Does Romeo and Juliet promote knife crime?

We are concerned here with knife crime alone; not prostitution nor any other immoral activity. Romeo and Juliet has been identified as a potential source of motivation for the stabbings that occur on London streets; it is irrelevant that it is classified as entertainment. The issue of suicide differs hugely from acts of stabbing; knife crime can be part of a lifestyle while suicide clearly lacks the same capacity. It seems unlikely an audience could be provoked to take their lives by seeing similar conduct on stage; in contrast, carrying a knife could be viewed as a simple accessory.

If actors, directors and playwrights are responsible for promoting knife crime, we must question the effects of numerous sources of entertainment. Songs containing explicit lyrics, films displaying unsightly activities and plays exhibiting violent scenes must all be carefully vetted. To say that Romeo and Juliet glamourises knife crime is to say that Moulin Rouge glamourises prostitution. While both perceptions may be true to an extent, there is nothing to suggest viewers will consequently aim to replicate their observations. If we accept that stabbing is encouraged by the play, we must then consider whether suicide is also promoted, as Juliet’s death is a major concluding scene. If such a stance is taken, all forms of entertainment must display only positive behaviour, causing naivety to wrongs of which all should be aware.