“Then I defy you, stars!” – Romeo Romeo and Juliet is not my favorite of Shakespeare’s plays, and yet it found its way into both LOVE AND OTHER UNKNOWN VARIABLES and LIFE AFTER JULIET. There’s a funny T-shirt I’ve seen on Etsy that reads, “I think Romeo and Juliet could have handled the whole situation better.” That pretty much sums up how I feel about the play. I’ve always thought it was such a shame that Romeo and Juliet felt so controlled by their fates that death felt like their only choice. The play ended on a hopeless note. I never believed that they had died for a greater cause—to stop their families from feuding. It felt like a cheat, and I don’t like authorial cheats. Throughout the whole play, Shakespeare is trying to get these two crazy lovebirds together for the happily-ever-after, and then boom! Death. And more Death (and throw in a few more deaths for good measure). And I’m supposed to nod along and say, “Well, at least the Capulets and Montagues learned their lessons.” No. That’s not what I want. I’ve spent years contemplating Romeo and Juliet’s actions. When I try to make sense of their…