Is Romeo and Juliet still relevant today?

Keep in mind that the main thrust of Romeo and Juliet is not the forbidden love, but the senseless feud between the Montagues and Capulets. Pay close attention to the Prologue to Act 1:

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;
Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

At the end of the play, the Prince makes this blatantly clear: 

Where be these enemies? Capulet! Montague!
See what a scourge is laid upon your hate,
That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love.
And I for winking at your discords too
Have lost a brace of kinsmen. All are punish’d. (V.3.296-300)

In other words, the feud itself is the problem being addressed; the death of the lovers is merely a symptom of that problem. 

So yes, of course the play is relevant today, as it demonstrates the social poisons caused by meaningless hatred, as feuds tend to become over time. In the case of Romeo and Juliet, the Capulets and Montagues are fighting because of some "ancient grudge"; we aren't told why. We know, however, that their children--who certainly weren't around when the grudge began--and their servants hate the opposing houses, the opposing children, and the opposing servants. Again, none of them know why. They have merely inherited their hatred. 

Consider, now, current situations in which ancient hatred is still inherited, where peoples hate and kill because "that's the way it's always been." Racism in America. Arabs and Jews. Yes...we have much to learn from this example of what comes of meaningless hatred. 

Of course it is. Let me give you a few reasons why. There will always be forbidden love in our world. This is especially so, because our world is still very divided in terms of religion, race, and class. 

For example, if a religious Jew wanted to marry a Gentile, there might be tension. If a devout Muslim wanted to marry a Christian, again there might be a tension. If a poor boy from the ghetto wanted to marry a rich girl from the upper crust of society, there might be strictures. As much as we like to think that the world has progressed, it has not. There will always be division and conflict. And whenever these divisions exist, love that crosses these divides may cause problems. 

Second, as long as people fall in love, the play will have a foothold in our hearts. Love and passion of youth are things that we all experience or perhaps want to experience. 

Finally, the play also celebrates what it means to be young. We will always have young people. 

For all of these reasons, the Romeo and Juliet will live on and be relevant. 

I agree that it is still relevant. The impulses of young lovers who still take dangerous risks are evident , even in this day and age. Youth cannot seem to see past the here and now, and when they are denied being together, they feed off each other, and many run away or take other rash actions all in the name of love. While the family feuds are less prevalent in this day and time, other factors still exist that prevent teenage couples from being allowed to be together.

My first impulse was to simply say, "Yes," but I'll resist that temptation. Yes, the play is still relevant. Some culture or period specific elements of it don't apply. We do not, for example, usually wall up our young women, or, as a rule, choose who they will marry (though that happens sometimes). However, the larger issues do still apply. There will always be love that is forbidden in some way—by parents, society, etc.—and there will always be young lovers who are electrified by one another's sight, touch, etc., and risk all for that love.

Greg

Although William Shakespeare's famous play, Romeo and Juliet, is set several centuries ago, I think many of its themes are still quite relevant to the lives and interests of young people today. Let's consider some of the major dynamics of the play:

• Romeo and Juliet come from feuding families and are essentially forbidden to be together.
• Juliet's parents want to secure her future by marrying her to the well-off Paris.
• Romeo and Juliet are young adults who wish to establish their independence and find happiness.

I think modern-day teenagers can relate to some extent to each of these situations. Many young people want things their parents have forbidden, and are willing to go to extreme lengths to experience their heart's desires. Part of this willingness is because young adults are bridging the time and responsibilities of childhood and adulthood; at this age, they're supposed to be trying to make decisions for themselves. At the same time, parents believe they have their children's best interests at heart and may make a decision they feel is appropriate even if it means upsetting their children.

As for the grand theme of love, I think love regularly makes fools of people of all ages. If nothing else, perhaps teenagers can relate to Romeo and Juliet's passion for one another and recognize that repeating their decisions of faking their deaths and running away is not a good idea.

Romeo and Juliet remains a popular love story that has been re-created in films and referenced in other works and parodies. For many high school students, the play is their first exposure to the works of Shakespeare. While the original play uses English from Shakespeare's time, the story is relatively easy to follow and one that many high school students can understand. Though the ending is not positive for the lovers, some high school students can relate to loving someone that does not meet their family's approval.

