Micheal Jordan famously wrote "If you accept the expectations of others, you will never change the outcome" (Jordan). You can appreciate the context of the quote when you connect it to one of William Shakespeare's greatest works, "Romeo and Juliet," in which two long-conflicting families finally end their conflict after their children defy expectations. of society and consequently take their own lives. . The two lovers struggle to live up to the expectations that society imposes on them and which oppose the existence of their love. For example, the audience sees Juliet defy her family's expectations to protect her relationship with her true love, Romeo. Furthermore, both Romeo and Juliet defy their gender roles to love freely without any opposition from society. Furthermore, as the love between the two intensifies, both Romeo and Juliet struggle to live up to the social expectations of their Christian faith. Simply put, one of William Shakespeare's most famous works, “Romeo and Juliet,” is about how two lovers choose to defy the social expectations required by their society in an attempt to create an environment in which the “true love” that they own. .To begin, Juliet defies her family's expectations in favor of living a life where she can freely express her love for Romeo, who is her family's enemy. For example, as Romeo and Juliet talk to each other on the balcony, she states “Deny thy father, and refuse thy name; or if you don't want to, swear to me my love, and I will no longer be a Capulet" (II, ii, 100-102). Juliet understands that society will not allow her to be with Romeo, a Montague, because he is the enemy of the family (Capulet). But because of her intense love for Romeo, she is ready to freely give up her family... mid-card... her love for Rome. Furthermore, lovers struggle to hold onto their Christian faith firmly because of the deep feeling of love they feel towards each other. Ultimately, both Romeo and Juliet choose to ignore their gender roles in order to practice their love without any opposition. The social expectations of family, religion, and gender place Romeo and Juliet in a vulnerable position, yet they choose to defy the place they were supposed to stick to. Eventually the two lovers lose hope, end their lives and there comes a point in everyone's life when they are pressured by the demands of society. You are given the opportunity to conform to or challenge these social norms to fit your life. Works Cited http://voices.yahoo.com/romeo-effeminate-character-shakespeares-play-2982392.html?cat=9http:/ /www.litcharts.com/lit/romeo-and-juliet/themes