Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet and the modern world Essay

Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet and the modern world - Essay Example The play illustrates how long term arguments between privileged families can get out of hand. Young men feel obliged to take up arms to defend the family honour. It shows how the normal rules which keep society in order break down in this atmosphere of prejudice and hate. The strongest theme in the play is the way that young people suffer because of the mistakes of their older relatives, and they are prevented from growing up to experience normal young love and passion with their chosen partner. The parents decided for them when and whom they should marry and this causes a lot of trouble. One result of this is that the younger members rise up against their families and lose respect for their elders. The only way to end this kind of situation is to find a way to stop the senseless violence and let peace come out of a new appraisal of each person’s human value, regardless what family they come from. These themes all exist in the modern world, from the gang cultures of our inner cities to the arranged marriages that occur in some cultural groups. Many couples still love each other in spite of the opposition of their families and this is one reason why Romeo and Juliet still makes sense to a modern audience, even though it was written over four hundred years ago. The play opens with the words â€Å"Two households, both alike in dignity,/In fair Verona, where we lay our scene† (Prologue: lines 1-2) and this tells the audience what the fundamental tension of the play will be. The chorus reveals that the main characters will love each other and will die, and that this will be the way that the â€Å"ancient grudge† between the two families will be removed. One indication of the strength of the hatred that exists between the families is the way that they call each other names such as â€Å"A dog of the house of Montague† (Act 1 , scene 1, line 7) or â€Å"A dog of that house (Act 1, scene 1, line 10) and â€Å"Thou villain Capulet (Act 1, s cene 1, line 76). The young men challenge each other to draw their swords, and it is clear that the only reason they want to fight is because they are sworn enemies. Gang rivalry is very often carried out by men. They are motivated by pride and arrogance, wanting to show off their strength . Tybalt even reveals that he hates the idea of peace as much as he hates the Montagues. (Act 1, scene 1, line 67-68) There does not seem to be any reason for the hatred other than that the people who bear the opposite name are the enemy. This kind of unthinking prejudice leads to all kinds of violence even in the present day and the carrying of weapons is a sign that this is a real grudge with serious consequences. The women seem to be more reasonable, and Montague’s wife tries to hold him back, even though he resists her. This kind of behaviour can be seen in the modern world when very strict fathers try to lock up their daughters and prevent them from going out and seeing other people, e specially men. They have too much power over others, and they use it to make people obey their will. In gang warfare it is a matter of pride to carry guns or knives, and very often the only people who try to stop the violence from getting worse are the mothers, sisters and girlfriends who have lost their loved ones. The Prince in the play represents the force of law and order. There was no such thing as a police force in the time of Shakespeare, and so the rulers had to find other ways to make sure that people kept the law of the land. In this case he summons the two older representatives of the families to come and see him. Capulet has to go with him immediately, and Montague is to come in the afternoon. This is a bit like them being arrested so that they can be told what is right and what is wrong, and they