Romeo and Juliet Introduction (Book)

What statement(s) clearly expresses what you should know and understand?
Great literature contains ideas about human nature that we can apply to our own lives. A play written four hundred years ago can have as big an effect on us as yesterday's news. The drama of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, for example, tells as much about the nature of power and loyalty as it does about ancient Roman history; studying Romeo and Juliet helps us learn about prejudice and vengeance. By reading great works of art we acquire the tools to understand history and humanity, and our place in it.