly I felt, how injustful it was, and what had happened, but I felt it would make me become mad again just talking about it. I also wasn’t sure if she was even interested at all or wanted to know since she had chosen not to go in the first place. I decided to respect her decision and keep quiet but after a couple minutes of silence she slowly started asking me what had happened. I took a deep breath and started explaining, Mrs. Maudie listened intently as I began to retell the important events. I began with what had happened before the trial and the incident at the jail house, I told her how me, Scout, and Dill followed him one night not knowing where he was headed and found him at the jail house. I also told her how Atticus went and was there just sitting down and then a group of man randomly appeared and they wanted to hurt Tom not caring who they had to go through but then Scout ran up to Atticus and recognized Mr. Cunningham and she calmed the people down making them leave before it could have gotten bad and Scout not knowing left us all in shock. She looked at Scout and Scout looked at her with a showing off look feeling proud for something she didn't even know she had done. Mrs. Maudie was in shocked and couldn’t believe how we were still alive thanks to Scout. I then proceeded to telling her about the trial. I got straight to the point before telling her all the details. I explained how Atticus gave endless amount of evidence to prove Tom's innocence and that they were strong ones and he had left it easy to the judge and how he didn't have to take three hours to come up with a horrible conclusion because it was obvious Tom wasn't the guilty one. I then told her the details how, Mr. Heck Tate was the first witness and he told us in what condition he had found Mayella in. I continued informing her by letting her know who came next which was Bob Ewell and how he testified that he supposedly found Mayella lying on the floor after having been raped and beat by Tom, But that he claimed it was too late when he got there to get revenge on his own or be able to do something so that he had to run and get Mr. Heck Tate. I revealed how Mayella also testified and said the same things as her dad, how it was Tom Robinson who had raped her and she was too weak to fight back even though she hollered and kicked. I ended by telling her we had found out the truth at the end, through Tom Robinson, which was that it was Mayella who had tempted him. I informed her how Atticus exposed Bob Ewell as a man who beat and sexually abused his daughter. I let her know why Atticus had come to these conclusions, which were that Tom Robinson was right handed because he had hurt his arm and it was twelve inches shorter than his left and Atticus was smart and made us realized that only a left handed person could have hurt Mayella based on the side she was hurt, and how when Mayella tempted Tom she had said something disturbing about her father which proved there was sexual abuse. I instantly become mad and Mrs. Maudie could tell and just told me to take deep breaths in and out and eat my cake, that I hadn't even started. I kept going on and on about how it was greatly unfair, and justice was not served. I told her how I was greatly let down because I strongly had believed we would have won. She just stared at me in silence and in shock letting me express my feelings and just let it all out, and after a while she finally spoke. She told me my father was a great, brave man, who has a lot of courage to take this job and stand up for what he believes is right no matter what people say about him. She tried explaining how this world isn't fair and especially at this time how it's really hard for African Americans to be claimed innocent for something they actually have not done, but she said she understood my fury because she was also frustrated because it seemed that nowadays only children cry and get touched by this and that adults seem to not care anymore since they have sadly gotten used to it and instead of someone like my father or a group of people standing up for what is right they just stay quiet now letting all these horrible tragic events happen before their eyes. She admitted how she was one of those quiet people, but she feels like a nobody and didn't believe she could do anything by herself, she told me she feels she doesn’t have the courage to either but that she did feel badly for what was going on. She told me she admired me for being smart for my age and understanding what had happened. I looked at her with tears in my eyes and told her this didn't have to be this way and that I wanted to be that person who finally stood up and I had a plan. By: Melany Carreto Gonzalez -- contributing writer I really didn’t think that things could have gotten any worse. My head was a whirlwind of thoughts as I relived the events of the trial directly outside the courthouse. Guilty. Sentenced to death. The next word broke me from this hazy spell by Dill. Tomorrow. It was the only word I heard. I glanced over at Dill, puzzled as he broke the news again. He was going back home to Meridian. Tomorrow night. I couldn’t believe it, right after the horrid trial Dill would be leaving us to go home. It was the worst possible thing that he could have said to us in that moment. Rage filled me, and I could not stop myself from yelling back at him. I told him that he needed to stay, I told him that it wasn’t even the end of the summer. But he just kept shaking his head, repeating that his mom wanted him to come home early this year. I didn’t even realize that Scout was beside me with tears flowing down her flushed cheeks. She burst into a fit of tears when I asked her if she was okay. I couldn’t take it anymore. Before I knew it, I whipped around and ran home. Lost in my thoughts I ran with wild abandon. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn’t catch the wild thoughts racing through my mind.
