Romeo & Juliet: Not a love story

To the dismay of Taylor Swift, I am here to convince you all that the Bard's famous play, Romeo and Juliet, is not a love story. (Although, Taylor probably just forgot that both Romeo and Juliet die at the end of the play, unlike her song "Love Story.")

A few Sundays ago, I went to see a rendition of Romeo and Juliet on Whidbey Island. The production was put on by the Island Shakespeare Festival and the play itself was acted out at a theater in the woods. Quite gorgeous actually, and wonderfully done for a community theater. (Photos) I heartily enjoyed my viewing and was reminded of how much I love the play.

So often I am put off by the too common lovey-dovey perception of Romeo and Juliet; I forget how truly witty, slightly dirty, and tragic the play is.

But Romeo and Juliet is not a love story. About two individuals, at least. The play does contains themes of love: familial love, love between friends, the love of reconciliation, and yes, even romantic love. You could say that it's a story about love. Just not a love story.

Let's take a look at the famous couple. Juliet: not yet 14 years of age and very impetuous. Romeo: in love with Rosaline, until he meets Juliet (fickle?), doesn't think about the consequences of his actions until after the fact, also kills Tybalt. (If it were me, I would not want to be married to someone who killed my cousin.) First point: Very strange couple for a love story.

Perhaps I'm being a bit critical. Obviously Romeo and Juliet are not my favorite characters; thus bringing me to my second point: the most interesting and dynamic characters in the play are not the couple in love. Mercutio gets most of the best lines; he's absolutely hilarious and quite bawdy. Even up to his death, he makes puns: "Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man." I adore the Queen Mab monologue. Also the Friar plays a very plot-important role as a connecting character through the entire narrative. I will admit that Juliet has some gorgeous lines, but again, not the most interesting character.

So what is this play even about, if not a pair of tragic lovers? It's about their families. The Montagues and the Capulets and their mutual hate towards one another. The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet isn't that two lovers die; the tragedy is that it takes Romeo and Juliet's deaths, as well as the deaths of Mercutio, Tybalt and Paris, for the two families to even consider reconciliation. The play is about us. Humans. Death and hate versus life and peace. It's heart breaking.

Every time I see this play, I always think that there is a slight chance Juliet will wake up before Romeo offs himself. As I was talking the play over with my family, I realized that they all felt the same way. Even though we know that the lovers always die at the end, we believe and hope that they might just live this time. Pure masterpiece.

Shakespeare, you bloody genius.