#VelshiBannedBookClub: Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’

One of Shakespeare’s most popular, most performed, and most famous plays — “Romeo and Juliet” explores familial ties, the inevitability of fate, and the power of love. It's typically either beloved or derided by Shakespeare enthusiasts. And now it is all but removed from some Florida classrooms. Hillsborough County says it will assign only excerpts of “Romeo and Juliet,” and not the entire play, in order to comply with Governor Ron DeSantis' newly-expanded education restrictions which regulate books with so-called “sexual content." “Romeo and Juliet” belongs to a tradition of tragic and forbidden romance that precedes Shakespeare. 400 years later, the play still masterfully captures the belief that love is a powerful force. Aug. 26, 2023