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Introduction to the play
InRomeo and Juliet, Shakespeare creates a violent world, in which two young people fall in love. It is not simply that their families disapprove; the Montagues and the Capulets are engaged in a blood feud.
In this death-filled setting, the movement from love at first sight to the lovers’ final union in death seems almost inevitable. And yet, this play set in an extraordinary world has become the quintessential story of young love. In part because of its exquisite language, it is easy to respond as if it were about all young lovers.
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The Folger Shakespeare
Our bestselling editions of Shakespeare's plays and poems
But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.
—Romeo
Act 2, scene 2, lines 2–3
Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet
sorrow
That I shall say “Good night” till it be morrow.
—Juliet
Act 2, scene 2, lines 199–201
From the audio edition of Romeo and Juliet
Full recording available fromSimon & Schuster Audioon CD and for download.
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Essays and resources from The Folger Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
Learn more about the play, its language, and its history from the experts behind our edition.
About Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
An introduction to the plot, themes, and characters in the play
Reading Shakespeare’s Language
A guide for understanding Shakespeare’s words, sentences, and wordplay
An Introduction to This Text
A description of the publishing history of the play and our editors’ approach to this edition
Shakespeare and his world
Learn more about Shakespeare, his theater, and his plays from the experts behind our editions.
Shakespeare’s Life
An essay about Shakespeare and the time in which he lived
Shakespeare’s Theater
An essay about what theaters were like during Shakespeare’s career
The Publication of Shakespeare’s Plays
An essay about how Shakespeare’s plays were published
Related blog posts and podcasts
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Shakespeare Unlimited
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Hit musical & JulietcombinesRomeo and Julietwith the songs of pop hitmaker Max Martin. Its writer, Schitt’s Creek writer and executive producer David West Read, tells us about how the idea came to him while he was concussed.
The Amateur of Fashion: Robert "Romeo" Coates
Collation
The Amateur of Fashion: Robert "Romeo" Coates
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Author
emma poltrack
Meet Robert “Romeo” Coates, a 19th century gent better known for his antics (and fashion sense) than his acting.
Shakespeare and Beyond
“I Want It That Way”: Rosaline & Juliet
Posted
Author
Austin Tichenor
“In both ‘Rosaline,’ a charming teen romcom streaming on Hulu, and ‘& Juliet,’ a splashy new musical making its Broadway debut this week, Shakespeare’s tragedy becomes a surprising springboard for music, comedy, and investigations into narrative ownership,” writes Austin Tichenor.
An Ofrenda to Shakespeare’s Afterlives
Shakespeare and Beyond
An Ofrenda to Shakespeare’s Afterlives
Posted
Author
Katherine Gillen, Adrianna M. Santos, and Kathryn Vomero Santos
Katherine Gillen, Adrianna M. Santos, and Kathryn Vomero Santos write about stage adaptations of “Hamlet” and “Romeo and Juliet” that engage with Día de los Muertos traditions, reframing Shakespeare’s meditations on life and death according to Indigenous and Latinx worldviews.
Juliet, an artful Italian diva - Excerpt: "The Diva's Gift to the Shakespearean Stage" by Pamela Allen Brown
Shakespeare and Beyond
Juliet, an artful Italian diva - Excerpt: "The Diva's Gift to the Shakespearean Stage" by Pamela Allen Brown
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Author
Shakespeare & Beyond
In her new book “The Diva’s Gift to the Shakespearean Stage,” Pamela Allen Brown explores the considerable impact of Italian divas on Shakespeare and other English playwrights. This excerpt looks at the character of Juliet.
West Side Story: A new take on Romeo and Juliet, 60 years later
Shakespeare and Beyond
West Side Story: A new take on Romeo and Juliet, 60 years later
Posted
Author
Carla Della Gatta
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is a layering of theatrical devices, a Hollywood riff on both a famous musical and a Shakespearean story for 21st-century audiences.
