Having to read Shakespeare may just set a teenager’s “teeth on edge” (Henry IV, Part I, 1596), but these book jackets should at least create some interest. And perhaps some questions. For example, what does DNA have to do with Romeo and Juliet?

Well, Shakespeare’s tragedies are all about family dynamics, relationships, and traits handed down through the generations. If you look closely, you’ll see a family tree to drive that point home. And of course lots of blood reminds us that all will not end well–these plays are tragedies after all.