Megan Matheson Sarah French ENG 161 7 June 2016 The Relevance of Romeo and Juliet In Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, “two households, both alike in dignity, [i]n fair Verona, where we lay our scene, [f]rom ancient grudge break to new mutiny, [w]here civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes [a] pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life” (V.3.296-300). The tragic death of Romeo and Juliet could have been prevented if not for the Montague and Capulets expendable feud. This play is relevant to our society today because of the issue of meaningless hate and committing irrational acts of physical and/or verbal abuse just because that is how it’s always been. Racism, sexism, and homophobia are three major conflicts …show more content…
You cannot control who your family is or your heritage, which is essentially what is happening in Romeo and Juliet. These two teenagers are in love and are trying to be together but, are forced to be separated due to their familys eternal rivalry. There is no need for the continuous grudge and the Montagues and Capulets do not even know why they are still continuing to feud. By not being rational, they are jeopardizing the happiness of their children which should be a top priority. In one of the most famous scenes in the play Juliet is on the balcony and speaks the lines, “[d]eny thy father and refuse thy name, [o]r if thou wilt not, be sworn my love, [a]nd I’ll no longer be a Capulet (2.1.74-78). Juliet is willing to give up her family for Romeo because the constant fighting is …show more content…
It should not be tolerated but, unfortunately, there are still many issues involving things people refuse to understand. If somebody wants to live their life authentically and true to themselves, they should be allowed. People should not have a right to voice their opinions if it is going to emotionally or physically damage another human being. Refusing to allow Romeo and Juliet to see each other, inevitably caused their death (5.3.88-120), in which their parents recognized after the fact that the feud no longer needed to continue. By this time it was already too late because Romeo and Juliet had already taken their lives. It was an innocent romance and they did not see each other in the eyes their family members saw them. They saw each other for who they truly were, without the baggage of family names or history. Life should not be so difficult for people to be themselves and love who they love. Outside influences should not matter if there is no harm or damage done to