Few scholars give serious consideration to including Romeo and Juliet: Vampire Love with William Shakespeare's 37 known plays, but scholarship aside, it is an interesting variant of Romeo and Juliet. That the star-crossed lovers have the additional burden of Romeo's vampirism to contend with hastens the themes of fate, time and chance while above all else love remains the couple's fatal flaw, if it can even be considered such. Vampiric news, stories and lore coming from the continent caused the Bard to write the play although it is highly doubtful he meant it for public consumption (no evidence suggests it was ever produced on stage). That it has been more than 400 years after having been written and is only now being given serious study is not surprising given the tenor and tastes of our modern times. Amazingly enough, close scrutiny of the play has wielded no less than 97 references to rock 'n roll lyrics interspersed throughout and confirms Shakespeare's continued relevance and impact on popular culture.