Classic literature is an exciting and essential phenomenon in world history. Numerous authors manage to make the works that remain relevant irrespective of how many years have passed from the date of their creation. For example, it refers to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet that was written in the late 16th century. Even though the given piece of literature addresses many topics, including fate, hatred, and duality of nature, the theme of love is central in the play. Thus, Romeo and Juliet is popular among modern readers, and it is so because it teaches people how to love without prejudice.
To begin with, one should comment on why Romeo and Juliet is relatable today. A simple answer relates to love, which is a leading motive of the play. This topic has always been interesting for ordinary people, and it is not a surprise that a story about a romantic relationship between young people has success. However, this piece of literature should have something more to capture the attention of today’s readers.
It refers to the fact that Romeo and Juliet love each other against the prejudice of their society. Being representatives of opposing families, the two should have been enemies, rather than lovers. This condition finds its reflection now because one can identify some groups of modern society that resemble the Montagues and the Capulets. Thus, it is almost impossible to imagine that an Arab and a Jew can be in a romantic relationship because of the feud between these two nations. This analogy results in the high popularity of the play in the modern world.
At the same time, it is not true that Romeo and Juliet fully describes today’s society. The difference of more than four centuries is represented by attitudes toward love. Even though one should not exclude the fact that a piece of literature tends to exaggerate events, Romeo and Juliet remain symbols of pure love. The characters demonstrate that they can love each other irrespective of external conditions.
Even the fear of negative consequences cannot prevent them from experiencing intense feelings for each other. Numerous representatives of modern society, however, cannot impress with such powerful love. It is a typical case now when families and couples come out of their relationships because of some difficulties. This fact demonstrates that Shakespeare and modern society consider love differently, with today’s society having weaker feelings.
Consequently, the two issues above explain why numerous people read Romeo and Juliet today. On the one hand, the play shows that it is possible to love others irrespective of their background. This idea is relevant to modern society that is full of racial, social, gender, and other prejudice. On the other hand, the different attitudes to love reveal that modern people consider romantic relationships less seriously compared to Shakespeare’s contemporaries. Thus, the play teaches readers how to love and be loved. In other words, people read this work to experience feelings and emotions that they cannot find in real life.
In conclusion, Romeo and Juliet is an integral part of world literature because it covers perennial topics. The play is relevant today because it shows that various background is not a problem for those people who want to be together. It is especially relatable to the contemporary society where individuals draw much attention to race, gender, and social status of others. In addition to that, the given piece of literature is useful for readers because it teaches how to love irrespective of consequences.