When I barreled through the front door, Aunt Alexandra looked back at me, baffled. She asked me if I was alright as I blew past her and ran upstairs. A few minutes later I heard footsteps shuffling up the old wooden stairs. Creaking open, Scout’s head peeped through the opening in the doorway. Her bloodshot eyes found mine. I urged her to go away, but per usual, she ignored my request. Rolling over and burying my head in my pillow, I shouted for Scout to leave me alone. I needed to be by myself. Alone with my thoughts. Scout dropped her head and whimpered as I heard her comply with my request. I took a deep breath as the door latched shut. Finally peace. This was short-lived, as the door opened for a second time. Can I get any privacy in this house? This time, Aunt Alexandra came into my room and sunk into the foot of my bed. She put a comforting hand on my leg and spoke softly to me. Although her words had a reassuring tone, she spoke the truth. There was no way the jury would have found Tom innocent. It would just never happen in Maycomb. My heart raced and the lump in my throat rose. My voice cracked as I opened my mouth. Anything I could think of erupted out of my mouth. I told her that we were cheated, and that they were wrong. I couldn’t hold back anymore. Without thinking twice, my voice boomed as I stood up and finally broke. I spun and punched the wall as hard as I could. When I pulled my hand away there was a small dent in the wall, paint splitting. Aunt Alexandra seemed to be mixed with emotions as well; confused, upset, and disappointed. She took a deep breath and pulled me down onto the bed next to her, arm around me. We just sat in quiet for a long time until I calmed down. Later on, I began to think. I desperately wanted to make things right. There had to be a way. In my heart, I knew that Tom Robinson didn’t attack Mayella Ewell. The facts simply didn’t add up, and now this innocent man would be put to death. It came to me. The only way I knew how to make things right was to free Tom Robinson myself. The thought of this became all consuming. It would be the perfect retribution to get back at the Ewells for lying, for framing Tom Robinson for a crime he didn’t commit. I felt a grin form across my face and thought to myself as I pictured the looks on the Ewells’ faces on execution day. Tom would be nowhere to be found. It was a quiet dinner, I don’t think anybody said a word. We were all mourning over the devastating loss at the trial. I seriously couldn’t believe that the judge couldn’t see through the fact that Tom was a black man. In my heart I knew that if Tom were white, he wouldn’t be sitting in a jail cell. As I mindlessly shoveled food into my mouth, I couldn’t help but imagine the thoughts that must be going through Tom’s mind. My heart rate quickened with these thoughts, which got me thinking about the escape plan. I felt an urgency to fix the horrible acts and lies that the Ewells told the judge. Scout finally spoke, breaking me from my compulsive thoughts. She asked to be excused, even though she had barely eaten. Aunt Alexandra nodded, and Scout stood and went upstairs. I requested to be excused as well and Aunt Alexandra nodded again. As I stood up, I thanked Calpurnia for dinner, turned and went upstairs. Up in my room I could hear Scout from across the hall crying a quiet whimper. Feeling regretful about my earlier flare of anger, I decided I wanted to comfort her. I knocked quietly and opened the door. Scout was laying face down on her pillows trying to muffle the sound of her crying. I sat down on the bed next to her and she rolled over to look at me. It seemed that Scout was finally realizing that Tom Robinson was going to die an innocent man. It was as if she were in my head. She told me exactly what I had been thinking; that Tom was innocent and that we had been cheated. I made a snap decision. Scout’s face lit up as I unveiled my plan. *************** After everybody had fallen asleep I initiated step one of my plan. I silently pulled the covers off and slipped out of bed. Camouflaging myself, I put on a black shirt and black pants. Slowly, I crept to the top of the stairs, ever so carefully to not make a sound. As I descended down the stairs, I paused as one step creaked under my foot. I froze, listening intently. After hearing no movement I continued. On my way to the door a noise from the living room caught my attention. I turned to see Aunt Alexandra sitting in a chair. Groggily, she questioned why I was awake. Beads of sweat started to form across my forehead, one trickling down to my chin. Taking a deep breath, I heard the lie slip out. I told her I was just getting some water. She nodded, rolled over and fell soundly asleep. I made a break for the door, slipping through and quietly closing it behind me. