Romeo and Juliet

Publisher Marketing: Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. 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 antiquity. 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 1567. Shakespeare borrowed heavily from both but, to expand the plot, developed supporting characters, particularly Mercutio and Paris. Believed to have been 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. Shakespeare's use of his poetic dramatic structure, especially effects such as switching between comedy and tragedy to heighten tension, his expansion of minor characters, and his use of sub-plots 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 over the course of the play. Review Citations: School Library Journal 01/01/2010 pg. 130 (EAN 9780764162442, Hardcover) Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2010 pg. 82 (EAN 9780764162442, Hardcover) School Library Journal 01/01/2010 pg. 130 (EAN 9780764142772, Paperback) Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2010 pg. 82 (EAN 9780764142772, Paperback) Kirkus Review - Children 03/15/2007 pg. 281 (EAN 9780810993259, Paperback) Voice of Youth Advocates 04/01/2007 pg. 84 (EAN 9780810993259, Paperback) Booklist 03/15/2007 pg. 56 (EAN 9780810993259, Paperback) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2007 pg. 488 (EAN 9780810993259, Paperback) ALA Best Books Young Adults 01/01/2008 pg. 1 (EAN 9780810993259, Paperback) Wilson Middle/Junior Hi Catalo 01/01/2009 pg. 492 (EAN 9780810993259, Paperback) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2011 pg. 600 (EAN 9780810993259, Paperback) Booklist 08/01/2006 pg. 77 (EAN 9780735820906, Hardcover) School Library Journal 12/01/2006 pg. 164 (EAN 9780735820906, Hardcover) Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2007 pg. 31 (EAN 9780735820906, Hardcover) School Library Journal 11/01/2005 (EAN 9781402206443, Hardcover) - *Starred Review Library Journal 12/01/2005 pg. 130 (EAN 9781402206443, Hardcover) Ingram Advance 10/01/2005 pg. 140 (EAN 9781402201011, Paperback) School Library Journal 11/01/2005 (EAN 9781402201011, Paperback) - *Starred Review Library Journal 11/15/2005 pg. 107 (EAN 9781402201011, Paperback) Library Journal 12/01/2005 pg. 130 (EAN 9781402201011, Paperback) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2006 pg. 72 (EAN 9781402201011, Paperback) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2007 pg. 492 (EAN 9781402201011, Paperback) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2011 pg. 606 (EAN 9781402201011, Paperback) Univ PR Books for Public Libry 01/01/2005 pg. 80 (EAN 9780300104530, Paperback) School Library Journal 09/01/1999 (EAN 9780754050889, Analog Audio Cassette) School Library Journal 05/01/1993 pg. 121 (EAN 9780679838746, Hardcover) Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/1993 (EAN 9780679838746, Hardcover) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2007 pg. 492 (EAN 9780140714845, Paperback) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2011 pg. 606 (EAN 9780140714845, Paperback) Kirkus Reviews 04/15/2011 (EAN 9789380028583, Paperback) School Library Journal 09/01/2011 pg. 188 (EAN 9789380028583, Paperback) Booklist 06/01/1993 pg. 1869 (EAN 9780679839132, Video, VHS Format) Library Journal 10/15/1998 pg. 113 (EAN 9780140867725, Analog Audio Cassette) Contributor Bio:  Shakespeare, William William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His father, John Shakespeare, was a store owner and a farmer, and at one point, also served as the town's mayor. William was the third of eight children. He was married to Anne Hathaway who was eight years older than himself. They had three children: Susanna (1583), and twins Hamnet and Judith (1585). Shakespeare wrote 36 plays, 154 Sonnets and two narrative poems. He died on April 23, 1616, and was buried at Trinity Church in Stratford, England.