"Please Hate the Players, Don't Hate the Game": Romeo and Juliet

Now, no one is more of a skeptic than me, especially in the case of a barely teenage girl and a boy of some indeterminate age but who's definitely not old, get together and think that the Sun, Moon and Stars were hung in honor of their undying love for one another

That is all that needs to be said about that.

One second read however, a lot of more of the subtlety and language comes through. You realize that yes, this may well be the origin of the "Love at first sight" cliche but that does not make what is being said less valid, only the figures themselves and their desire to be together without any thought toward long-term goals or the family feud that's been waging for however many years.

"Hate the player, not the game." This reversal of the adage makes sense in their context because Romeo and Juliet, along with Mercutio, Tybalt and all the other bastards are merely players on a stage, taking part in Shakespeare's epic game.

What is his game exactly? Why, to show the mercurial nature of teen hearts? To ultimately punish and therefore train the Montague's and Capulet's for their misdeed? To send a message to parents of the time: keep a close eye on your kids?

I have no idea what the central idea of this play is. It offers the reader a look at decision making and cause and effect outcomes in a visceral and poisonous way. It develops the idea of history and the importance of knowing where you came from but also that evolution of thoughts and ideas is necessary for survival. It's a satirical commentary on the state of relationships and arranged marriages of the era.

Whatever it is that is occurring behind the scenes in Shakespeare's mind, we all have to keep in mind that although we are sick of Romeo and Juliet and their thousands of reincarnations, someone somewhere made the unwise decision to keep these things in circulation so let's learn from them what we can so we can finally put them to rest.