Romeo and Juliet: a true tragedyAn Aristotelian tragedy consists of several different aspects. The main characters contain a tragic flaw, or hamartia, which contributes to their loss of self-esteem. Additionally, the audience experiences pity and fear evoked by Shakespeare throughout the duration of the play. Then the characters suffer a catastrophe at the end of the tragedy, in which they meet a tragic and horrible death. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a true Aristotelian tragedy because both Romeo and Juliet possess a tragic flaw, a catastrophe occurs in which both characters meet a tragic death and the audience is aroused by pity and fear. The tragic impetuosity of Romeo's flaw causes him to make decisions quickly, which contributes to his tragic death. Romeo acts hastily when he marries Juliet, not after having known her for at least twenty-four hours. Juliet tells Romeo: “It is too rash, too imprudent, too sudden, / Too like lightning” (II, ii, 118-120). We can see that even Juliet recognizes Romeo's impetuosity and wonders if they are moving their relationship forward too quickly and hastily. Romeo allows his anger to guide his actions, which gets him into trouble several times throughout the play. An example of this is immediately after Tybalt kills Mercutio. Romeo is so devastated by his friend's death that he doesn't think clearly and acts impulsively. Normally, Romeo would not have attacked Tybalt but he is angered by Mercutio's death and seeks revenge. Romeo regrets killing Tybalt and even he recognizes his fault when he says, “Oh, I am a fool of fortune!” » (III, I, 132). Romeo realizes that he should not have attacked Tybalt and that the consequences would be serious. Last but not least, Romeo... middle of paper ...... feels pity and fear for Romeo and Juliet throughout the play. Without a doubt, Romeo and Juliet is a true Aristotelian tragedy because it contains hamartia, catharsis and tragic catastrophe. Works Cited Ingram, Martin. “Love, sex and marriage”. Shakespeare. Ed. Stanley Wells and LenaCowen Orlin. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. 115-125. McManus, Barbara F. “Overview of Aristotle's Theory of Tragedy in POETICS.” » CLS267: Greek tragedy. November 1999. College of New Rochelle. May 19, 2010. .Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. Ed. Kate Kinsella et al. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2002. 770-874. Thrasher, Thomas. Understanding Romeo and Juliet. San Diego: Lucent Books, 2001.