1597 - Elizabeth is on the throne. She’s 63 by now and has been playing off her supposed virginity, the mystical aspects of monarchy and the sycophantic nature of the court to maintain power. She cultivated an environment in which admiring from afar was the idea form of love, which worked well for her as a lot of her power was gleaned from remaining unmarried. In this idea of “courtly love” (believed to have developed in the courts of Eleanor of Aquitaine) a woman was broken down into a list of qualities (eyes like the stars, hair softer than a summer breeze, a laugh like music etc), protected from afar, had quests completed in her name and very often was never approached. A noble man wasn’t complete unless he was pining from afar over a woman. A man was meant to channel these desires into achieving a higher end. This is exactly how Romeo is with Rosaline. Rosaline is conveniently under a vow of chastity, so there’s no question of Romeo actually having a chance with her. He doesn’t want a chance, instead enjoying his role as the pale, forlorn, poetry writing, pining, sighing denied lover. He likes this role. It is one he is good at. Bonus points because she is a Capulet. She is out of reach completely. 

The there’s Juliet. He calls her a jewel and a dove. Not “her eyes are like jewels” or “her skin is as soft as down.” Juliet is a complete figure in his eyes. Within moments he has made up his mind to touch her hand. Completely different from how he talks of Rosaline, completely different to how the courtly lover is mean to behave. 

Then - he actually does it! No talk, no plans, no mooning over Juliet from afar. He walks right up to her and touches her hand and speaks to her. Against ALL the rules! 

Then he does it again - goes to her, speaks to her, touches her. He makes plans, he carries them out. Despite her being engaged and being a Capulet (like Rosaline’s vow of chastity and also being a Capulet) he does what he needs to do to be with Juliet. 

He keeps his love secret - he only tells those who need to know. Gone is the poetry writing emo.

When he has sex with Juliet he never calls her sullied or thinks any less of her, as was the general feeling of the time. He makes plans to marry her.

He kills himself over her. What glory is there in that? Another body in a tomb. No great show, no jumping off a bridge or great suicide notes. Not even a beautiful dagger to soliloquize to. Just poison, a dead body amongst dead bodies. Eternity in hell, as he believes. At least many years in purgatory, as the protestants of the time saw it. 

He breaks all the rules for Juliet. 

Yes, the play is full of hate and violence. Yes, they’re both young and hasty and maybe the pair would have ended up hating each other in just a few months. 

They were young, they died too young. They died thinking they had nothing to live for. I know you hated reading about them in high school. That Early Modern English can be tough, especially when the teacher isn’t allowed to explain the lewd double entendres. But please, before you post about how Juliet was an idiot or how Romeo was fickle, and how they didn’t really love each other, please, place yourself in their shoes. 

By the end of the play, there is no happy ending possible for Romeo. He could run. Run away to another city and wait for the plague to kill him and mourn Juliet alone He could stay and be executed for the murder of Tybalt and Paris. Or he can drink the poison and keep his dignity in death. 

And when Juliet wakes from her false death, there is no happy ending for her either. To quote @linmanuel “[she’s] a girl in a world where [her] only job is to marry rich.” And all the suitable men are dead. Paris, Romeo, Mercutio. She’s failed her family. And she’s failed herself. She tried to have the husband she loved and now he’s dead at her feet. And she’s a smart girl, she knows all this. And she knows that she is ruined. So she plunges the dagger into her chest. 

And yes, they did love each other. Read their words, look at their actions. They loved each other so much that they were willing to try to make it work. Even though their families, their friends told them not to. 

Mercutio: I thought I was your arch enemy.