Humanism Values in William Shakespeare's Drama Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet portrays deep reflections on human nature and moral values, emphasizing the importance of dignity, freedom, and emotional connection in human life. The tragedy explores the conflict between personal feelings and social constraints, revealing how human ideals often clash with rigid traditions and authority. Through the struggles of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare presents the essence of humanity love, empathy, and the pursuit of understanding amid division and hostility. This study aims to analyze the values of humanism in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet. The research focuses on how humanist ideals such as dignity, freedom, solidarity, and communicative rationality are reflected through the characters’ dialogues, decisions, and relationships. Using a qualitative descriptive method, the analysis applies Hardiman’s theory of humanism, supported by references from academic books and journals. The findings reveal six categories of humanism values: appreciating opinions (20%), cooperation (17%), sacrifice (23%), caring for others (13%), helping (13%), and solidarity (14%). Among these, sacrifice appears as the most dominant value, especially reflected in the willingness of Romeo and Juliet to risk everything for love and moral ideals. These findings indicate that Romeo and Juliet embodies humanist values that emphasize empathy, moral responsibility, and the importance of understanding in overcoming social barriers. Although the story ends in tragedy, the play highlights that love, empathy, and dialogue are essential for building a humane society. Therefore, Romeo and Juliet is not only a timeless love story but also a literary work that reflects enduring humanist ideals relevant to modern life.