Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, telling the story of two young star-crossed lovers, and remains one of the most performed and adapted plays in the world.
Written by a playwright already well established in London theater, this tragedy of two feuding families' children has become perhaps the most universally recognized love story in the Western literary canon.
A Tale of Feuding Families
The play follows two young lovers from the feuding Montague and Capulet families in Verona, Italy, whose romance ends in tragedy due to their families' ongoing conflict.
A Cultural Shorthand for Romance
The phrase "star-crossed lovers" and the play's central romance have become a broadly recognized cultural shorthand for passionate, tragic romantic love across Western culture.
Countless Adaptations
Romeo and Juliet has been adapted countless times across film, opera, ballet, and other media, including modernized settings such as the musical West Side Story.
One of the Most Performed Plays in the World
The play remains one of Shakespeare's most frequently performed and studied works, continuing to be widely taught in schools and staged in theaters worldwide.
