First performed: 1594
First published: 1597
Revised for publication in The First Folio, 1623
What was happening at the time: Rodrigo Lopez, the Queen’s physician, executed for treason. A Spanish invasion attempted in Cornwall, beaten off by Sir Walter Raleigh
The play is based on a true story. The two lovers died in 1307
There were two families named Montague and Capulet living in Verona at the time.
Romeo and Juliet is probably the most famous of all Shakespeare’s plays.
Although the play is usually described as a tragedy, it doesn’t follow the rules. There is no tragic hero and no single character has a fatal flaw leading to his downfall.
Most of the play conforms more to the conventions of comedy.
→ Young lovers prevented from being together by parents
→ The lovers are parted, but are reunited at the end
→ Clever servants
→ Family tension
→ Frequent use of puns (Mercutio)
However, most of the comedies have a happy ending for the lovers. In this play the happy ending is for the two families who are reconciled at the end.
This is usually described as an ‘early’ play, but Shakespeare had already had 9 plays performed.
Facts
1. Juliet is 13
2. We don’t know how old Romeo is
3. Lady Capulet is 28. She says, when discussing Juliet’s marriage to Paris
‘by my count,
I was your mother much upon these...
