Few people would disagree with the view that Romeo and Juliet is a masterpiece. But, is it a love history? I don't think so. If we saw the play during the Elizabethan period, we would have probably delighted in the love Romeo professes for Juliet, but by our standards, there are some behaviours that make them a toxic couple. When Romeo gets caught by Juliet while climbing her window and standing in her bedroom, she sees it as an act of bravery and a romantic confession. Nowadays, Romeo’s entrance would be considered invasive because stalking your lover isn't a proper way to court them. This play also shows one of the most common problems in relationships: Miscommunication. Secretism and mystery can be a successful way to hype up the romance, but in many cases, it can lead to absolute catastrophe. If Romeo and Juliet had communicated, instead of only professing their love for each other, their history could have ended better. In their case, miscommunication led to a double suicide, highlighting how badly things can turn out when there’s no communication. Romeo and Juliet’s feelings appear in the span of days. So more than love, they probably felt attracted to each other and this led to a tragic ending.

I would disagree with the notion that Romeo and Juliet is not a love story. Although I am all looking at pieces of literature through a modern lens, I still believe that it is a love story, with or without the modern lens. Your argument is quite good, but I think it focuses on a different aspect of the story. I think your argument proves that Romeo and Juliet is a toxic story with abuse, misconceptions of wooing a romantic interest, and an overall tragic note to the workings of their relationship. However, I do not think that this discredits the idea that this story is not a love story. This story is a tragic love story, written in a period wherein the workings of a romantic relationship were significantly different from modern-day, including some practices that are frowned upon or even considered a criminal offense. However, most of the aspects between these two protagonists happened with full consent, knowing each others’ intentions. Also, love worked very differently from when this narrative was written. In today’s world of casual dating and flings, improbable that someone falls in love within days (not that any of these things are in any way wrong. They are just different). People fell in love faster back then and were very seriously committed to each other. There is a chance that it could have been infatuation, but the strong love that we see towards the end when they meet their demise can be categorized in the conventional definition of love. I also think that your arguments move more towards the category of it being a tragic, flawed relationship, and not that it was not love. Many relationships are deeply flawed in terms of communication and actions they take, but as long as there is full consent, it can still be called a love story. For example, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s story can also be called a love story, however flawed and tragic. The fifty shades series is also a love story in a more modern context, even though it is highly unconventional with contracts and rules. All these relationships happened with consenting adults who, unfortunately, had major flaws. In fact, I would say that it is love and not infatuation that causes the most tragic endings because you go to lengths for the person you love. Thus, I do not believe that all these factors negate the love between Romeo and Juliet. However, I have not read the whole book, but I do the general plot!

Romeo and Juliet is a play written in a specific context and during a specific time, which means that it reflects the socio-historical conditions of the time. It is a tragic love story that is all about tragic moments and miscommunication, which does not make it any less a love story just because things do not work out and Romeo and Juliet die at the end. For me, it is not one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies (I prefer Hamlet and Macbeth), but I acknowledge that the play beautifully explores the issue of tragic irony in relation to what happens between the two lovers. The specifics of their relationship may not make sense to the modern-day reader, but there is empathy in the way the lovers strive to beat the chances despite their relationship being doomed by their families and their own choices. The play has so many levels, and being a tragic love story is one of them.