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How is Romeo and Juliet a reflection of the ideals and customs of Elizabethan society?

Although the actual play is based on an Italian story, the society pictured in Shakespeare's sources and Elizabethan society have many features in common.


Although the age of consent was lower than it is now, the actual average recorded ages for marriages were early- to mid-twenties. This meant that for a young couple such as Romeo and Juliet to run off and marry when Juliet was only thirteen would have been strikingly unusual.


Next, the society of the play is one in which arranged marriages were common. The notion of her parents selecting Paris as a husband for Juliet followed societal norms, and Juliet's running off in secret with Romeo would be perceived as rash and scandalous. 


Religion was extremely important in the society of the period. For people of the upper classes, it would have been a scandal for Juliet to have had a romantic relationship outside marriage. Thus, the role of Friar Laurence reflects the religious values of the society. There is a double standard here, in that Romeo would have been permitted, and even expected, to be sexually active on the side, but not Juliet. 


Finally, suicide was considered a mortal sin, and thus Friar Laurence's ability to be blackmailed by Romeo's threats of suicide reflects a strong religious belief of the period.

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