Were Romeo and Juliet in love? Actually, it doesn't matter. The play isn't a struggle of emotions but a fight against fate and the roles that men and women are given in society. The opening sonnet of the play dictates the lives of the characters within the story, and all the family members therefore continuously struggle against that fate-- to fall in love, to die by that love, to make amends by default of the deaths. By virtue of fate, Romeo and Juliet are in love because they're slated to be. It doesn't matter how much they are, but that they are, and because of it struggle against their inevitable end, and in that struggle, make it actually happen.

R & J is a cliched love story because the central focus isn't about love, but an exploration of how tied people have to be to their roles in society and their destinies pre-determined by outside forces.

Romeo and Juliet was such the perfect example of young love. There was no true love involved in that play whatsoever. I have never liked Romeo and Juliet, but I must say that it was the perfect example of what young love is. Stupid and reckless.

True love is all I'd die for, but young love seems more likely...

I think it was true love. They fought it against all odds and they fought for themselves. The took every chance. And yes, I know, they're dead, but honestly, they died for one another because they knew they could never be together. That scarlet letter was a mistake, yes, but hey, it is better to be loved than to have never know what love was at all.

Puppy Love. They were nothing but two teenagers that got caught up in everything going on at the moment. And those bad events that happened were just consequences of bad choices they had made earlier in the book. They could have been avoided if they would have calmed down and thought things out.

Originally Posted by Maria-Minamino

Shakespeare is one of my favourite authors ever. I really enjoy his works, but Romeo and Juliet has to be my least favourite for no other reason than it is cliche'd and unbelievable. I prefer Hamlet and Othello myself. But Romeo and Juliet has some great literary value and i enjoy analyzing it. What I can't stand is the new movie version with leonardo dicaprio. They took such a wonderful story and play and turned it into some contemperary movie of little value...especially because leo had no idea what he was saying half the time - it totally demened (sp?) the literary values and the greatness of the story.
People should read the play - the movies never do it justice.

While I agree with you, I want to point out that back in Shakespeare's time, it was probably not as cliched as it is now. I mean, it was a bit cliched back then since it was based off....Tristan and Isolde? But it's more cliched now than it was then.


My opinion? I've never liked the story. Personally, I stopped reading it after the first scene in 9th grade. I find it rather annoying that Romeo would suddenly be over Rosalind (Rosaline?) as soon as he sets eyes on Juliet. He's very fickle.

But, Juliet did return his affection and they were willing to die for each other. So, it may have been love. But it may just have been lust, too.

I like what hush had to say about this matter.