Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
Written towards the beginning of Shakespeare's literary career, Romeo and Juliet has become the world’s most famous love story. The balcony scene of act two is easily one of the most recognizable scenes in the Western theatrical canon. There are countless allusions to the play in pop culture: television shows, movies, musicals, songs, and modern books make reference to Shakespeare's star-crossed young lovers. Romeo and Juliet's influence can be seen in works of literature ranging from The Great Gatsby to the Twilight saga. Over 400 years after the play's premiere, theatergoers still buy tickets to see the tragic tale. Teenagers swoon over the characters' passion and spontaneity while adults think back on their own first love and shake their heads at the reckless abandon of youth. What is it that keeps us coming back to Romeo and Juliet? Why do we return to this tale, time and time again?
It’s easy to dismiss Romeo and Juliet as Shakespeare’s trashy blockbuster, and many do. The first two acts of the play contain everything necessary for a light summer rom com: love at first sight, the misbehaving teenagers, the meddling friend, and even a fantastic party scene. There are bawdy jokes, bumbling lovers, and a secret marriage plot. It’s not until the first scene of act three that Mercutio becomes a grave man and sends this seemingly innocuous comedy into a tailspin of death and disaster. By the end of the play, the death count totals seven. Three families are left devastated. As the lights come up, the audience is left to ponder the love and hatred that destroyed two teenagers.
Romeo and Juliet is not simply about the actions of two impulsive young lovers. Embedded in the arc of the play are human experiences that many of us have faced: the rush of being young and in love, the thrill of a first kiss, the forbidden feeling of falling in love with the wrong person, a parent’s desire to do the right thing for their child, the shame of a botched attempt to right a wrong, facing the consequences of past actions, the question of control over one’s own life, and the raw despair that accompanies the loss of a loved one. We’re empathetic to the sorrows and confusion faced by Shakespeare’s characters because we’ve been there.This play - written in Elizabethan England and set in Renaissance Italy - sums up the experience of being alive in any place or time. It sums up the experience of being human.
If you have questions, please contact Romeo and Juliet's Dramaturg through the "Contact the Dramaturg" page.