Four hundred years ago, the literary genius William Shakespeare wrote The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, a world-renowned play that continues that capture the imagination and emotions of people around the globe. The drama portrays the passionate,violent and often desperate lives of the youth of Verona, Italy. Even today, the tragedyresembles a blue-print of the problems that the adolescents of the twentieth century mustface each day.Parental influence, young love and the revenge code all have a direct and evidenteffect on the lives of young people today. These issues continue to cause physical, mentaland emotional strain for many teenagers.The ever-present influence of parents played a major part in The Tragedy ofRomeo and Juliet. The feud between the Capulets and the Montagues had been passeddown through the generations, until the youngest child had been planted with the seeds ofhate, malice and antipathy. From the beginning of the play, we learned that Capulet heldthe decisive judgment of what Juliet's future would have in store."But saying o'er what I have said before.My child is yet a stranger in the world.She hath not seen the change of fourteen years.Let two more summers wither in their prideEre we may think her ripe to be a bride." (I,ii,7-11)The above quote clearly demonstrates Capulet's intent of choosing Juliet'shusband. Romeo and Juliet kept their relationship secret from the start, in fear that theirlove affair would be scorned and rejected by their feuding families. It is my opinion, thatthis subsequently led to the death of both lovers. Had they held a more open relationship, Ibelieve, eventually, both families would have accepted it. However, considering thecircumstances, the street brawl and the later death of kinsmen Tybalt, Romeo and Julietfelt that their parents would not have been able to understand the love between the twoyouths. In today's society, youth are constantly advocating the change from totaldependence on ...
