Thursday, June 12, 2014

Why has Romeo & Juliet stood the test of time and is still read today?

Romeo and Juliet has stood the test of time like all of Shakespeare's work because he was an expert at analyzing what makes us human.  Generation after generation relate to Shakespeare because his work speaks of what drives life: love, hate, revenge, loss, greed, power, ambition, and so on.

Romeo and Juliet, a tragic love story, a tale of miscommunication and prejudice is relevant in today's society.  Romeo and Juliet could not marry openly with the approval of their families, because they were enemies.  So the two young lovers offer themselves in an act of ultimate sacrifice, death. 

The story is so urgently full of the images of young love and passion that I can remember seeing the 1971 version in the movie theater.  It was a big hit.  Romeo is the archetype for the perfect boyfriend/husband, total devotion and love, expressing his great love for Juliet with such poetry.  Juliet, on the other hand is so in love with her Romeo, every girl dreams of having a Juliet-moment in life,  that she would rather die than live without him. The passion of young love taken to the extreme, no thought of anything else, how their parents will feel once they die.   

The story is universally appealing to anyone who believes in romantic love.  All that deception and sneaking around, it is a wonderful example of teenage rebellion.  It never goes out of style!

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