The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet #

The Source of the plot was borrowed from Arthur Brooke’s long poem “The Tragicall Hystorye of Romeus and Juliet (1562).

While Shakespeare unashamedly borrows his story lines, he imbues them with so much life or vitality that they outshine the original sources and therefore become immortal or at least timeless classics.

Originality was not important in Elizabethan times. It is Shakespeare’s skill in story telling, character portrayal, dialogue and enlivening his scenes by rich, concise or crystal language that helped to bring this story to life for all time. 

Romeo and Juliet is renown for its COMPRESSION OF TIME, DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTERS, PLOT CONSTRUCTION, ATMOSPHERE, THEME, STYLE WITH LANGUAGE and DRAMATIC IRONY.

Modern settings can make Shakespeare, our best playwright, relevant to old and new audiences