Act 5, Scene 3: Stoppable Suicides

Prompt A
One theme in this act is suicide, and how Romeo and Juliet are thinking of suicide up until they actually commit it. This reminds me of the article we read in class about suicide and how to recognize the symptoms of someone thinking of committing suicide. Both Romeo and Juliet showed many symptoms that we read about, and people in the play, such as Balthasar, may have been able to stop it. It is really sad to think how if Romeo had waited just a few more minutes, Juliet would have woken up and all of the deaths could have been prevented. Signs of suicide shown by Romeo (from the document that we read) are "talking about suicide, seeking lethal means, getting affairs in order, and sudden sense of calm." Romeo even says, before he kills himself, "How oft when men are at the point of death/Have they been merry which their keepers call/A lightening before death! Oh, how may I/Call this a lightening?" This connects to real life and how people need to be aware if someone close to them is thinking of committing suicide. Knowing these symptoms is very important and could have helped the characters in the play as well as helping people through everyday life in the real world.