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I wiped the sweat off of my forehead. I took off for downtown, my destination - the jailhouse. My sprint was stopped short when I heard my name. Miss Maudie surprised me from her new front porch. She must have seen me under the lamplight. She waved me over and I had no choice. Without a word, she patted the chair next to her, inviting me to sit down. She asked me about the trial, the Roman Carnival as she called it, and I filled her in. As I told her what had happened she was nodding, as if she had been there. When I had finished talking, she told me that Tom never had a chance and that it wasn’t Atticus’ fault that Tom was convicted guilty. I told her what I had told everybody else, that we had been cheated and that I had to make things right. She pushed me on my meaning, so I told her my plan. Miss Maudie didn’t take her eyes off me as I shared details. Looking at her, I knew what she was going to say even before she said a word. She told me that breaking Tom out of jail would only come back to haunt me, because if I got caught then I could be executed as well. This made me think, was I willing to put myself in danger to help save Tom? As much as I cared about Tom and his innocence, Miss Maudie brought me back to reality. Putting myself in danger for Tom was probably not a good decision. This plan could put my entire family in harm’s way. I stood up and walked over to Miss Maudie. I wrapped my arms around her in a tight embrace and felt her arms do the same. She whispered in my ear telling me that I should proud of the good young man I was. She then told me to go home and go to sleep. I nodded, thanked her for helping me come around, turned and as I walked away I was absorbed into the darkness of the night. By: Justin Rogers -- contributing writer I tried to keep it in, I tried to be a straight face and professional like Atticus, but I couldn’t. My eyes started to water and soon my face was covered in tears. My face was hot with rage, and I stood frozen on the balcony. Scout passed by me, and I gathered myself. I took a deep breath, and wiped my face, but the tears kept flowing. I silently led Scout and Dill through the droves of people, out of the courthouse, and we headed home.
It didn’t make any sense, I was so sure, I knew he was innocent and I was so sure the jury would see that, why couldn’t they see it? I caught myself clenching my fists and jaw, it just didn’t make any sense. Tom Robinson was a good man, he was an honest Negro, it wasn’t fair. The Ewells were worse than any colored folk in Maycomb. It was that scum Bob Ewell, he’s the one who hurt Ms. Mayella. He’s the one who beat her, and the one who did disgusting things to her, he’s the one who‘s left-handed. Him, Bob Ewell not Tom Robinson. It didn’t make any sense. Scout kept poking me and asking questions, she didn’t understand. She didn’t get the trial and she didn’t get why I was so upset, Dill didn’t either. They were too young, they didn’t understand the terrible state of this world, the horrible injustices experienced every single day. Negros out of work, children starving, houses burning, all these terrible things happening to good people, every single day. Why? It’s so stupid, the Robinsons were good people, so why was this happening to them? It didn't make any sense. I paused, my foot was throbbing, Scout and Dill were staring at me confused. I looked down and realized just how angry I was. I nearly broke my shoe, I kicked a tree with all my might, the big oak tree at the Radley’s house. I froze, I stood there in disbelief, I couldn’t believe how angry I was. I looked up at the cement filled hole and thought about how simple life used to be, how easy it all was. I gathered myself again and ignored the searing pain in my foot. I shooed the kids along, and we hurried home. When we arrived home, I was silent. It was too late for me to talk to them, and it was too late for Dill to go home, so he was going to stay over. We went upstairs, I set up pillows on the floor for Dill. I laid there trying to sleep, but I couldn’t. Dill was babbling on but I didn’t hear a word he said, I didn’t hear anything until Scout came in. The door creaked as she poked her head in to see if we were awake. I sat up in my bed and smiled at her to come in. She had annoyed me all day with questions about the trial, but somehow seeing her comforted me. Something about her innocence and how blissfully unaware of the terrible truths of the world was sweet. They came and sat on my bed and we started to talk. Dill was upset about the trial too, but not the same way. They were too young, still full of imagination and hope. They didn’t grasp the full scope of what happened in that courtroom, and in a way I was glad. What happened in there was a terrible injustice and proved to be a disgusting recounting of events. It was good that Scout didn’t get everything that happened, she was still so young, and Aunt Alexandra wanted her to be a lady so bad. It