A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life

March 11th marks the (suspected) 413th anniversary of Romeo & Juliet's wedding.  I read this for the first time in grade 10, and continue to read it once a year.  I love the gothic nature in Shakespeare's plays and R+J remains to be the love story.  

Last year, our drama class got to act out scenes from the famous play, and I was lucky enough to recite the infamous balcony scene.  Although it is not as ripe with passion as other excerpts from the play, I love the immature yearning for each other they display.  Their words are sometimes frantic and desperate, after discovering that they cannot be together. 

"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
  Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
  What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
  Nor arm, nor face. O, be some other name
  Belonging to a man.
  What's in a name? That which we call a rose
  By any other word would smell as sweet. " (II,ii)

The scene makes us question what IS in a name?  Titles and social hierarchy often dictate who we should or shouldn't be with, but in the end love and companionship conquers.

Juliet's impatience and persistence to be with Romeo can teach us something about relationships as well.  Juliet is embarassed that she wasn't more coy (or "strange") when dealing with Romeo.

"O gentle Romeo,
If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.
Or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won,
I'll frown and be perverse and say thee nay,
So thou wilt woo, but else, not for the world. (21)
In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond, (22)
And therefore thou mayst think my havior (23) light;
But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true
Than those that have more cunning to be strange. (24)
I should have been more strange, I must confess,
But (25) that thou overheard'st, ere I was ware, (26)
My true love passion. Therefore pardon me,
And not impute this yielding to light love,
Which the dark night hath so discovered. (27)" (II,ii)

I remember saying those lines, and internalizing all the times I had played hard to get instead of showing how much the person meant to me.  Juliet fully devotes herself to him and proves that one does not need to play games to win another person's affection.

"This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath,

  May prove a beauteous flow'r when next we meet."

Romeo + Juliet always brings out my inner romantic.  I still remember these monologues, and one day, I hope I can feel the way about someone as Juliet does about her Romeo.