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Essay On Arranged Marriage In Romeo And Juliet

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Arranged Marriage; It’s So 16th Century
Arranged marriage is a fairly controversial subject, but how is it linked to Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’?
As much as even the most cultured person would like to think arranged marriage is in the past, there are still many cultures and countries today that consider this a tradition. It just so happened that on a beautiful, sunny Wednesday last week, I was scrolling through my news feed. Instantly, an article titled ‘Forced Marriage’ grabbed my attention.
This news article reported that unbeknownst to a vulnerable young girl from South Asia, her wicked parents had made the decision to arrange a marriage with her male cousin. She did not see eye to eye with her parent’s malicious decision – rightfully so! – and refused. However, her disagreement wasn’t looked lightly upon. Abuse from the family ensued, especially after her secret relationship with a boy was discovered.
Reading this outrageous story made me feel much heartache for the poor girl. However, as much as it turned my lovely morning upside down, for some reason I couldn’t shake the sense of familiarity this tragedy had brought me. It was only last night that the answer hit me. As I cleaned my bookcase, I pulled out none other than my old copy of Shakespeare’s misfortunate romance: Romeo and Juliet.
Whether you’ve watched the Baz Luhrmann film, seen Zeffirelli’s recreation or studied Shakespeare’s play write, you’d know that the entire story of Romeo and Juliet is based upon
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