Was Shakespeare interested in social issues?

[fiabeg]

I am posting this question because in “Romeo and Juliet” the person who sold the poison to Romeo tells him: “ My poverty, but not my will, consents to sell you the poison”. So we can conclude that if there was not poverty, Romeo wouldn’t have been able to get the poison, therefore he wouldn’t have killed himself. It seems that Shakespeare is sending the message that poverty is causing the tragedy.

[Drkshadow03]

I think that's over-reading it a bit. I agree that apothecarist is selling the poison because he is poor, but I am not sure the entire tragedy of their fate can be summed in poverty. Both Romeo and Juliet were both members of upper-class noble families; the tragedy really has its roots in the Ancient hatred between the two families.

[xlxlauraxlx]

I think that aspect just adds to the idea that Romeo and Juliet were just victims of ill fate.