Are Romeo And Juliet Still Relevant Today

Every day, a new teenager's future is decided by their parents without their decision when they are pressured into marrying somebody who they have never met. Forced marriage is a controversial issue that affects young teenagers all around the world because it is arranged and decided by the couple 's parents and relatives based on family ties and traditions. It lacks the freedom of loving somebody of their will and they rebel against their family which could sometimes lead to being trapped into a cycle of abuse by families or spouses. The story of Romeo and Juliet is still relevant today after centuries because marriages are still forcefully arranged, teenagers still lack their freedom and rebel against their families, love still makes adolescents

Throughout the play both of their recklessness and rebelliousness is shown as they are committed to each other even if they have to go against their families just like teenagers today. Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other was so strong that they considered giving up their names in order to be together. In Scene 2 of Act 2 Juliet says, “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and i’ll no longer be a Capulet''. The quote shows how committed Juliet is to her love to the point she would give up her last name and abandon her entire family name if that meant staying with Romeo for the rest of her life which she decides without thinking about it. As the story continues, Romeo and Juliet make reckless decisions quickly without thinking about the consequences in the future. In the play, they get married after only knowing the other for only a day. Teens today also make rash decisions like doing drugs. They are also rebellious towards their parents. Romeo and Juliet go against their parents by being with the “enemy.” They also lie to their parents about where they are going. Teens today also go against their parents by sneaking out to a party or lying that they are at a friend's house when they are really somewhere else. Teenagers now and centuries ago were also the

For example, if a devout Muslim wanted to marry a Christian, there could be problems between their families. If a poor boy from the ghetto wanted to marry a rich girl from a higher class of society, there would be criticism and judgment especially from their families. According to a true story titled On The Run, author Jane Shilling states, “Ali fell in love with his childhood friend. He asked her to marry him, but she told him it was impossible: they came from different tribes with a centuries-old tradition of mutual hostility.” This story shows how the hostility and feud itself reveals the poison caused by meaningless hatred, as families continue to hate each other even after centuries. Just like how Romeo and Juliet couldnt express their love for each other because of the old feud of both their families, Ali and Zakia couldn't do the same thing. Even centuries later, stories like this continue to be an experience for many others across the world. As much as we want to think that our world has slowly changed and is getting rid of the division that creates this hostility, it has not and this division will always be