A guide to Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy

Even people who have never been to the theater have probably heard of the famous one Romeo and Juliet. The piece was made into a Baz Luhrmann film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. But this tragic love story, written by William Shakespeare, is about much more than teenage love. It also teaches us that once we let hate guide us in life, everyone loses.

What happens in Romeo and Juliet?

Romeo and Juliet is set in the Italian city of Verona, where two noble families are embroiled in a centuries-old feud. While the prince who rules the city has done his best to keep the peace, the battle between the Montagues and the Capulets has already led to many deaths. At the beginning of the play, the battle between the families breaks out again. Annoyed, the prince threatens to banish anyone who disturbs the peace of Verona. Despite the prince’s threat, young Romeo Montague and his friends decide to invade their enemy’s party.

Love at first sight

Meanwhile, Lady Capulet prepares her daughter Juliet for a masquerade ball held by the family. Juliet’s parents want their daughter to marry a man named Paris, and although Juliet is less than enthusiastic about the idea, she agrees to consider the possibility. But it turns out that fate has other plans for them. Romeo Montague, still heartbroken over his love for a girl named Rosaline, has reluctantly agreed to crash the Capulets’ masquerade ball with his friends. As soon as Romeo and Juliet see each other, he completely forgets about Rosaline and falls in love with Juliet. At this point they are unaware that the object of their affection belongs to the enemy family. The stage is set for one of the world’s most tragic love stories.

After sharing a few kisses, Juliet is called away and Romeo discovers that his new love is the daughter of the House of Capulet. Young Juliet is equally curious about the identity of the young man who has won her affection. When she finds out it is indeed Romeo Montague, she is torn. Could it really be that she has fallen in love with her greatest enemy?

The famous balcony scene

As the boys are about to leave, Romeo can’t bear to be away from his new love. He takes a big risk and sneaks into Julia’s garden. It is there that he hears Juliet lamenting the fact that her newfound love is a Montague. The monologue that Juliet speaks during this scene is one of the most famous love monologues of all time. Hearing her words, Romeo can no longer control himself and reveals his presence. Juliet is ashamed that he overheard her, but is equally relieved to see her love again.

The dialogue that follows shows that even though Juliet is only about 14 years old, she is already a strong woman who knows what she wants. When Romeo swears his love by the moon, she rebukes him for swearing by something as fickle as the moon. But they don’t have much time to talk. Shortly afterwards, Juliet is called in. After they both profess their love for each other, they agree to get married as soon as possible.

Marriage and exile

With the help of Julia’s nurse, the couple arranges to meet and get married. Brother Lawrence agrees to perform the marriage in secret. He hopes that once the union is announced, the two families will finally make peace. Unfortunately, their new-found happiness isn’t meant to last. Shortly after the wedding, Romeo encounters Juliet’s cousin Tybalt. While Romeo refuses to be provoked, his friend Mercutio starts fighting with Tybalt and dies. Overcome by grief over the death of his friend, Romeo can no longer control himself and kills Tybalt.

When the prince arrives, he is deeply enraged by what has happened and banishes Romeo from Verona. While Juliet is deeply saddened by her cousin’s death, she is completely distraught over the news of Romeo’s banishment. With the help of her nurse, the couple arranges one last night together before Romeo leaves.

A deadly misunderstanding

Since Juliet’s parents are still unaware of the fact that Juliet is already married, they push her to marry Paris. As soon as Juliet refuses, they threaten to throw her out on the street. Juliet doesn’t know where else to turn and begs the monk to help her. Together they come up with the following plan: Juliet will drink a potion that will make her look dead. They will send a message to Romeo asking him to come to her hermitage and take her away from Verona.

