Note on this Essay: For information on how to contact the author of this essay, or to leave any comments, please visit my homepage for info on how to contact me. It was written for an English class at Sophia University, January 11, 1999.
A timeless tragedy
Newsmagazines like Newsweek and Time are obsessed with Shakespeare, so are most newspapers. From time to time they bring up the phenomenon of Shakespeare's seemingly never-ending popularity. Why is it that the works written by the mysterious, but brilliant literary genius William Shakespeare, remain as influential in society today as they did four hundred years ago? In fact, as the position of English as a world language has manifested itself and strengthened, so have Shakespeare's works reached an ever-growing audience.
The beauty of the language might seem like an obvious explanation to the writer's popularity. In Romeo and Juliet, the work probably second only to "Hamlet", Romeo expresses his love to Juliet more beautifully than anyone had expressed love before him;
"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear -
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear.
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows
As yonder lady o'er her follow shows.
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand
And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight,
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night." (I,v,51-60)
Still this alone can not fully account for Shakespeare's popularity in countries like Japan, where understanding of Elizabethan English is close to non-existent. In particular did the modern movie version draw large crowds. The smash hit of 1996 featured popular actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, and the teenage idol's lead role obviously attracted audiences never before interested in Shakespeare. Still, if one goes beyond just considering the cast of the movie, one will that the fascination for Shakespeare is more complex. If nothing else, the answers do at least jointly prove that "Romeo and Juliet" is as relevant today as it was before the Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment.
The story is, of course, that of two teenagers who pursue their love for each other despite the fact that their families have been at odds with one another for decades. Taking place in Verona, Italy in the late 1500's, the lovers have to die tragic deaths before their families are able to make peace. Even now, less than a year before entering the new millennium, love is as passionate and difficult as ever. This no matter if it exists between a Jew and Muslim, a Serb and an Albanian, or if it as so many times did during the second world war, develops between a German soldier and a woman living in occupied territory.
It is also important to take the lovers young age into account, in the original play they were in their early teens. As youth today constantly are advocating the change from total dependence on parents and family, to their own independence, they often come to believe their parents are punishing rather than helping throughout their childhood and upbringing. Perhaps this is one
of the reasons why Romeo and Juliet decided to keep their relationship a secret, rather than confronting their parents to find a solution. As the chosen path ended with perhaps the most tragic result possible, one should not exclude that a more open relationship would have been more successful. Yet discussing the choices made is only interesting to a certain extent. The vital point is that many youths, and adults for that sake, can identify with the problems the fictional characters faced so many years ago. In spite of technological development, centuries of philosophical progress and so on, the sheer core of society and human character has not changed that critically in the last 400 years.
Neither have the characteristics of youth in love. Having originally intended to visit the Capulet's party with the hope of getting a glimpse of the beautiful Rosaline, Romeo instead ends up head over heels in love with Juliet. It is intense and mutual superficial love at first sight, which probably is the only kind of love many of DiCaprio's fans are able to identify with. Still, for most people, the dream of having someone special meant for one never loses its magic. Therefore most readers and moviegoers will ignore that Romeo and Juliet probably were not meant for each other, but that their love instead was a mere product of their newly acquired yearning and desiring hormones.
Romeo and Juliet is essentially perhaps the best love story ever written, but it also features certain other qualities that unfortunately bear relevance to most current societies. Life on the street was as tough as ever, and even Romeo was raised with the philosophy of an eye for an eye. To revenge the life of his best friend's death, Romeo kills the murderer, Tybalt, who also happens to be Juliet's cousin. Even though most Western societies today in principle are not based on the law of the jungle, many will still argue that it is not the presence of forgiveness, but rather the presence of revenge that is most visible in our jurisdictional systems. As long as the idea of peace is valued lower than that of revenge and pride, the situation is not likely to change and pointless feuds will continue to surround us in the way they always have.
In one of the most beloved scenes of Romeo and Juliet, the last-mentioned appears to be a bit more cautious than Romeo on their young love: "O, swear not by the moon, th' inconstant moon. That monthly changes in her circled orb. Lest that thy love prove likewise valuable" (II,ii,114-117). Tragically Romeo and Juliet would experience the moon circling the earth far too few times, and we will never know if their love would have been able to sustain a longer life. Yet the story on their life is as youthful as ever, and modern versions of it as seen in Hollywood movies will certainly secure its vitality even after most loves of our generations have faded unnoticed into history.