was good Dill didn’t understand either, he didn’t like how Mister Gilmer was treating Tom Robinson but he didn’t get why. They didn’t understand the delicacies of race, and how Negroes were different from us, and I was starting to question it too. All my life we’ve been separated, told that Negroes were less than us. But why? It didn’t make any sense, we were all the same after all. Why couldn’t they see that Tom Robinson was better than the Ewells despite the fact that he’s colored. It didn’t make any sense. By: Rachel DiDonato -- contributing writer Often times in literature characters have impulsive behaviors that affect the work as a whole. Shakespeare’s play, “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” is one such piece. In this play two people from enemy families fall in love, and it leads to trouble. Throughout the play, impulsive acts lead to a sad ending with many people dying. If characters in specific, Romeo thought before making actions, the play might have not ended so poorly for the two families.
Romeo played a large part in the play, “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.” Romeo is young man around sixteen years old, part of the Montague family, and seen to be intelligent and handsome, but also very immature as well as impetuous. The biggest characteristic of Romeo is that he is in love, in love with a Capulet, Juliet. This is shown when he sneaks over the dividing wall and enters Capulet territory, where he is forbidden to be due to the war between their families. He then speaks to Juliet under her balcony, where he confesses his love towards her. “With love’s light wings did I o'erperch these walls,/ For stony limits cannot hold love out,/ And what love can do, that dares love attempt./ Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me.” (II. ii. 66-69) This quote shows that Romeo is so in love with Juliet he risks his life just to see and talk to her, because if he had been seen by another Capulet, he would be killed. He also expresses that love brought him to Juliet, and that is how he found her. Throughout the play, Romeo had a impulsive behavior, where he would act without thinking. This is shown when Romeo’s friend Mercutio and Juliet’s cousin get in a fight, and Mercutio is accidentally stabbed and dies. Once this happens, Romeo without thinking twice chases Tybalt down and declares a sword fight which he would win and kill his now cousin in law (since he is now married to Juliet) Tybalt. “That late thou gavest me, for Mercutio’s soul/ Is but a little way above our heads,/ Staying for thine to keep him company./ Either thou or I, or both, must go up with him.” (III. i. 119-122) If Romeo had not sought out to kill Tybalt, but instead took a step back and thought about what he was about to do, the consequences in the future could have all been prevented. Later on the Prince banishes Romeo from Verona for killing Tybalt. Another impulsive act Romeo had was at the end of the play when he saw Juliet “dead” and decided to drink a potion which wouldn’t give him any chance of living and would instantly kill him. “The dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark!/ Here’s to my love [drinks] O true apothecary!/ Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.” (V. ii. 118-120) Because Romeo drank the poison potion without thoroughly thinking it through, he died and didn’t get to see Juliet every again because soon after she wakes up from the forty two hour coma she was put in from Friar Lawrence’s potion. That shows that Romeo was very impulsive, and would not take the time to think before he did something. In the first quote, because Romeo jumped to conclusion, fought and killed Tybalt, he got banished from Verona and no longer allowed to see Juliet. If Romeo never killed Tybalt, him and Juliet could’ve possibly convince the Capulets and Montagues to end the family feud and all to become friends, or if that didn’t work out, run away and live a longer, happier life. But because Romeo didn’t think things through he is now no longer to be with his family and his lovely wife Juliet, but there are now two dead bodies he is close to, his cousin in law, Tybalt, and his close friend, Mercutio. In the second quote when Romeo is alone with Juliets “dead” body he decides to drink the poisonous potion, without thinking twice. This impulsive act affected the people lives around him very much. Minutes after Romeo killed himself Juliet wakes up from a coma that she was put in by Friar Lawrence's’ potion. She sees a dead Romeo and a dead Paris and thinks to herself that there’s nothing else in the world to love. She then grabs Romeo’s dagger and decides to stab, and kill herself. If Romeo had never killed himself, Juliet would have woken up right next to Romeo, and they could have ran away and be happily married without anyone knowing, but instead they are now both dead. Later on when the people