I'm going to try to take another running stab at explaining my opinions on "rules" in Shakespeare. Note, this is just how I feel, take it for what it's worth.
Here's my thing-- I believe in my heart that all that each of us has is a bag of tricks. Some tricks are old, and most people carry them in their bag; some tricks are newer or more controversial, so not everyone puts them in their bag. And when we get together, sometimes we swap tricks -- "Have you heard about rising iambic?!"-- and sometimes we defend our tricks and why we carry them and how important they are. And sometimes we get all high and mighty and insist our tricks are the best, and sometimes some of us go so far as to insist that this particular bag of tricks is "the only way to do Shakespeare". As John Barton said, "That way madness lies."
