Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young "star-cross'd lovers" whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet and Macbeth, 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 1582. Shakespeare borrowed heavily from both but, to expand the plot, developed supporting characters, particularly Mercutio and Paris. Believed 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 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.
Romeo and Juliet has been adapted numerous times for stage, film, musical and opera. During the Restoration, it was revived and heavily revised by William Davenant. David Garrick's 18th-century version also modified several scenes, removing material then considered indecent, and Georg Benda's operatic adaptation omitted much of the action and added a happy ending. Performances in the 19th century, including Charlotte Cushman's, restored the original text, and focused on greater realism. John Gielgud's 1935 version kept very close to Shakespeare's text, and used Elizabethan costumes and staging to enhance the drama. In the 20th century the play has been adapted in versions as diverse as MGM's comparatively faithful 1936 film, the 1950s stage musical West Side Story, and 1996's MTV-inspired Romeo + Juliet.
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Tragedy refers to play wherein the strength of the heroic character will be his downfall too. A popular example of a tragedy play is Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare.
Shakespeare
Titus Andronicus
A tragedy is a type of play that tells the downfall of a noble character, often due to a character flaw or external circumstances. Examples of famous tragedy plays include Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and "Hamlet."
Macbeth in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth Lear in Shakespeare's King Lear Hamlet in Shakespeare's Hamlet Brutus in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
In Shakespeare's plays, the major difference between a tragedy and a comedy is that the main character dies in a tragedy. A Shakespearean comedy can be very tragic and depressing, but so long as the main character remains alive, it is not actually a tragedy.
Revenge Tragedy is a technique used in plays. It involves the leading character avenging the death of a loved one. The most famous Revenge Tragedy is William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'.
Henry L. Hinton has written: 'Shakespeare's tragedy of Macbeth' 'Shakespeare's tragedy of Romeo and Juliet' 'Shakespeare's tragedy of Hamlet'
Titus Andronicus (1593) was the FIRST tragedy Shakespeare wrote. His last tragedy was Timon of Athens.
William Shakespeare's plays are commonly categorised as Comedies, Histories and Tragedies. Hamlet is a Tragedy.
Yes, Romeo and Juliet (by Shakespeare) is a tragedy.
One example is William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet," where the main character meets an unhappy end through death. Hamlet's tragic fate is brought about by his inner struggles, external conflicts, and the treachery surrounding him. His story serves as a classic example of a character who ultimately meets a disastrous end.