Shoutbox

“Romeo and Juliet” is a classical 16th century Shakespeare play. However does it merely reflect the lives of the 16th century, or can the play replicate our lives we inhabit today, in the 21st century? Numerous people believe Shakespeare’s plays have no place in today’s academic studies. But I hope to persuade you that this is not so, that the themes and extraordinary poetic brilliance still have a definite position in today’s narrative society. By focusing on the language used, the historical features of the society and the thematic influences.

The story commences with the conflict between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s.-

Prologue:

“Two households, both alike in dignity, in Fair Verano, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean”

The immense grudge between two families confined great hatred, but amongst the animosity, the force of love was flourishing between the young children, “Romeo and Juliet”. The feuding of the families was the whole reason for the ultimate tragedy, they should have reconciled their differences years before. The reasons for their fighting seems unknown. Just as so many people believe that the USA was so wrong about invading Iraq, they belived there was no significant reason and subsequently so many people perished.

Juliet’s father wishes for her to marry Paris, a rich handsome young man. This shows that he wants Juliet to be happy and have a secure future, quote.

Act 1 scene 1-Capulet:

“She’s the hopeful lady of my earth
But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
My will to her consent is but a part”.

Although Juliet’s father believed he needed to improve her social standing by her marrying Paris, his superior social class would provide prestige and money. This is also apparent today; fathers are often very protective and wish the best for their children. Although some of the ways in which Juliet’s father displayed these motives to her, the intention always remains indistinguishable, that he sought after her having a secure and blissful future. This connection shows that parents still want the best for their children and will go to extreme lengths to acquire this. Some parents spend thousands for private tuition just to enhance the intelligence of their children, believing this will broaden their social reputation and enable them to become a superior character within society. Some execute such an activity as they believe that if the children are respected then this will improve other peoples opinions of them as parents, so this can be done for the Children or often just for the honour and selfishness of the parents. Honour is one of the main reasons that Juliet’s father attempts to marry Juliet to Paris, because he wishes to retain his honour as he had promised Paris the hand of Juliet

Some societies today still believe that women are completely inferior and although the aspect of having to get forcedly married is dying out in today’s western society and culture since there is wide spread promiscuity, some cultures like Pakistan and other religions still have this regulation. People in the 16th century used to interpret bible passages or twist them to indicate that women are inferior. When juliet disobays these regulations her father is enraged because he believes he is trying to do the best for her and she is shown disrespecting him.

Act 3  scene 5 -Capulet:

'Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch!
I tell thee what: get thee to church a' Thursday,
Or never after look me in the face..
And you be mine I'll give you to my friend...'


The themes of death and violence permeate Romeo and Juliet, and they are always connected to passion, whether that passion is love or hate. The connection between hate, violence, and death seems obvious. Like the  overwhelming passionate love connecting Romeo and Juliet and the pure hatred between the “The Montagues” and “the Capulets”. But the connection between love and violence requires further investigation. Although we are not told exactly what it was the started this conflict it could be for many reasons, for example; religious, territorial, financial, imperialism. But mainly due to stereotypes, Some members of the Capulet’s and Montague’s have never even met and yet they hate each other. Why? Because of a person's last name. This is also extremely reflective of how some people stereotype others and due to this stereotyping they often ending up hating them, this can be damaging in a society. For example, some naive people often dislike Germans due to their past Nazi history, although its more apparant that the Germans themselves detest their unscrupulous history more than anyone. So it is clear that the stereotyping of people can often lead to more conflict and hatred.

This can reflect other conflicts such as the extract:

“The police handling of the inquiry into the murder of a 15-year-old is to be independently investigated.

Jessie James was shot dead in Raby Street, Moss Side, on 9 September.”

This vicious attack seems to be the result of this child merely entering a rival gang land territory, similar to the numerous brawls the two gangs have within Romeo and Juliet, of which ends up Tybalt murdering Mercutio .This shows the similarities of how vindictive people can be when it comes to pride and honour.

It seems such attacks always commence subsequent to some variety of taunt, this demonstrates similarities linking the “biting of thumbs”, which was the taunt used from one rival to the other in the “Romeo and Juliet”.

Act 1 scene 1

Sampson:
'Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them, which is disgrace to them if the bear it.

Abram:
Do you bite your thumb at us, Sir?

Where as today equal taunts can reflect the same significance for example, displaying the “middle finger” to another, can often be a sign of disrespect or taunt. Other phrases can be used as a taunt in modern society as apparant also in Romeo and Juliet.

In Shakespeare time, the “nobles” used Iambic pentameter where as the poor used prose. In this day and age this  sort of stereotype is still apparent. Some examples of this superior / inferior language is.
-Using stereotypes of – “the royal family” against the stereotype of- “poor Londoner” these 2 sentences give evidence that the “poorer” of the 2 uses inferior lingual structure.

The Royal Family- “Has the time come upon us of whom we will be requiring an afternoon beverage”

Poor Londoner- “Get us a cuppa!”
Although these two examples are quite extreme it can be shown in a smaller scale….

The greater socially challenged the person may be, the more inferior his/her vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling, reading etc will be. In the majority of scenarios, although there are always going to be exceptions. So there is a great similarity between the lingual usages of the different types of classes in the society.

Throughout the play there are many sacrafices, Romeo and Juliet were willing to sacrifice their relationship with their families in order to be together. Tragicly at the end of the play, both Romeo and Juliet sacrafice their own lives because they believe they can not live without the other.

Act 5 scene 3- Juliet:

“ Go get thee hense, for i will not away
What’s here? A cup clos’d in my true love’s hand?
Poison i see hath been his timeless end.
O churl, drunk all, and left no friends drop
To help me after? I will kiss thy lips,
Haply some poison yet doth hand on them,
To make me die with a restorative.
Thy lips are warm”

“ Yea, noise? Then i’ll be breif. O happy dagger,
This is thy sheath”

These sacraficial acts are so comparable to others in todays civilization, people today perform human sacrifice, in the context of religious ritual, although this often only occurs in some traditional religions, for example in muti killings in Eastern Africa. There are less extreme sacrafices that people have to make every day, be it for you who gets the prefered outcome, or you who makes the sacrafice as to improve someone elses equities.

Furthermore, it is apparent that there is a clear connection and relevance relating “Romeo and Juliet” to the 21st century and although this play displayed immense romantic thematic, not exactly boy/girl love but nonetheless you can explore the theme of undying commitment as being a prevalent idea in Romeo and Juliet and apply it to this example.