In modern day time love still has all these affects that are shown by Shakespeare in this play. This play represents love which is equivalent to how young people fall in love today. Romeo sees Juliet for the first time and he falls in love immediately; this is relevant as this still happens to this date. Similarly if a youth of today was to see a beautiful girl he would supposedly fall in love with this is shown when Romeo believes he is in love with Rosaline; “To call hers, exquisite, in question more. These happy masks that kiss fair ladies’ brow, being black, puts us in mind they hided the fair. He that is stricken blind cannot forget the precious treasure of his eyesight lost. Show me a mistress that is passing fair; what doth her beauty serves but as a note where I may read who passed the passing fair? Farewell. Thou canst not teach me to forget.” Romeo here says he is deeply in love with Rosaline and cannot forget about her but a few scenes later his love quickly changes: “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.” This is Romeo’s reaction towards Rosaline after he sees Juliet. He though that he was in love with Rosaline, and then fell in love with Juliet having no idea what true love really was other than the image in his thoughts. Also as the quotes tell us that young love is full of changing emotions from where Romeo was in love with Rosaline and ends up to where he does not lover her anymore because he is in love with someone else. This is relevant to the audience of today since young love today is pretty much the same as at one point you might like someone and then at one point you feel the contrary for that someone. In the play, Romeo and Juliet show ignorance by not following the rules of their families which is to stay away from each other this is a classic example of how young people behave today, many are ignorant and ill-mannered.
Another thing which is also relevant to young audience today is that love can also cause hatred and death, in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ both their families hold an ancient grudge and the idea of them being together is seen as impossible. This is relevant to the young audience today, for example a young boy of a certain religion would not be allowed to date a young girl of another religion because their religions do not allow this act; this is an example of a modern day parallel.
However as much as the play seems relevant to the audience of today, there are many reasons to which the play is not so relevant. The fact that the style of language used was different then from now is a major point to consider so the language would not seem relevant to the audience of today for this problem adaptations have been made for the audience of today to make understanding easier. Also such points as the usage of swords to fight between the Capulet and Montague seems immaterial to the young audience of today and also the way the characters are described upon their clothing seems irrelevant to the young audience of today.
In my opinion, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is as relevant to a young audience of today as it was when it was first performed in 1604. Many issues such as young love which is frequent in today’s world are discovered in the play. The young people of today could easily relate to most of the issues explored within the play, as they are still relevant.