There are also many cautionary tales in Romeo and Juliet as well. One is that love is a powerful force that can make people lose their sense of reason with tragic results. Another is that sometimes innocent people get hurt whenever rival factions hate each other. Romeo and Juliet are the heroes of the story despite their age and inexperience.

Romeo and Juliet is also culturally relevant due to its popularity. Most people are aware of the story even if they are not students of English literature. The couple is famous, even though their relationship was ultimately short-lived. The play is also a model for other aspiring playwrights. The young couple are the central characters, and one knows what they are thinking through their soliloquies.

The play has comic relief in Mercutio. Romeo has a friend in Benvolio. Tybalt serves as a villain for his temper, but he symbolizes the hate between the two families. The supporting cast provides side stories to the romance between Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare realized that he needed these other characters to appeal to a wide audience. Most playwrights and screenwriters of romantic plays and movies today have taken this same approach by creating interesting characters to go along with the romantic leads.

Romeo and Juliet is culturally relevant for a lot of reasons.

One reason that the play continues to be relevant is due to the fact that the general story line has been subjected to a number of retread covers of it. The base idea, that two young people from two different sides of a conflict meet and fall in love with each other, is an extremely common popular culture motif. West Side Story is essentially a musical version of Romeo and Juliet. Grease could fit that bill too, but it doesn't end as tragically. Titanic is Romeo and Juliet on a ship. Avatar is a science fiction version of the play with blue people and space ships. If you need a literary retread, then go with Romiette and Julio. It's a young adult novel that updates the source material with tensions between blacks and Hispanics rather than Capulets and Montagues.

As long as young love and family/racial/cultural tensions exist, Romeo and Juliet will remain relevant. The beliefs in true love, love at first sight, marriage, etc. are beliefs that have been around for a very long time. In my popular culture studies class, we call those long-standing beliefs/values "concrete values," rather than transitory values, because they serve as foundational beliefs of a culture. Beliefs and values are then embodied, perpetuated, and symbolized through cultural heroes, icons, and events. If we say that true love is a foundational belief, then something like Valentine's Day is a good example of an event that perpetuates the belief. Roses and rings are icons. Heroes are people/characters that are definitely representative of the belief.

When my class studies this concept, I always start by asking which couples are quintessential representations of true love. Romeo and Juliet are always mentioned in the first 3 couples. It never fails. The play is relevant today because it contains the definitive example of what a couple in true love supposedly looks like and feels like.

Why do we continue to study Romeo and Juliet?

In addition to the moral lessons of choice vs. fate and the tragic tale of young love, there is a subtle satire upon the infallibility of the religious habit as Friar Laurence makes fatal errors in judgment.  But, above and beyond all the cogent themes of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," there is a beauty in the poetry of this play.  For, the entire play is written in blank verse with two sonnets built into it.  The light/dark imagery, as well, is delightfully beautiful.  There are lines that readers long remember for their beautiful imagery:

Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light (I,ii,25)
Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear--
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! (I,v,41-44)

What a good question. I think people still study Romeo and Juliet, because the story touches the human heart in a special way, at least in the West. In short, the message still resonates. Themes of love and the challenges of love are still very much a part of our daily lives. The story also still inspires. Who does not like a good love story. In addition, the story captures the sadness of life, which all people at one time will experience. So, if a story can do all of those things, then it is no wonder that it is still relevant to us today. Finally, we should acknowledge that Shakespeare was a fabulous writer.

This is a fairly interesting question.  I would say that the play is a good entry into the world of Shakespeare.  There is much in there for younger audiences of Shakespeare to appreciate.  The plot is fairly straightforward, so that students can focus on the language and development of characters.  It is standard in most ninth grade classes, as the previous post alluded, because of its relative ease in terms of grasping.  There is a line of logic which suggests that much of it is fairly "played out," but I think in terms of opening the world of Shakespeare to newer audiences, "Romeo and Juliet" is an excellent starting point from which greater appreciation can emerge.

Your question could be worded, "Why do we still study Shakespeare?"; for most teachers teach Romeo and Juliet because it is Shakespeare not just because of its themes. So, in answer that question, I always tell my students that if they can begin to appreciate Shakespeare and understand his language, then their reading and analytical skills will significantly improve--skills that we need for all aspects of life and all majors in college.