Teaching Romeo and Juliet
Use the Folger Method to teach Romeo and Juliet. Become a Teacher Member to get exclusive access to lesson plans and professional development.
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The Key to Getting ALL Students Understanding and Interpreting Complex Texts
Teaching Resource
The Key to Getting ALL Students Understanding and Interpreting Complex Texts
Free resource
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- Shakespeare and race
- Video
Cutting and Performing Scenes – Put Students in the Driver’s Seat!
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Cutting and Performing Scenes – Put Students in the Driver’s Seat!
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- Hamlet
- Romeo and Juliet
- Professional development
Exploring Gender: Shakespeare’s Take on Chaste, Silent, and Obedient
Teaching Resource
Exploring Gender: Shakespeare’s Take on Chaste, Silent, and Obedient
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- Macbeth
- Othello
- Romeo and Juliet
- Professional development
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William Shakespeare and Gwendolyn Brooks: Processing Death
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William Shakespeare and Gwendolyn Brooks: Processing Death
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This Illness is No Metaphor: Romeo and Juliet and the Plague
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This Illness is No Metaphor: Romeo and Juliet and the Plague
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- Romeo and Juliet
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Text Set: Maya Angelou Talks Back to Romeo
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Text Set: Maya Angelou Talks Back to Romeo
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Choral Reading: Juliet’s Soliloquy in Romeo and Juliet 4.3
Teaching Resource
Choral Reading: Juliet’s Soliloquy in Romeo and Juliet 4.3
A longtime Folger favorite lesson!
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Cutting a Scene: Queen Mab in Romeo and Juliet 1.4
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Cutting a Scene: Queen Mab in Romeo and Juliet 1.4
Students do the work of directors and teachers everywhere: cut the strange, long, and imagery-rich "Queen Mab" speech!
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- Lesson plan
Pre-reading: Tossing Lines from Romeo and Juliet
Teaching Resource
Pre-reading: Tossing Lines from Romeo and Juliet
Students never forget this first day of their Romeo and Juliet unit!
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Choral Reading: Romeo and Juliet 1.4 Queen Mab Speech
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Choral Reading: Romeo and Juliet 1.4 Queen Mab Speech
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Pre-reading: Tossing Words from Romeo and Juliet
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Pre-reading: Tossing Words from Romeo and Juliet
Forget a slide deck on Shakespeare's life and times. Start Romeo and Juliet with the words in your students' mouths-- actively and joyfully!
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- Romeo and Juliet
- Lesson plan
3-D Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet 1.1
Teaching Resource
3-D Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet 1.1
Get out of the way and let your students create the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet. Here's how.
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- Romeo and Juliet
- Lesson plan
Pre-reading: 20-minute Romeo and Juliet
Teaching Resource
Pre-reading: 20-minute Romeo and Juliet
Introduce the language and story of Romeo and Juliet with this lively 20-minute play.
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- Romeo and Juliet
- Lesson plan
Master Class: Teaching Romeo and Juliet
Teaching Resource
Master Class: Teaching Romeo and Juliet
What are the most essential, and eye-opening, things any teacher must know about Romeo and Juliet? What are wildly effective approaches to teaching it?
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- Romeo and Juliet
- Professional development
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Getting All Students Inside Tough Speeches
Teaching Resource
Getting All Students Inside Tough Speeches
How can any student encounter a speech for the first time and make meaning from it on their own, without any teacher explanation?
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- Romeo and Juliet
- The Merchant of Venice
- Professional development
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Early printed texts
Romeo and Juliet was first printed in 1597 (Q1) as a quarto that is markedly different than any subsequent early printing: it is shorter, the wedding scene is radically different, and the language widely differs in the last three acts. The play appeared as a quarto in 1599 (Q2) in a text that seems to have had a different source than the one behind Q1; this version of the play was reprinted in 1609 (Q3) and in 1623 (Q4). The play is included in the 1623 First Folio, with a text that differs from Q3 beyond what we would expect typesetters to change. Most modern editions, like the Folger, are based on Q2.
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