By: J. Liu

Introduction

If you have been following our wonderful editions, you would have learned about the top ten Shakespeare insults in March 2025. While some people think Shakespeare’s works are ancient and reflect only values from centuries ago, I believe that we can still gain insights when reading them, even in the modern era. 

Emotions and Self-Control

Compared to Shakespeare’s time, people nowadays have advanced technology, and this often causes them to neglect their inner thoughts. Many people are rushing to get things done, without sitting down to reflect upon themselves. As a result, some people have begun to realize the importance of their mental health. They are learning more about emotion management and self-control. 

Romeo and Juliet demonstrates that self-control over one’s own emotions is very crucial. Romeo did not want to fight Tybalt at first. However, after witnessing the death of Mercutio, his own cousin, Romeo became enraged and killed Tybalt. This impulsive action was a result of not having complete self-control. If Romeo had better emotional management skills, he would have realized that killing Tybalt would not bring Mercutio back, and he himself would be punished harshly. We should always think twice before taking action and consider the consequences that would follow. 

Miscommunication

In the play, miscommunication is the main cause of the tragedy. Because Romeo got a false message saying that Juliet was dead, he drank the poison and committed suicide. If he had only checked with Friar Lawrence, who gave Juliet the little bottle, he would have known that Juliet was just asleep. From this scene, we can reflect upon ourselves and notice the importance of media literacy skills. We should always check multiple sources and question whether our information is credible. 

Love Versus Hatred

One of the central themes of Romeo and Juliet is that love is always stronger than hatred. The feud between the Capulets and the Montagues did not tear the lovers apart. Instead, it’s their strong love and their sacrifice for each other that reconciled the two families. In today’s world, we should always remember this rule. Wars do not solve problems, they only create more chaos. We should use money and resources to focus on building diplomacy and cooperation, not weapons that cause harm and damage. Love and harmony are always stronger than hatred and violence. We must advocate peace and reject wars. 

Conclusion

Though Shakespeare himself lived hundreds of years ago, his thoughts and values are passed through his works till today. We can learn a lot and reflect upon ourselves by reading his works, and gain all the beautiful teachings. Even today, we can still connect many aspects of our modern lives with Shakespeare’s ancient stories and the beliefs behind them. This is why Shakespeare’s works are timeless.