Final answer:
Juliet's parents think she is sad because of her cousin Tybalt's death, unaware of her secret marriage to Romeo or her distress over his banishment and her impending arranged marriage to Paris. The themes of love, conflict, and family misunderstandings in Shakespeare's works create the emotional depth for which he is renowned in literature.
Step-by-step explanation:
In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Juliet's parents believe she is sad because they think her grief is due to the death of Tybalt, her cousin. This misunderstanding is partly because Juliet cannot express her true feelings for Romeo to her parents, given the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets and Romeo's role in Tybalt's death. This tragic miscommunication adds to the tension and drama of the play, demonstrating the consequences of feud and misunderstanding.
As the play progresses, the depth of Juliet's grief and the complexity of her situation are lost on her parents, who are misled to think that her continued sadness is solely due to Tybalt's demise, not realizing she also mourns Romeo's banishment and dreads her arranged marriage to Paris. Shakespeare's works often explore themes such as love, conflict, and the generational divide, which are experienced through expressive language and emotional depth. These themes are timeless and relatable, which is why Shakespeare is a staple in school curriculums, particularly for ninth and tenth graders who are navigating their own emotional journeys similar to the characters in the plays.