Specifically, in regards to Romeo and Juliet, the play offers many universal themes--young love, illogical feuding, teenage rebellion, suicide, etc.  The play is normally studied in American high schools in the ninth grade or even in some middle schools, because most teens can identify with the conflict between parent and child, the search for a wise adviser, the struggles of romantic love, and impulsive behavior.  While it is not my favorite Shakespearean play, and most critics do not consider it the playwright's best work, it is an effective introduction to Shakespeare and his more complex works, and it certainly demonstrates that humans have been struggling with the same conflicts since the beginning of time.

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet portrays the problems and triumphs and comedies of the human condition like few other stories ever have. In fact, many stories have almost exactly emulated the storyline of R & J.

The issues most particularly apply to high school students and this is why it is placed in so many 9th grade classrooms. The themes of infatuation, lust, love, jealously, secrecy, mentorship, all types of relationships, revenge and rivalry are relevant across all societies and generations. If we aren't careful to learn from others choices and consequences, we are bound to repeat them.

How is the conflict in Romeo and Juliet relevant to today's society?

Romeo and Juliet is a 1597 tragedy written by famed English poet and playwright William Shakespeare, who is commonly regarded as one of the most prominent and most celebrated writers in literature. The play tells the tragic story of two teenagers who fall in love with each other despite their feuding families.

Shakespeare incorporates several meaningful themes, such as the power of love, marriage, the existence of fate and destiny, the importance of family, loyalty, the consequences of hatred, and death. Some critics even argue that the popularity of the play is mainly due to Shakespeare's accurate prediction that these themes will forever be both socially and culturally relevant; as long as humans are capable of feeling love, anger, and sadness and as long as certain value systems and beliefs exist, the conflict in Romeo and Juliet will remain relevant and significant. People still believe in first love, and love can still drive people of all ages mad. Some still fear the reactions of their families, and families still wish to meddle in their children's lives and neglect their desires. Some are still forced to hide their love and risk their happiness and struggle with depression, and some still decide to take their own lives because they feel that they've lost the support of their families and that they cannot live without their loved ones. Prejudice and hatred are still present to this very day and people still fight for a variety of reasons—some meaningless and some meaningful, but all of them equally as damaging to everyone involved.

Furthermore, the idea that two people from opposing ends of a conflict can fall in love with each other, despite the circumstances, and the fact that this love can transcend all boundaries (even time), is a theme as universal and as eternal as love itself. It is present in every culture and every society, which is why it's also heavily featured in pretty much all forms of art and all genres of literature, film and music.

Discuss the themes in Romeo and Juliet that are still relevant today.

"The course of true love never did run smooth," as Shakespeare wrote in A Midsummer Night's Dream. There are potentially innumerable obstacles to love's fulfillment, not the least of which is parental disapproval. Family life may be radically different in this day and age from what it was back in Romeo and Juliet's day, but parents still have the ability to mess up their children's love lives.

Of its very nature, love is transcendent; it rises above the everyday world in which we all live, move, and have our being. Among other things, this means that it potentially subverts established social and familial structures as it so emphatically does in Romeo and Juliet. Love as depicted in the play, and as experienced by millions of young lovers ever since, is in this world, but not of it; it is heavenly, not earthly. This gives those fortunate enough to have experienced such powerful, intoxicating emotions a brief glimpse into another dimension of human existence, one that may be thwarted or restricted by society's rules and conventions but can never really be eradicated. In that sense, love really does conquer all. And that's as true today as it was when Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet.

Love

The theme of love is timeless. It has been the subject of much controversy and delight throughout the ages and is as relevant today as it had been a thousand years ago. The focus in the play is romantic love. Romeo and Juliet are 'two star-crossed lovers' who have an overwhelming passion for one another, a passion that transcends every complication that they may encounter. Their love is reckless and unbound.

Today we are just as much aware of, and exposed to, the rigours of love and we are constantly reminded of its value and its risk through literature, the media, our everyday conversation. Who does not enjoy an exhilarating romantic comedy or a dramatic depiction of a love complicated by feud, jealousy and all the other dramatic aspects related thereto? We are enthralled and experience a feeling of well-being and satisfaction when love triumphs, even in tragedy. Stories of love provide a respite from the complications and demands of modern-day society. So yes, the theme of love is still applicable today.

