The Relevance that the Study of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet has to the Modern World - Assignment Example

 Shakespeare talks about common themes in all of his plays. When we say common, they can be used through time. There are two sets of themes used in this play which are important to today's world: social power and family order. Social power means the differences among important families, tribes, and gangs and how it interferes or helps with the social order. Family order involves the differences between the family's beliefs, religion and culture and how these beliefs affect Society. These themes are addressed in the play. Examples will be quoted and shown how they play a part in the modern world.     Whether it be 2 families or two tribes or a group of people, hatred exists because of a various of reasons. Shakespeare never gives an explanation of why the Capulet and Montague hate . In the Prologue, the families, their servants and friends start in a street fight, "from ancient grudge break new mutiny" (p.31). In Act 1 scene 1 the servants don't even know why they are fighting. The insulting image of showing the thumb is inviting one to a fight. Sampson "I will show myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the men I will be civil with the maids and cut off their heads"(line25-26,Act1.1,p.32) Shakespeare's point is to show that old grudges are often without reason. They are the start of problems in ethnic tribal wars, religious wars and in border conflicts. The initial reason is often forgotten or based on unimportant fact. Act1 Scene1, the opening scene shows how the two families hate each other. Everyone gets involve including Lord Capulet and Montague. No one gets hurt. There are a lot of bad feelings and insults of women and families as already mentioned. Benvolio is a peacemaker. Tybalt hates the word peace "What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word". (line 15, Act1.1, p 34) Act3 Scene1 It was hot and miserable outside. Mercutio was hot headed (mercury). He picked a fight with the Capulet, Tybalt who hated peace. "Come sir, your passado" (Act3.1,p 82). "Hold Tybalt, good Mercutio". Tybalt went and stabbed Mercutio. Romeo: "Mercutio slain away to heaven...Either thou or I, or both, must go with him."(Actt3.1,p84) Romeo kills Tybalt. Romeo: O I am fortune's fool.(p 84) Prince: "And for that offence , immediatly we do exile him hence". (p86) Romeo was exiled from Verona which is the same thing as being dead. Both these scenes represent two stages in the theory of hate: going from verbal abuse to passing to violence. We can learn from Shakespeare that the stages of hate are universal. Romeo's compulsive behaviour is also the way gangs behave.   When the Prince arrives in ActIII Scene1 to break up the fight, he is doing it to resolve an immediate problem of keeping peace and order. In modern day police, law and order is used for non violent fights and crimes. Hate crime, gang fighting and council violence have become a science which is studied so it can be identified at the beginning before the violent crime is performed. Nurse: "Tybalt is gone and Romeo banished, Romeo that kill'd him, he is banished (Act3.2 p89) Romeo:  ".....What love can do, that dares love attempt?.....".(Act2.2,p61)" Romeo and Juliet's feelings and emotions are universal for two people in love. As they were young and inexperienced, their passion was strong . Juliet was ashamed that she showed too much of her true self and her feelings to Romeo. "Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face; else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek." (Act2.2,p61) The rebellion of wanting to get married the next day would be translated as going out without a parent's permission or the first sexual encounter. The first love is strong and without limits. Throughout history, it was common to gain social status by choosing the right spouse for their child. Love was of little or no value. Marriage were often by child brides . Lady Capulet: "How stands your disposition to be married? It is an honour that I dream not of". (Act1.3,p45) She was only 12 or 14 years old. She was to go to a party that night to see what she thought of Paris. In Act 3 Scene 4, her father gave her hand to the County Paris in Paris to be planned in the same week. Lady Capulet: "Marry my child, early next Thursday morn, the gallant young, and noble gentleman, the county Paris..shall happily make thee there a joyful bride". (Act 3.5, p103) Juliet: "I will not marry yet, and when I do, I swear it shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, rather than Paris, these are news indeed"(p103-104) She did not want to marry Paris. Her father refused any discussion. There was no room for argument. Juliet was in love, she was married and she was not a virgin. She could not obey her parents.. Shakespeare was ironically putting forth the sadness of planned marriages. In different cultures, marriage is treated very differently. Young girls are sold as child brides for poor families to earn some money. Different tribes in Africa use brides as gifts among tribes. In different religions, there are strict rules regulating the contact a girl has with a boy before marriage. It is often decided between families which couple can unite. Love is considered a feeling that develops over time. Western cultures are more open but divorce is high.. Romeo and Juliet would never have been given the freedom of marrying secretly. Noted that Shakespeare often wrote for the masses, this idea would have been romantic. The friar was paid by royalty, he would never have done anything so irresponsible. Juliet was called a "maiden" which means she was an adolescent. Adolescents do behave irresponsibly but to such an extent as not to see the drastic consequences. He couldn't climb up the "cords" each night. I think Shakespeare was laughing again. Their behaviour was realistic but not well thought out. A modern teenager has more liberty to behave more irrationally than 400 years ago. The options are more open. Teenagers do not need to get married to have sexual gratification or rebel against their parents. In Shakespeare's time, the options of rebellion against one's parents were limited. Modern teenagers rebel; it is the most important part of adolescence. This period of their life is important that it is used against their parents because it is a period of trial and error. Without having the security of a strong mother and father figure, a teenager would make mistakes in the external world. The consequences would be dangerous towards their growth.   The prince broke up the battle in Act1 Scene1 to stop the public turmoil. Keeping peace for the action is not taking care of the initial problem. The question of why is not being answered. When he exiled Romeo, he again decided to ignore the problem as to why he responded without thinking ; and why he refused to challenge Tybalt to an initial fight. The prince did nothing to bring peace. If modern police work did not try to find out why people did crimes, they would never be able to find solutions to crimes. Friar Lawrence was hoping that the elders of the Capulets and the Montegues would see past the family grudge and see how stupid it was to keep continuing. Why was Shakespeare showing us this but to tell us that there were other motivations in keeping apparent grudges: economical benefits. The tragic death of Romeo and Juliet brought a truce between the two families. It is often in bad times that problems are resolved. A double suicide in today's world would never be used to join two "families". We are no longer required to marry in order to live together or to prove a point. Children and adolescents have more control in order to be so impulsive. They also have more liberty to express their needs. With all the hatred and bad feelings between two families, a Capulet and a Montague still fall in love. The lovers, Romeo and Juliet, are young people who would be considered adolescents today. Shakespeare shows that they have not had the time in their lives to learn to hate other than what they have learned from their families. " Family names are important but as Juliet says, "What's in a name? that which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet" (Act2,sc2,p60).  Shakespeare wrote for the people addressing important themes which would keep his audience interested. His ideas are good for today. The Montegue and Capulet families represent part of today's society. Their street fights go on today. It is in human nature for young men to group together and to fight. A prince, or a judge who gives a verdict has not changed. Arranged marriages differ across the globe. They still exist and are not always legal. They are used to gain social status but also to earn money in a poor family. We have more to give to our children today than the Capulets could give to Juliet. Our children have more to rebel against. Juliet could only rebel by falling in love and running away to get married. Peace is a result of conflict as in most wars. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet will be part of our literary studies for many more centuries. The themes are universal and can be traced from the Bible to our times. The relevance of Shakespeare can be applied to today. Copy of Romeo and Juliet Pengiun Popular Classics, 1994 Read More