Romeo and Juliet are young, and foolish. Romeo rushes into things and appears to be in search of love whereas Juliet is young and naïve and easily seduced by his charm. These two confused lovers played a major roll in the deaths of both Tybalt and Mercutio and the final grieving of the Montagues and Capulets. Romeo and Juliet cause tremendous grief by their own deaths, however there are situations beyond their control that also contribute to the suffering in the play.
Calling Romeo and Juliet foolish may even be generous. Just consider Romeo’s behavior during our first introduction to him. He describes his love for Rosaline in a way which suggests that he’s in love with the idea of love, rather than actually in love. He only really can be described as a foolish, young boy. He’s immaturity and he’s attitude to love gets the better of him, which proves to traumatize his future. He seems to be in search of love and at such a young age it is plain stupidity! He overacts and rushes into things hardly giving himself time to think realistically. At first sight of Juliet Romeo pronounces, “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” He is basically telling us that he is in love, or thinks he is, with a beautiful girl that he doesn’t know. This verifies Friar Lawrence’s statement towards Romeo “Young mens love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.” The Friar finds it very difficult to trust Romeo’s love, or as he calls doting and we could call it lust, considering he had so quickly moved on from Rosaline who he claimed to be in love with a short while ago. And of course the other obvious doubting question, can someone love someone from sight that they don’t even know? Romeo’s tendency to rush things is shown to us when he proposes to Juliet four hours after he first saw her. The two young lovers are aware of the consequences and the harmful dishonesty their marriage...