Romeo and Juliet

Every high school freshman, and I do mean every, is required to read Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." It is probably one of his well known, and in some ways, most over done plays.

Personally, I enjoy "Romeo and Juliet," however I can see why people would think that it is cliché. It is about a 13 and 16 year old who fall in love, though their family's are feuding, thus causing multiple tragedies. If you look at the time period, 13 and 16 are about the ages that people would be getting married. However, looking at it now, when many don't marry until well into there 30s, people thing it is an over romanticized story of children who were too young to really be in love who end up committing suicide. Bleak right?

But yet, in never high school this is still taught. I think a lot of that has to do with language, it providing a challenge for it's readers. But it also has to do with the fact that the students are roughly the same ages as the charters, allowing for more in-depth reading, and allows for them to really get into the mind of the characters, feeling what they feel.

Whether or not we should still teach "Romeo and Juliet" in the classroom is not a debate for me. I will always choose to teach it, especially when you look at the alternatives. I think "Othello," "Hamlet," and "King Henry VIII" are too heavy and difficult for 14 to 15 year olds. Plus the content allows for many different topics to be brought up, such as young love, suicide, warring families, etc. That's the best part about literature, providing opportunities for discussions.