The generation gap

The idea that teenagers are misunderstood by the older generation (especially by their parents), is just as relevant today as it was in Shakespeare's time. In the play, Juliet's parents disregard her feelings and wishes and wish to enforce their desire for her to enter into an arranged marriage. They are content with the idea that, as her parents, they know what's best for her. The conflict that arises is typical of what many teenagers (and even adults) experience today, not only in relation to their romantic indulgences, but also with regard to their career and other life-affirming choices. The situation is worsened in the play because of an age-old feud between the Capulets and the Montagues. Today, parents are less inclined to encourage their young to associate with those whom they disagree with or find contentious or unacceptable, whether it is because of an individual judgement or assumption or because they do not have good relations with the other family. The outcome, more often than not, leads to clandestine relationships which, at times, result in tragedy.

Revenge

It is not uncommon today for society to seek some form of retribution when a criminal act has been performed. There is a general view that the perpetrator must be punished. in the play, Romeo seeks revenge when Mercutio is killed and he kills Tybalt. Our systems of justice dispense the same kind of punishment to those who break the law, and the subject of execution, for example, has resulted in fiery debates around the world about its application and fairness.

It is clear, therefore, that the major themes in the play are just as relevant today as they were in the sixteenth century.

What does Romeo and Juliet offer to the 21st century?

There are two basic approaches to what caused the tragedy in Romeo and Juliet:

1. The warring Capulet and Montague parents, too wedded to their ancient grievances, were unwilling to listen to what their children wanted, which led Romeo and Juliet to kill themselves rather than be apart;

2. Romeo and Juliet themselves, despite being only teenagers, were so swept away by their whirlwind romance that they acted rashly in the belief that they were really in love, rather than listening to common sense from those around them.

The first interpretation is the more romantic one, and what it teaches us in the 21st century is that we should not allow issues such as class or race to come between two people who are in love. The Capulets' and Montagues' dislike of each other is based largely on prejudice; Romeo himself has done nothing to offend. Prejudice cannot end well.

The second interpretation is relevant to 21st century audiences too. Romeo and Juliet is often taught in schools when students are 13 or 14, the age Juliet is stated to be in the text. 13 is old enough for us to feel as if we're adults, but once we reach 20, we realize how young 13 really is. If Romeo and Juliet had not been so wedded to a "love" based on nothing more than a few conversations and kisses, the situation would not have escalated as it did. So, the play can be read as a cautionary tale about the dangers of acting too rashly as a teenager, when emotions run high but attachments often do not last.

How does Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet reflect issues and themes of today's world?

One way to begin to respond to this statement would be to figure out what issues and themes Shakespeare addresses in the play; then, you can assess which of them are still relevant in today's world.  For example, Shakespeare addresses the theme of youthful rebellion with Romeo and Juliet's relationship.  The lovers know that their dalliance would likely be frowned upon by their feuding families, and rather than compel them to abandon their feelings, the idea that such a relationship would be forbidden seems only to add fuel to their passionate fire.  In the garden, Juliet tells Romeo that her family would kill him if they found him there, but he promises that he would rather die by their hands than live a long life without her love.  This is one way in which he shows his devotion to her.  They defy their families when they choose each other.  The idea that teenagers are rebellious is common today as well.  In fact, we now know that it is developmentally appropriate for adolescents to break rules, test boundaries, and defy their parents.  Most children rebel against their parents on some level, and it is as common now as it was then.

However, a theme such as family honor may not be so well known to us.  No one ever says why the Montagues and Capulets feud, but, in the play, the only thing they seem to fight over is family honor: in the first scene, when Tybalt gets angry that Romeo has come to the Capulets' party, etc.  The idea of one's family honor being so terribly important is less common to us today: we don't usually see people getting into deadly fights over a slight to their family honor.  "Yo momma" jokes are even considered a form of wit!

At any rate, try to brainstorm a list of all the issues and themes that Shakespeare takes on in the play and then work through your list to figure out which ones still seem relevant.  Then, you can explore each one (as I've begun to do, above, with rebellion and family honor) and ascertain whether or not it is still of interest to us today.  If it is, describe how, and perhaps provide some examples. 

Is the theme of love in "Romeo and Juliet" still relevant today?

Romeo and Juliet seems intended to demonstrate it is only in youth that people are willing to give their hearts so completely to another. No doubt they are destined to be disillusioned, but perhaps the experience is worth the suffering that goes with it.

When I was one-and-twenty
      I heard a wise man say,
“Give crowns and pounds and guineas
      But not your heart away;
Give pearls away and rubies
      But keep your fancy free.”
But I was one-and-twenty,
      No use to talk to me.

When I was one-and-twenty
      I heard him say again,
“The heart out of the bosom
      Was never given in vain;
’Tis paid with sighs a plenty
      And sold for endless rue.”
And I am two-and-twenty,
      And oh, ’tis true, ’tis true.

Later on in life people become more cautious about other people and commitments. They have learned by experience that everything changes, nothing lasts. King Claudius tells Laertes in Hamlet:

There lives within the very flame of love
A kind of wick or snuff that will abate it.  
                       Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 7

Claudius is a middle-aged man, and his and Gertrude's love for each other is a relatively tepid, middle-aged love. Romeo and Juliet's sudden love is "that first fine careless rapture" which is so strong they are willing to die for each other. That kind of love is not rare. Young people still experience it today. It is one of the main joys and sorrows of adolescence, and it is largely because of their youth and inexperience that they can indulge in it so unreservedly. Older people who read Romeo and Juliet or see it performed have two-dimensional feelings about it. They know Romeo and Juliet's love can't last. They know it is synonymous with youth. They know it is beautiful while it lasts, just as youth itself is beautiful while it lasts. 

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote a famous overture-fantasy about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. There is a love theme in that music which seems to capture the mood Shakespeare was trying to convey in words. There are five notes which go higher and higher up the scale and in volume until it seems as if the love those notes represent will soar into the stratosphere. The music is beautiful. The play is beautiful. The human love is beautiful — while it lasts. It was inevitable that Romeo and Juliet's relationship would end, either by death or because their love grew cold. The tragic aspect of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is intertwined with — and just as essential to the story as — the love story.

Why is studying Romeo and Juliet still relevant for today's society?

William Shakespeare is widely regarded to be one of the best authors of English literature in history. His works have been translated into numerous languages and his plays are still being performed on stages today. The study of Shakespeare's work is relevant in today's society not only for its influence on modern language, theatre, and literature, but also because his plays contained themes which still ring true today.

Shakespeare is credited with introducing more than 1,700 words to the English language, many of which are creative uses of previously established verbs or nouns. In doing so, he is perhaps the most influential single individual when it comes to English vocabulary. In addition, the body of work he created has influenced countless later plays, films, and novels. Famous musicals like West Side Story and films like The Lion King are adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. To study Shakespeare is to study the direction and development of the English language from the 16th century onward, and one can hardly study Modern English Literature without implicitly learning Shakespeare's influence. 

With particular reference to Romeo and Juliet, most people in the English-speaking world are required to read this play during their schooling or will encounter a theatre production of it within their lifetime. References to Romeo and Juliet are so prolific in English-speaking culture that one can grasp a thorough understanding of the themes and plot without ever actually reading or watching the play.

The second feature of Shakespeare's work which I feel makes him just as relevant today as he has ever been is that his plays directly address the human condition. His plays feature people in situations we can still relate to, even five centuries removed from their writing. Romeo and Juliet is a great example of this timeless truth because it deals with themes of family honor, parent-child conflict, and young love. Even though we may not personally be from a noble Italian family and see our cousins stabbed by rivals, we can relate to the emotions of tension which run throughout the play. I think this play is especially powerful for young people who are experiencing romantic love for the first time because it does feel incredibly overwhelming and can drive people to drastic measures. 

How does Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare appeal to a 21st century audience?

Indubitably, the beauty of the language of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is unsurpassed by any others written by the Bard as the entire play is a poem.  As such, the verse is so poetic and lovely that audiences throughout time have enjoyed its beautiful expression of human passion and love that is eternally fresh and creative. Who cannot cite passages endeared to them such as the following expression of courtly love by Romeo who is so enamored of Juliet that he would delight in simply being a glove upon her lovely hand:

See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek! 

Added to this enjoyment of the poetic beauty of Romeo and Juliet is the natural inclination of readers to enjoy a love story.  Certainly, many a younger reader delights in the romanticism of this drama in which an impassioned Romeo and Juliet love each other so much that they are willing to forsake their own names in order to marry each other.  Likewise, the older reader, too, delights in the impassioned characterization of the young lovers, perhaps recalling his or her own youth that felt much the same exuberance of emotion.  Indeed, it is the idealization of love that so enthralls readers and its splendidly poetic expression that delights them, no matter what the age.