"Romeo and Juliet" was based on the lives of two genuine lovers who died for each other in Verona, Italy in 1303. Shakespeare is said to have found and rewritten this tragic love story in Arthur Brooke's 1562 poem "The Tragical History of Romeo and Juliet." Although there are similarities between the characters of Romeo and Juliet and people from their time, they are not real. The stories we know today were probably influenced by several different versions of the tale spread across Europe after its first publication in 1564.
Modern readers often wonder about the true identity of the authors of certain poems or plays. In many cases, these works can only be attributed to someone known personally by others who had contact with him/her. For example, William Shakespeare is a name that comes up very frequently as a writer for the theater during this time period, so it is fair to assume that at least some of his works fall within this range. However, we do not know for sure whether he wrote all of them himself or if he collaborated with other writers. Some historians believe that he may have used a pseudonym for more controversial material or material that did not meet with popular approval from certain members of the community.
Similarly, it is difficult to say for certain what role Christopher Marlowe played in writing "Tamburlaine the Great," but he is considered one of the most important English poets before Shakespeare.
Romeo and Juliet are part of a long history of tragic romances dating back to antiquity. The storyline is based on an Italian story that Arthur Brooke translated into poetry as The Tragical History of Romeo and Juliet in 1562 and repeated in prose as The Palace of Pleasure in 1567. Like many other tragedies, it features character flaws leading to their deaths.
The story tells of two young lovers from different social classes who fall in love against the backdrop of the War of the Capulets and the Montagues. Their families have been feuding for years and the conflict leads to a series of murders and revenge plots as each family tries to get rid someone who they believe to be responsible for the killing of one of their members. In the end, both Romeo and Juliet die.
Like many other classic tragedies, such as Oedipus Rex by Sophocles or Antigone by Anouke Voskarides, it deals with issues such as betrayal, violence, and death. However, it does not focus so much on political figures as other authors have done (Oedipus Rex for example). Instead, it focuses on two young people who get caught up in a war between two families. When they decide to marry one another, the situation becomes even more complicated because Romeo is from the lower class while Juliet is from the upper class.
The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet, a long narrative poem composed in 1562 by the English poet Arthur Brooke, was Shakespeare's primary source for the storyline of Romeo and Juliet. Brooke's work was based on a French translation of a tale by the Italian writer Matteo Bandello. This original story was probably written some time between 1485 and 1495.
Romeo and Juliet are two young princes (one being an only son) who are siblings. They fall in love with two girls who reject them. When their families find out about the love affair, they decide to settle it by combat. But the two lovers die before the fight can be fought. There are many versions of how they met their deaths; this is one of them.
Brooke's poem was very popular when it was first published. It was reprinted several times during Shakespeare's lifetime, most notably in 1598 with additional scenes that include a prequel and three sequels by different authors. These additions were probably written by Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nash, and John Webster.
Shakespeare used parts of Brooke's poem as well as other sources to create his own version of events which he called "a new play". He started working on it sometime after 1590 and finished it in 1596. The play was not successful at the time it was first performed but has been regarded as one of the greatest tragedies ever written.
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