Your question could be worded, "Why do we still study Shakespeare?"; for most teachers teach Romeo and Juliet because it is Shakespeare not just because of its themes. So, in answer that question, I always tell my students that if they can begin to appreciate Shakespeare and understand his language, then their reading and analytical skills will significantly improve--skills that we need for all aspects of life and all majors in college.
Specifically, in regards to Romeo and Juliet, the play offers many universal themes--young love, illogical feuding, teenage rebellion, suicide, etc. The play is normally studied in American high schools in the ninth grade or even in some middle schools, because most teens can identify with the conflict between parent and child, the search for a wise adviser, the struggles of romantic love, and impulsive behavior. While it is not my favorite Shakespearean play, and most critics do not consider it the playwright's best work, it is an effective introduction to Shakespeare and his more complex works, and it certainly demonstrates that humans have been struggling with the same conflicts since the beginning of time.
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