78 pages • 2 hours read
Romeo and Juliet
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy by the English playwright William Shakespeare. It is among Shakespeare’s best-known plays and, like its author, has been highly influential in shaping the course of English-language literature. First performed before 1597 (the date of its earliest known printing), it has been popular ever since. Like most of Shakespeare’s plays, it employs a combination of blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter) and prose, with occasional deviations in form; for example, Shakespeare often punctuates scenes or long speeches with a rhyming couplet for dramatic effect. The classic play explores themes of The Beauty and Danger of Love, The Power of Dreams and Illusions, and Empty Rivalry and Feud.
This summary refers to the 2011 Folger Shakespeare Library edition.
Content Warning: The source material and guide refer to suicide and violence, including discussions of sexual assault.
Plot Summary
A feud between two noble families, the Montagues and the Capulets, is tearing apart the city of Verona. Young men allied with these households fight each other in the streets. At last, the violence gets so bad that the city’s Prince declares that any member of these clans caught fighting will be exiled from the city.
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By William Shakespeare
