Romeo and Juliet
An 1870 oil painting by Ford Madox Brown depicting Romeo and Juliet's famous balcony scene
Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play written early in the career of William Shakespeare about two teenage "star-cross'd lovers"[1] whose untimely deaths ultimately unite their feuding households. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal "young lovers".
Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to Ancient Greece. Its plot is based on an Italian tale, translated into verse as The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur Brooke in 1562, and retold in prose in Palace of Pleasure by William Painter in 1582. Shakespeare borrowed heavily from both, but developed minor characters, particularly Mercutio and Paris, in order to expand the plot. Believed to be written between 1591 and 1595, the play was first published in a quarto version in 1597. This text was of poor quality, and later editions corrected it, bringing it more in line with Shakespeare's original text.
Shakespeare's use of dramatic structure, especially such effects as switching between comedy and tragedy to heighten tension, his expansion of minor characters, and his use of subplots to embellish the story, has been praised as an early sign of his dramatic skill. The play ascribes different poetic forms to different characters, sometimes changing the form as the character develops. Romeo, for example, grows more adept at the sonnet form over the course of the play.
Romeo and Juliet has been adapted numerous times for stage, film, musical and opera. During the Restoration, it was revived and heavily revised by William Davenant. David Garrick's 18th-century version also modified several scenes, removing material then considered indecent, and Georg Benda's operatic adaptation omitted much of the action and added a happy ending. Performances in the 19th century, including Charlotte Cushman's, restored the original text, and focused on greater realism. John Gielgud's 1935 version kept very close to Shakespeare's text, and used Elizabethan costumes and staging to enhance the drama. In the 20th century the play has been adapted for screen and musical theatre in versions as diverse as West Side Story and Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet
An 1870 oil painting by Ford Madox Brown depicting Romeo and Juliet's famous balcony scene
Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play written early in the career of William Shakespeare about two teenage "star-cross'd lovers"[1] whose untimely deaths ultimately unite their feuding households. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal "young lovers".
Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to Ancient Greece. Its plot is based on an Italian tale, translated into verse as The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur Brooke in 1562, and retold in prose in Palace of Pleasure by William Painter in 1582. Shakespeare borrowed heavily from both, but developed minor characters, particularly Mercutio and Paris, in order to expand the plot. Believed to be written between 1591 and 1595, the play was first published in a quarto version in 1597. This text was of poor quality, and later editions corrected it, bringing it more in line with Shakespeare's original text.
Shakespeare's use of dramatic structure, especially such effects as switching between comedy and tragedy to heighten tension, his expansion of minor characters, and his use of subplots to embellish the story, has been praised as an early sign of his dramatic skill. The play ascribes different poetic forms to different characters, sometimes changing the form as the character develops. Romeo, for example, grows more adept at the sonnet form over the course of the play.
Romeo and Juliet has been adapted numerous times for stage, film, musical and opera. During the Restoration, it was revived and heavily revised by William Davenant. David Garrick's 18th-century version also modified several scenes, removing material then considered indecent, and Georg Benda's operatic adaptation omitted much of the action and added a happy ending. Performances in the 19th century, including Charlotte Cushman's, restored the original text, and focused on greater realism. John Gielgud's 1935 version kept very close to Shakespeare's text, and used Elizabethan costumes and staging to enhance the drama. In the 20th century the play has been adapted for screen and musical theatre in versions as diverse as West Side Story and Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet
Characters
Main article: Characters in Romeo and Juliet
Ruling house of Verona
Prince Escalus: Prince of Verona
Count Paris: Kinsman of Prince Escalus; desires to marry Juliet.
Mercutio: Another kinsman of Prince Escalus; a friend of Romeo.
Capulets
Lord Capulet: Patriarch of the house of Capulet.
Lady Capulet: Matriarch of the house of Capulet.
Juliet: Daughter of the Capulets; the female protagonist.
Tybalt: Cousin of Juliet, nephew of Lady Capulet.
Capulet Servants
Nurse: Juliet's personal attendant and confidante.
Peter: Capulet servant, assistant to the nurse.
Samson and Gregory: Capulet servants.
Montagues
Lord Montague: Patriarch of the house of Montague.
Lady Montague: Matriarch of the house of Montague.
Romeo: Son of the Montagues; the male protagonist.
Benvolio: Cousin and friend of Romeo.
Montague Servants
Abram (or Abraham[2]) and Balthasar: Montague servants.
Others
Friar Lawrence: a Franciscan friar and Romeo's confidant.
Chorus, who gives the opening prologue and one other speech.
Friar John: Another friar who is sent to deliver Friar Lawrence's letter to Romeo.
Apothecary: Druggist who reluctantly sells Romeo poison.
Rosaline: unseen character with whom Romeo is in love before meeting Juliet.
Quotes
"O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?". - (Act II, Scene II).
"It is the east, and Juliet is the sun" . - (Act II, Scene II).
"Good Night, Good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow." - (Act II, Scene II).
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet". - (Act II, Scene II).
"Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast". - (Act II, Scene III).
"Tempt not a desperate man". - (Act V, Scene III).
"For you and I are past our dancing days" . - (Act I, Scene V).
"O! she doth teach the torches to burn bright". - (Act I, Scene V).
"It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear" . - (Act I, Scene V).
"See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!". - (Act II, Scene II).
"Not stepping o'er the bounds of modesty". - (Act IV, Scene II).
"It is the east, and Juliet is the sun" . - (Act II, Scene II).
"Good Night, Good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow." - (Act II, Scene II).
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet". - (Act II, Scene II).
"Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast". - (Act II, Scene III).
"Tempt not a desperate man". - (Act V, Scene III).
"For you and I are past our dancing days" . - (Act I, Scene V).
"O! she doth teach the torches to burn bright". - (Act I, Scene V).
"It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear" . - (Act I, Scene V).
"See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!". - (Act II, Scene II).
"Not stepping o'er the bounds of modesty". - (Act IV, Scene II).
