Fickle Passion with Consequences Extreme passion leads to irrational actions with horrible consequences. The indecisive and fervent whims concerning love and the human heart are often selfish and fickle. For victims of love, destruction is often inevitable. In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, unrequited love forces Romeo and Juliet to commit suicide, as neither believes it is possible to continue living without the other. Both, after mere days of despair, elation, deception and sorrow, were finally torn from their lives by their love. Shakespeare develops a similar view through Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Helena is able to recognize love as a volatile creature, but with uncontrollable power over the heart. The fleeting nature of love is channeled through deception and dark judgment. Although seemingly constant, love changes on impulse to align with wanton desire. In Act I, Scene 2, of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is presented as a classic Petrarchan lover, pinned on the beautiful Rosaline, who has sworn to be chaste. Although Benvolio tries to convince Romeo to seek other women, he swears that he will never love another woman. However, a few hours later, he pledges his love to Juliet at the Capulet ball. After telling the brother about his new love for Juliet, the sensible brother exclaims: “Saint Francis! What a change there is here! Rosaline, whom you loved so dearly, is she so quickly abandoned? The love of young men therefore does not really reside in their hearts, but in their eyes. Jesus Maria! What a briny affair You washed your yellowish cheeks for Rosaline! » (II.iii.65-70) The friar attempts to illustrate Romeo's instantaneous transition from Rosaline to Juliet. His mention of ... middle of paper ... also meets a quick and fiery end, compared to the reaction between fire and gunpowder. Although unable to control their feelings for each other, Romeo and Juliet are entirely responsible for the methods and decisions they made, as well as the consequences of their actions. Their passion and dedication are admirable, but sadly misguided. The line between love and hate is blurred in Romeo and Juliet, with extreme passion often leading to sacrificing love or hate in the name of another. This parallel is a precursor to the nature of love and its appeal to human nature. The selfish desires of humanity are satisfied by the indulgence of a capricious love which, when underestimated, will not hesitate to prey on the evil desires of the human soul. Works Cited Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare