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PlayShakespeare.com: The Ultimate Free Shakespeare Resource
PlayShakespeare.com: The Ultimate Free Shakespeare Resource
PlayShakespeare.com: The Ultimate Free Shakespeare Resource
  Tuesday, 22 August 2006
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Do you think that Shakespears themes in this play in particular - love, revenge and violence are 1) Universal and 2) still relevant in modern society?

Do you think that the themes running through this play are similar to stories in headline news?
Themes like these are intrinsic to mankind and will always be a part of modern experiences. They are tied to our egos and personalities and can't exist without each other.
16 years ago
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#1262
Sure it's relevant. Stories following the same basic outline existed long before R+J and will continue to exist long after. What's interesteing to me is what different productions choose to highlight.
15 years ago
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#1263
Highly relevant to today. A situation where collective group of adults fail two strong-willed and highly passionate kids, allowing tragedy to unfold. I do tend not to view this play so much as a romance which might explain my slant on it.
15 years ago
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#1264
--Not only simply relevant, but Universally, and therefore pervasively, relevant.

Shakespeare's exploration of human nature, cause and effect, ethical and ultimate reality concerning the human condition makes him a Philosopher of life and the nature of existence itself.
15 years ago
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#1265
Highly relevant to today. Every piece of literature, whether intended to or not, has a moral or theme that can be applied to any person from any generation.
15 years ago
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#1266
I think that the topics like love and revenge are universal and they will never cease to be important, obviously the story as it is described by Shakespeare wouldn't happen in the same way now, but what it's built on and the message it sends are just as relevant today as they were back then in my opinion. If you look at not only Shakespeare but the literaric history of humanity, whatever language or region you wish to look at, I don't think that there's any topic that comes up as often as love and whatever it may bring with it - sadness, jealousy, revenge and so forth.
:wink:
14 years ago
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#1267
The message in ROmeo and Juliet is as strong as it was back in the elizabeth age as it is now days. No matter where you live in the world today you hear stories of unrequited love and the severe consequences to not only their familie's honor but also the lives that could have been if it wasn't for this so called 'love'. Shakespeare makes us as the audience think more closely about the actions that his characters took and makes us question if they were right or not. Eg. Tricking parents to backstab your friends, to steal away your loved one, just to find out that all the misunderstandings come a full circle back to you. You have to ask yourself... was that really worth it? (seeing as how both lovers ended up dead)!
14 years ago
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#1268
There will always be those who will gainsay “Love at first sight”. Arthur Brooke, Shakespeare’s source, blames it on the Lovers’ “unhonest desires”. I take it that he viewed himself as quite authoritative on the subject; a righteously judgmental patriarchal figurehead. There's no shortage of them even today.

Anyone who has felt what it is that we might assume R&J were feeling, knows that choice & behavior in an individual can be completely ruled when one is ’stricken’. Nothing else matters (never mind "family honor", whatever that might mean, or have to do with true love) at the moment–it’s truly human. I think Shakespeare knew it–a good percentage of 154 sonnets is devoted to the subject.

I don't think it was Shakespeare's 'take' that the lesson to be learned had anything to do with the worthiness of "family honor", or that he was commenting on "so-called 'love' " in a negative way. --Quite the opposite is apparent in the play, the lines, and the statements made by the family members as to exactly who has hopefully learned a lesson about what is really important at the end of the play. And what is the response? They immediately think of erecting monuments--statues of "remembrance"...for pigeons to crap on.
Interesting that history reflects their mouth-honor when it comes to 'Blood-relations' and 'family honor' in Italy. Plenty of statues and plenty of blood-letting were yet to come.
14 years ago
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#1269
Yes, I think this plays still take a huge part on our lives today. Even if our generations are getting more and more modern, the way our lives goes by day after day is always a play.

I love Romeo and Juliet and it gives my heart more passion and love. Love that only this play can explain and show.
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