Jack Hauser Period 1 The classic play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is timeless. Arguably one of the most beautiful love stories of all time, it continues to capture and inspire readers everywhere. Regardless of the fact that it was written back in the 1500’s, it is still being performed today. There are a number of reasons for this boundless continuance. For starters, the play’s everlasting themes of love and hate enable people to deeply relate to the story. This applies especially to teenagers, who are often caught up in a whirlwind of emotional relationships at such a stage in their lives. Secondly, its multitude of memorable characters leaves a deep imprint on the minds of readers. Lastly, above all, Shakespeare constantly uses magnificent language which many writers today regard in awe. …show more content…
People can closely relate to the themes that are the basis of the play, such as love and hate, along with life and death. For example, there is ill-fated love between Romeo and Juliet from the very beginning. In the prologue, it says, “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life” (5-6). This line conveys the fact that Romeo and Juliet are doomed in their love life because they come from rival families. Furthermore, later on the play, there is the death of Romeo’s dear friend Mercutio and his enemy Tybalt. Juliet proceeds to mourn not only for the death of Tybalt, but even more so when she learns that Romeo has been banished from Verona for murdering him. These ideas, combined with the hints of teenage rebellion we see from the two lovers every so often enable the contemporary audience to relate themselves with the