Far be it from me to pretend to be able to add much significant to the volumes of commentary on the greatest love story of all time, for such is William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I had the occasion to re-read it for perhaps the fifth time in my life, as my daughter is currently reading it for her ninth grade English class, and, though I remember the tale vividly and can still quote passages of it by heart, I wanted to have the full story fresh in my mind in case she may need my help in understanding it.
In addition to my several readings, I have seen the play enacted numerous times on stage and on film. In this most recent reading, I noticed the side characters much more, and found their contribution to the play most diverting. The opening of the play is a good example. First, the chorus gives away the entire plot in an introductory Shakespearean sonnet. Spoiler alert! Then two minor characters, Samson and Gregory of the House of Capulet, enter the stage and engage in some witty and bawdy banter--a welcome distraction from the depressing prologue. The sword fight that ensues with the arrival of Abraham and another unnamed servant of the House of Montague distracts to the point of causing the audience (or reader) to almost forget what is foretold in the prologue.
Another interesting plot point that I noticed for the first time is that Romeo is a bit of a hound dog! Act I finds the soon-to-be-star-crossed lover moping about and pining for want of the love of one Rosaline! Ironically, it was to purge his mind of thoughts of his unrequited love for Rosaline that Romeo reluctantly consents to crash the Capulets' masquerade ball where he falls in love at first sight with Juliet. More interesting, the rash and ill-fated Tybalt quickly discovers Romeo hitting on his cousin Juliet and reports this intelligence to Lord Capulet. Bafflingly, Capulet stays Tybalt from ejecting the interloper, remarking that he has heard that Romeo is a good boy with a good reputation, and allows the son of his mortal enemy to remain!
These new (to me) insights and observations notwithstanding, it is the power of the play that never ceases to amaze me. Even though I know how it is going to end, even though the ending is indeed known right from the get go thanks to the chorus in the prologue, I still find myself hoping against hope that Friar Laurence's clever scheme will succeed just this once!