brought out the dead bodies of Romeo, Juliet, and Paris, Lady Montague (Romeo’s mom) saw her sons dead body, and died of a heart attack and a broken heart. All of these unfortunate events could have been prevented if Romeo had just taken a second and think about the things he’s about to do. Often times in literature characters have an impulsive behavior, and that is shown in the play, “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” with the character Romeo. If he had thought before he made his actions, the play would’ve turned out very differently, and would be a chance that him, Juliet, his beautiful wife that he loved so dearly, Tybalt, his cousin in law, Mercutio, a close friend he had, Paris, and Lady Montague, his loving mother might have lived a longer life. by: Tyler Oliveira -- contributing writer Often times in literature characters are portrayed as impulsive. The play The Tragedy Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare is one such piece. In this play there are two star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, who are from two different feuding families. Tragedy strikes when Juliet drinks a potion to fake her death, but word of the trick never reaches Romeo. This results in Romeo taking his own life by drinking a potion he got from an apothecary. Throughout the play Romeo continued to make impulsive decisions, that led to this tragic ending. Romeo is a teenager who can be described as good-looking, smart, sensitive and passionate. His passion forces him to make blind decisions that he hasn’t yet thought through. Romeo is a loyal friend and lover, and will always be devoted to his friends and family. “Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight.” (V.i.34). This is an example of Romeo being devoted. He is saying he is going to be with Juliet that night, dead in the Capulet tomb. He made this decision and nobody could have stopped him from taking the potion. At the beginning of the play he is very depressed because his first love, Rosaline, didn’t care to be around him. But, he quickly changes upon meeting Juliet. He immediately forgets about Rosaline and becomes infatuated with his new love. Romeo never once thought twice about his actions. As soon as he set his mind on something, nothing could stop him from doing it. For example, once Tybalt killed Mercutio, Romeo’s friend, he was determined to avenge Mercutio. Even his level-headed cousin, Benvolio, couldn’t make Romeo change his mind. Murdering Tybalt influenced a long chain of unfortunate events that eventually led to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. The first sign of Romeo’s impulsivity was the drastic emotional switch he made when immediately forgetting his love for Rosaline the second he met Juliet. Prior to meeting Juliet, his world was crashing down because Rosaline would not return his love. It took one love at first-sight look at Juliet for Rosaline to no longer exist in his mind. Soon after meeting Juliet, Romeo impulsively chose to jump over the Capulet wall to profess his love to her. He then proposed to her that very night and they were married the next day in a secret ceremony. After Romeo’s wedding he met up with his friend Mercutio and cousin Benvolio. In a violent exchange, Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, killed Mercutio. In his outrage, Romeo decided that he must avenge Mercutio’s death by killing Tybalt. His impulsivity also flared when he killed Paris, the man set to marry Juliet, after finding him in the Capulet chamber. Finally, when Romeo found Juliet dead in her family’s chamber, he sorrowfully took a drink of the poison he received from an apothecary. The devastation of losing Juliet was enough for Romeo to take his own life. “A dram of poison, such soon-speeding gear/ As will disperse itself through all the veins/ That the life-weary taker may fall dead”. (V.i.60-62) He chooses to do this so he could die by Juliet’s side, not knowing that she was not truly dead. Romeo’s death then led to Juliet killing herself with his dagger. The most important impulsive decision that Romeo made was avenging Mercutio, and killing Tybalt. If Romeo had not chosen to get revenge on Tybalt, he would not have been banished from Verona. If he had not have been banished he still would have been able to live a peaceful life with his new wife. Juliet might not have had to marry Paris because Romeo would have told the Capulets that they were already married, which possibly could have ended the families’ feud. But, because Romeo decided to kill Tybalt he was exiled to Mantua and never allowed to return. In his absence, Juliet was forced to marry Paris. If Romeo had listened to Benvolio he wouldn’t have fought Tybalt. If Romeo hadn't had his wedding in private the Capulet and Montague families would have understood what they were going through this would have meant that Tybalt would have known