Unfortunately, news of Juliet’s fake death spreads faster than the explanatory letter sent to Romeo. When Romeo hears that his beloved has died, he rushes back to Verona. When he arrives at the safe, Juliet is not yet awake. After confirming his worst fears, Romeo drinks poison and kills himself. Juliet wakes up just as Romeo takes his last breath. After watching her lover die in her arms, Juliet also commits suicide. Once the families arrive at the tomb, they find Romeo and Juliet dead in each other’s arms. After losing their children, the heads of the two families unite in grief and eventually make peace.

Romeo and Juliet through the ages

Even though the play was written some 500 years ago, the story remains Romeo and Juliet continues to touch the hearts of people around the world. And while some cynics say their teenage love stayed so strong because it lasted so briefly, their names have become synonymous with “till death do us part.” Of course, Romeo and Juliet never had to face the reality of building a life, raising a family, or growing old together. But in the end, this doesn’t matter: their story proves that love can overcome all prejudice and hatred.

Romeo and Juliet is still performed on stages around the world. The story has also been turned into ballet, opera, musical and films. Given the theme of warring families, directors often use it to directly (or indirectly) reference situations of hatred and conflict in the real world, whether opposing football teams, rival gangs or even the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Romeo and Juliet may be a love story, but it is also a cautionary tale against the slippery slope of violence and hatred. Here are some of the most famous adaptations of this classic story.

West Side Story: a musical based on Romeo and Juliet

The world famous musical Westside story reinterprets the story of Romeo and Juliet for a modern audience. The music production is set in 1950s New York and focuses on the rivalry between two street gangs: The Sharks and the Jets. This musical adaptation addresses, among other things, the themes of racism, violence and gang culture. After all, the plot focuses on the rivalry between Puerto Rican and white American gangs. With music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Steven Sondheim, Westside story has earned itself a place at the top of Broadway history. In 2021, Steven Spielberg made it into a film that was nominated for several Oscars. Ariana DeBose even won the Academy Award for it Best Supporting Actress before it.

Prokofiev’s Ballet

Another famous adaptation of Romeo and Juliet is the ballet of the same name. Originally composed by Sergei Prokofiev in 1935, the ballet had to be revised several times before its premiere in the Soviet Union in 1940. First, the first version of Prokofiev’s ballet had a happy ending, in which none of the leading actors died. However, the Soviet censors did not approve of this version and Prokofiev had to change the ending back to the original version. Today Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet is one of the world’s most beloved ballets and has been choreographed by artists such as Frederick Ashton (1955), John Neumeier (1971) and Rudolf Nureyev (1977).

Romeo + Juliet: Baz Luhrmann’s film starring Leonardo DiCaprio

One of the most famous reinterpretations of Romeo and Juliet is the film version directed by Baz Luhrmann. Released in 1996, this film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes interprets the two Montagues and Capulets as rival mafia families. Although the film retained Shakespeare’s original language, which is quite difficult for the modern ear, it was a huge box office success. And although it only received one Oscar nomination, many critics agree that Shakespeare’s timeless story has been successfully transported into the modern world.

Romeo and Juliette: The opera

Given the tragic ending, it is not surprising that Romeo and Juliet has also found its way into the opera world. Compiled by Charles Gounod and titled Romeo and JulietteThis version of Shakespeare’s masterpiece was first performed in Paris in 1867. Although it is by no means the only play by Shakespeare to be turned into an opera, it is one of the few that has retained its place in the repertoire of the world’s greatest plays. opera houses until today.

Gnomeo and Julia: The animated version of Romeo and Juliet

One of the cutest edits of Romeo and Juliet is the animated film Gnomeo and Julia. As the title suggests, the story revolves around two garden gnomes from rival families who fall in love with each other. Unlike the original play, the film has a happy ending: Gnomeo and Juliet get married. The film grossed over $190 million at the box office and the soundtrack includes a song composed by Lady Gaga and Elton John. As the above examples show, Shakespeare’s timeless love story lends itself to endless (re)interpretations and adaptations in different genres. The play also remains a favorite on stages around the world and continues to be studied as part of many school curricula.