William Shakespeare is a great piece of literature that displays history through literature, uncommon genre, literary devices, and old English vocabulary. Shakespearean literature displays so many literary techniques that students should learn. Romeo and Juliet specifically should be read in high school by high school students because students can learn about the history assets through old English literature, Romantic Tragedy, literary devices such as foreshadowing and metaphors and old English vocabulary.
Romeo and Juliet took place in Verona and Mantra, Italy in the 1 sass although written in the sass. The historical part of the story takes place in the dialog and the described settings before each act. In Act 1 , Scene 2 Paris says to Caplet “Younger than she are happy mothers made. ” This shows how it was okay for young girls to become wives and mothers at such an age in this time period. This displays how the generations have grown and changed over so much time.
Throughout the story the housing and places of major scenes are described to take places in castles or in the town centers or tombs of one family. The scenery of the story shows how old the story’ really is and it caches students about culture of this time period. As one of few Romantic Tragedies, Romeo and Juliet is a selected piece of literature that really displays the tragedy part of romantic tragedy. Although the story is very romantic in specific spots such as when Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time and when they get married it is still a tragedy in the end with their deaths.
If students don’t read this story then they won’t experience the feelings and learning factor of tragic stories, not every story has a happy ending. Romeo and Juliet also offers important literary devices such as reasoning and metaphors. Foreshadowing takes a huge part in this story, in the prologue of Act 1 “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes-A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life,-Whose misadventure piteous overthrows-Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. ” This foreshadows the love and death of the children of the feudal families.
Romeo says in Act 1 scene 4 “l fear, too early: for my mind missives-Some consequence yet hanging in the stars-Shall bitterly begin his fearful date-With this night’s revels and expire the term-Of a despised life closed in my breast- By some vile forfeit of untimely death. ” This is Romeos feelings before he goes to the Caplet ball, where he falls in love with and meets Juliet, he says he has a funny felling and fears that something “hanging in the stars” (something destined to happen) will be set in motion that night.
Metaphors are shown through the story as well, Romeo says “But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? -It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. ” Romeo is metaphorically comparing Juliet to the sun even though she has nothing in common with a glowing star hundreds of thousands of miles away. Another reason why students in high school should read Shakespeares literature is because it can help develop in the old English literature and vocabulary.
Because Shakespeare wrote over 100 years ago most of his writing is written in old English and in poetry. Reading this as a class helps students translate the meaning of old English to modern English. Reading old English forces a student to think and comprehend the story to understand it before continuing through the story. Reading Romeo and Juliet in school helps students go through the story line picking up important information, eloping with memorization and vocabulary with the words unknown to the students when they first start to read.
Students should continue to read Romeo and Juliet in high school because it helps enhance their reading skills in many ways that other stories can’t do. Shakespeare literature displays many literary techniques that students high school students because students can learn about the displays history through literature, uncommon genre, literary devices, and old English vocabulary. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare should be read in high school and should continue to be read and taught throughout the years.
