I just watched the 1936 version of
Romeo and Juliet with a 33 year old Juliet (Norma Shearer) and a 42(!) year old Romeo (Leslie Howard). Here’s an idea for an alternate ending. Romeo, in the tomb kneeling beside his beloved Juliette, holds up the vial of poison preparing to join her in death. Just as he raises it to his lips, she murmurs, “Romeo.” He winces and says, “My sweet Juliet, it’s as though I could still hear thy tender voice.” A little louder, she says, “Romeo? Wherefore art thou?” (good lines are worth repeating) He looks down, sees her stirring, drops the vial and it shatters on the tomb floor. He flings himself upon her and smothers her with kisses. “How be this miracle possible?” he asks. The friar enters and warns them that the watch is approaching and they must make haste and escape. They quietly slip out as the friar heads off the watch. After all, this is a Romance, right? A happy ending is REQUIRED! Have I just committed sacrilege on Shakespeare?
markprobst
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A while back I wrote an entire journal entry bemoaning the fact that so many readers become so angry with writers who don't serve them the requisite HEA. I specifically called out one small press (who shall remain nameless, here) because, in the submissions section of their website, they condescendingly intimate that it's only losers and/or fools who would even think of writing anything other than a happily-ever-after. In my rebuttal I invoked the names of several such assholes - Shakespeare, of course, being chief among them.
Oh and both of those actors look piteously long in the tooth to be potraying two young puppets caught up in their parents' feud. You'd think, at the ripe old age of 42, Romeo might be allowed to make his own decisions, eh?