Romeo and Juliet, the classic Shakespeare play, read by high schoolers all over the country. Some love it, some hate it. You can feel however you want to feel about the play, the language, or the rhyming. But one major complaint I've heard about the story, is that Romeo and Juliet are NOT in love.
Looking at it realistically, Romeo spots Juliet at a party, and realizes he's "in love" with her. Juliet shares the same feeling after merely seeing him. They kiss the first night, and mourn over the fact that they won't be able to be together. It is literally, a three-day relationship, including a sex scene, and a backfiring escape plan, resulting in dramatic suicides.
"They only looked at each other! You can't fall in love with someone after only knowing them for three days!"
Well, that's a reasonable argument. If I had never heard of Romeo and Juliet, and someone told me the story, and told me it was true, I wouldn't believe it had been true love.
BUT. This is a fiction play we are talking about. Crafted by the gifted Shakespeare. Given this context, my philosophy is that Romeo and Juliet were definitely in love, because Shakespeare made it so. HE'S the author, so he is GOD in the story he writes. If he wants an 18 year old boy to fall in love with a 13 year old girl by simply looking at her, then so be it. No matter how skeptical or ridiculous the story is, the author has the trump card.
So yes, I believe that Romeo and Juliet were in love. A very classic, awkward, slightly creepy, fast-paced relationship, but still a real one, because Shakespeare says so.
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