Romeo, Romeo.

I was thinking about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet last night, and I realised something.

For any of you who haven't read it or seen any film interpretation, yes you're right, it's about two teens who are so madly in love that when one dies, the other feels they must follow. Okay, so we all know that before actually reading or seeing it, but after actually reading it (about 4 years ago) I realised how much of absolute idiots they both were.

Hear me out, hear me out. This is what my big realisation was based on. You see, they were both indeed idiots for the hastiness of their actions and blindness to reason, but what I realised last night was that it was not their fault. I, in fact, had been hasty to judge them and was blind to thinking about their past.

I mean, look at their parents! They're in a complete, full throttle war over who is more powerful and mighty. The prologue tells us, "From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life." But until now it didn't cross my mind to blame their parents. And I don't mean that in the sense of them dying, as of course without the secrecy from the parents, there would have been no need; but in the sense that that they've been brought up with such intense parents who make choices based on such heightened emotions.

Who can blame them for not knowing any better? At least Romeo and Juliet were able to focus this intensity on feelings of love and passion. So thus, we can doubly blame the parents! Well... okay, to some extent. I mean, how long can we blame parents for the way their children behave?

We are brought up in homes which are based on different ideals, beliefs and ways of life, but as we grow up society gives us all a chance to interpret the world on our own. And mixing these two things - nature and nurture - is what makes us us. So in saying that, I suppose the fault of the lovers' demise is both their parents' and their own!