Early in William Shakespeare's career, he wrote the romantic tragedy "Romeo and Juliet." It is a timeless tale of two young star-crossed lovers. Arguably, the portrayal of the two title characters' deaths and the subsequent reconciliation of their feuding families is what stirs powerful emotions in readers and audiences alike. Hence, Shakespeare's play has become one of the most popular plays to be studied and performed. Scholars consider the play to have been written between 1591 and 1595, but first published in 1595. Yet, ...
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Early in William Shakespeare's career, he wrote the romantic tragedy "Romeo and Juliet." It is a timeless tale of two young star-crossed lovers. Arguably, the portrayal of the two title characters' deaths and the subsequent reconciliation of their feuding families is what stirs powerful emotions in readers and audiences alike. Hence, Shakespeare's play has become one of the most popular plays to be studied and performed. Scholars consider the play to have been written between 1591 and 1595, but first published in 1595. Yet, in modern times, "Romeo and Juliet" remains a favorite for adaptation by playwrights, and screenwriters, as well as musical and opera directors. It is surprising that this archetypal story of young love forms part of the required reading in many high school and college English classes.
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Add this copy of Romeo and Juliet to cart. $12.83, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2020 by Bibliologica Press.
This book is filled with scholarship on Shakespeare and his play Romeo and Juliet. It is not even laid out nicely with the notes on one page and text on another. I had to buy this copy for a class, but would not purchase it again if given the choice.
Barbara H
May 31, 2012
High School Requirement
If you are reading this for school, check out SparkNotes or Cliff's Notes for a translation you can understand. Especially the No Fear Shakespeare on Spark Notes.
CharlesJ
Apr 1, 2010
Not one of Shakespeare's more original plays
Romeo and Juliet, despite being one of the most popular of Shakespeare's plays, is neither his most well-written or his most original. It is well known that the story was based on an older one by an Italian writer (who probably got his from another Italian writer), so the fact that it is not terribly original is unsurprising. The writing style, however, is also somewhat lacking; many sections are halting because of the changes in rhyming patterns that Shakespeare decided to use, which makes them harder to read. The characters, especially Romeo, were not very easy to connect with; this will change according to opinion, though, and fans of romance will probably like them better than I. All in all, this play does not have the smooth and interesting feel of Shakespeare's later works, but may still appeal to those who like the "star-crossed lovers" theme.
Maggy
Feb 15, 2010
Overrated
Having both read this play, and seen it several times, I can't say that I was impressed. Everything goes exactly wrong; it lacks realism, and, though the language is, well, Shakespearean, the story is not supportive. If you like Shakespeare, you will probably like this work; however, there are much better Shakespearean works that just lack the press that this one has.
Selina
Oct 12, 2007
Classic
I realize "Romeo and Juliet" are most people's favorite. The story is not as intense as "Macbeth" or "Hamlet". In fact the story is rather dull. It is difficult to care about two characters who are self centered. This soap operish plot is not fun to read.
