Every time I teach R&J, the first thing that always hits me is that these two kids, R and J, are way too young to be having any kind of serious romance. I mean Juliet is not even 14 and Romeo has barely 16, 17 (?) years of moodiness under his belt. How ironic that he's the immature one! What Romeo needs, besides medication, a swift kick in the pants, and a new spiritual advisor, is something resembling boot camp, continuous physical activity, a sport, a hobby. Juliet, meanwhile, could use a new set of parents, a reliable sibling (forget nurse-maids) and an extended stay at a nice Italian boarding school. But in lieu of such changes, that, as Fate ordains, will never occur to this, arguably ill-matched, "pair of star-crossed lovers," don't you think the play also has a lot to tell us about those other characters who AREN'T paired off with anyone and who seem to resist the notion of "romantic love" as such. I refer of course to: Mercutio, Tybalt, the Nurse, Friar Lawrence, Benvolio... Makes me wonder what Shakespeare really had in mind....
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