Throughout the United States, specific pieces of literature have frequently been banned as the result of their objectionable concepts. Because the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare contains explosive ideas, which could lead to potentially misguided conclusions, disconcerting opinions about the classic's appropriateness in the classroom have surfaced. Child disobedience, sex, drugs, suicide, and violence, are the most popular motives for the disapproval of the play. Due to the controversial notions of the play, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is often found on such "restricted" reading lists. The timeless lessons learned from this powerful play, however, are much more significant than any misinterpretation of its content.

One of the most prominent controversial notions still feared by all parents today, which is rampant in this play, is that of the unruly child. Juliet's rebellious tendencies cause her to vehemently oppose her father's orders to marry Paris, a well-suited bachelor...