that his cousin, Juliet, was married to Romeo and they wouldn’t have gotten into a fight. Even if Romeo and Juliet had just came out together and said that they were married there would have been much fewer problems. Their families would have stopped fighting and the city of Verona would have been peaceful. Mercutio wouldn’t have died, nor would have Paris, and most importantly, Romeo and Juliet still would have been alive. In conclusion, if Romeo had not made impulsive decisions throughout the play, he might have been able to live a long and fulfilled life with his wife, and future family. His children would have be able to tell his story for generations to come. Without his impulsivity this tragedy could have had a happy ending. by: Justin Rogers -- contributing writer Often times in literature authors write about impulsive actions and how it negatively affects the story. The play of “The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare is such a piece. On the play the main characters, Romeo and Juliet fall in love, but they cannot be together because their families, the Capulets and the Montagues, are in a fight for years now. Throughout the play Romeo and Juliet fight to be together but both end up dying. Romeo’s impulsive actions negatively impact his life by taking him further from Juliet, and being banished from Verona.
Romeo is presented throughout most of the play as a passionate, loving and very determined character. After meeting Juliet at the Capulet’s party, Romeo is completely in love, so he climbs up the walls surrounding Juliet’s room and listens to her and she says her most inner thoughts out loud. Juliet talks about how being a Capulet, and Romeo a Montague, interfere their relationship. When Romeo hears Juliet he says “I take thee at thy word./ Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized/ Henceforth I never will be Romeo” ( Act I, Scene ii, 49-51). This quote reveals how passionate and determined Romeo was to get with Juliet. Romeo knew he was in enemy territory, but that did not stop him. His passion and determination took him past the high walls to Juliet. All these actions show how determined and passionate Romeo is, and that he was ready to do anything for the love of his life. Although Romeo was very passionate and loving, he would still take impulsive actions that would later on negatively impact him. After coming back from his secret wedding with Juliet, Romeo is extremely happy, but unfortunately he comes across Tybalt and Mercutio which were involved in a fight. Romeo finds out that Tybalt, his wife’s cousin killed Mercutio, which was Romeo’s good friend. Romeo’s happiness sudden changes into anger, and now Romeo’s heart is filled with fury. Romeo and Tybalt start fighting, which led to the death of Tybalt caused by Romeo. After killing Tybalt Romeo says, “O, I am fortune’s fool!”, (Act III, Scene i, 129). This quote reveals that Romeo realized that his impulsive action led him to commit a huge mistake and now he will have to face the consequences and there is no going back. Romeo is now in shock and he will later on find out the consequences of his impulsive action. After Tybalt’s death, the Prince arrives and asks Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin,what happened. Benvolio, which is a very honest young man tells the truth to the Prince. After listening to Benvolio the Prince declares that Romeo is now banished from Verona, and if he stays he will be killed. Because Romeo got punished by the Prince, and will have to flee the city, it will be even harder to be with the love of his life. Now, besides being banished from Verona, Romeo will also have to find a way to be with his wife without harming anyone else. If Romeo took a step back when he found out that Mercutio was killed and did not get into a fight with Tybalt, Tybalt would still be alive and punished, and Romeo would soon be with Juliet without having to face as many problems. In conclusion, in the play “The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare one of the main characters Romeo takes an impulsive action, which negatively affect the story. Romeo is a loving and passionate character, nevertheless he still committed bad actions, which led to a negative outcome. The murder of Tybalt made Romeo get banished from Verona and away from his wife, Juliet. By: Mariana Andrade -- contributing writer Often times in literature, characters act impulsively or don’t really think things through. Shakespeare's play, “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet,” is one such piece. Romeo and Juliet, two star-crossed lovers, declare their love for each other, although their families are mortal rivals. Problems occur and both take their lives because of their genuine love for each other. Friar Laurence’s impulsive behavior negatively impacts the lives of Romeo and Juliet and causes death, failure and sadness.
In the play, Friar Laurence is one of the spiritual advisor for Romeo, Juliet, their families and all of the citizens in Verona. He is very intelligent, respected by the people of Verona and also he has a lot of knowledge about medicinal things like plants and herbs that can cause harm or good to something living. In act two, after the balcony scene, Romeo goes to see Friar Laurence who is collecting herbs and flowers. “With baleful weeds and precious-juiced flowers. The earth that’s nature’s mother is her tomb,” (II, iii, 8-9). This shows that Friar Laurence is intelligent because he knows a lot about the flowers and herbs that can make changes to someone. He knows how to use these flowers he is collecting and their dangers and goods. Friar can make potions and other things out of these flowers and herbs to shut down someone's body like he does with Juliet, later in the play. In conclusion, Friar Laurence is an intelligent man that is trusted and respected by the people in Verona. Friar Laurence acts impulsively when he comes up with a plan for Juliet so she doesn't have to marry Paris. His plan is to put Juliet into a coma for 42 hours, using a potion he had created for her. “A thing like death to chide away this shame, That copest with death himself to scape from it; And, if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy,” (IV, i, 74-77). This shows that Friar Laurence acts impulsively, because he needs to come up with a plan fast for Juliet or she would have to marry Paris. Friar Laurence uses his first plan he comes up with, to make people think Juliet is dead, so when she wakes up from the coma, Romeo would be waiting for her at her tomb and they would run away together. But this plan doesn't work out just right and this shows that this was an impulsive decision made by Friar Laurence. In conclusion, Friar Laurence made an impulsive choice when he gave Juliet the potion. Impulsive actions can have negative consequences. Because Friar Laurence made the impulsive decision to give Juliet the potion and make people think she was dead, Romeo, Paris, Juliet and Lady Montague die. Romeo was supposed to receive a letter that says Juliet is not dead and to meet her at her tomb when she wakes up from the coma. But confusion unfolds with Romeo and Paris and both end up dead, Romeo killed Paris and Romeo takes his life to be with Juliet who he thinks is dead. Then Juliet wakes up sees her dead husband and takes her own life to be with Romeo and Lady Montague dies from heartbreak because of her dead son. All of this confusion was the result of Friar Laurence's impulsive decision to give Juliet the potion. If he didn’t give Juliet the potion he maybe could have came up with another plan so Juliet wouldn’t have to marry Paris and everyone would, possibly, still be alive and Romeo and Juliet could still be together. So in conclusion, Friar Laurence made an impulsive decision that had major negative consequences including death and heartbreak. Friar Laurence was an intelligent man who made an impulsive decision that had major consequences. If he had thought about his plan more, he would realize it would be a huge risk to go through with this plan. He could have made a better plan so that Romeo and Juliet could still be together and no one would die. In conclusion, characters make impulsive decisions that can have major negative consequences. Friar Laurence’s impulsive behavior negatively impacts the lives of Romeo and Juliet and causes death, failure and sadness. By: Nick Wright -- contributing writer Learning how to play an instrument, in this case the ukulele, can benefit a person and
improve their lives in many ways. Studies show that this increases the capacity of your memory, teaches you patience and perseverance, and includes many more benefits. Not only that, but knowing how to play an instrument is very enjoyable. Learning the basics to playing ukulele is not as difficult as it seems. This guide shows a few basic steps for beginners that are easy to follow and remember. Step 1: Choose a ukulele. As you may already know, there are different types and styles of ukulele. The most noticeable and used are: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. There are many factors to keep in mind while choosing your uke. You can choose by size (smallest- soprano, largest- baritone; in respective order mentioned above), sound (higher timbre/tone- soprano, lowest timbre/tone- baritone), or price. Although you may choose to your liking, it is more recommended to buy/use a soprano ukulele if you are a beginner. Step 2: Know the parts of your ukulele. This instrument has many parts to it, but there are four that are the most important and you should know: the body, neck/fretboard, head/tuning keys, and the four strings. Body: the bottom, hollow wooden part. It makes up of most of the instrument. The body has a hole under the strings above which you strum. Neck/Fretboard: the neck is the long wooden piece that sticks out of the body and is underneath the strings. Although the neck “makes up” the whole wooden piece, it is actually known as the rounded bottom part. The top part of the neck is called the fretboard. The frets on the fretboard are sections of the fingerboard divided by metal strips that go across fretboard, perpendicular to it. Each fret corresponds to a different note or pitch for each string. Head/Tuning Keys: the head is the top part of the uke. The tuning keys are located here; they stick out from behind or on the sides of the head. They hold the strings, and as the name suggests, are used to tune the uke by turning them. The Four Strings: there is not much explanation, as the name says it all. Although, it is good to know that, depending on the type of ukulele you buy, they may be different. The lowest or thickest string is known as the 1st string, moving upwards to the highest or thinnest string which is the 4th string. Step 3: Tune your ukulele. Your ukulele will most likely not be in tune when you first buy it. To tune the ukulele, you have to twist the tuning keys on the head. With time the strings will need to be tightened more often, as they lose tension. To have the correct tuning, you can buy an electric tuner or use an app (or website) that helps you tune your strings and make sure they are not sharp or flat. If you do not tune your ukulele properly, you will not be content with the sounds it makes and will not be able to play the songs you wish to, since they do not have the correct notes/tuning. Another thing to keep in mind is getting the closest you can to pitch perfect for each string. Tuners will help you make sure they are the closest they can be to pitch perfect and the needle (or whatever it is) will align with the note you are looking for. If you do not do this, and leave a string(s) a little sharp or flat, you might notice the sound to be slightly off and it can be very bothersome. Step 4: Correct posture for playing. If you are sitting or standing, you should always use the same posture and hold your ukulele the same way. The uke should be between your right forearm and your body, resting in the crook of your elbow. The ukulele should be held near your waist or chest. The neck of the uke should be resting on the thumb and web of your left hand. This lets you reach around with your other four fingers and touch all strings. You should have your back and shoulders straight, not hunched. You will have a better appearance when playing and reduce the amount of pain and tension in your back. This is the recommended posture even if you are left-handed, but you may feel uncomfortable and wish to strum with your left hand. If this is the case, please search ukuleles or postures that are specifically for left-handed people. If you do not use and develop the correct posture, you may feel uncomfortable, not get a good sound from the uke, and potentially harm your wrists and/or back over time. Step 5: Chords. Knowing how to play simple but important and most used chords is key to ultimately being able to play uke. Now, to play chords you must know the correct fingering. You can learn the fingering for each chord by searching online, through an app, or by asking someone with experience. The simplest chords are minor and major chords (note: if you do not know about minor and major chords, you might want to search/learn about them!). A note to keep in mind is that there exists different fingering for each chord. This may depend on which fret you start on. Once these chords are mastered, you can move on to more complex chords such as 7th, suspended, and many more. Step 6: Strumming. This might be the easiest part of playing. You can use a ukulele pick or use your fingers to strum, the latter being the most common way of playing. If you use your fingers, you should use your nails to strum down, and the fleshy part of fingertips to strum upwards. When strumming, try not to do it above the hole in the center of body, but instead higher, near the fretboard. If you are playing a certain song, you might want to listen the original and pay attention to the strumming (if there is a guitar or ukulele) or pay attention to when chords change in the background of the song. If you do this, you can play on your own, without the song, and have the correct strumming or strumming that is similar and would fit the song. With some patience and good use of these steps, learning the basics of playing ukulele will be very easy. The basic major/minor chords are easy to learn and play. Once you know these chords, you can play a lot songs that you know and love. You can even write your own songs if you want! Once you have mastered the basics, you will be able to play ukulele, and then go onto harder things. Not only is playing ukulele entertaining, but it is good for the soul, can benefit you in a lot of ways, and may even improve your life! By: Daniela Velasco Ardilla -- contributing writer |
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June 2019
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