Romeo and Juliet - introduction - Pace and Esposito

Romeo & Juliet

Introduction

Is the play a tragedy?

Romeo and Juliet is not only, one of the most popular Shakespearean plays, but also one of the most famous myths of love. The very names of its heroes have become synonyms for young lovers.

Is the story original?

Where does the story take place?

Anita Pace & Rebecca Esposito

The tragic plot is by no means original, it is indeed based on Masuccio Salernitano's folktale "Mariotto and Ganozza".

Despite the heartbreaking ending could lead us to think of the play as a tragedy, it is characterized by elements of both comedy and tragedy. It begins like a comedy with the instant attraction of the lovers but it differs from the type of drama because in the end knowledge is only for the characters who have suffered.

Like many works of the playwright, the story takes place in Italy, precisely in Verona; that is because, to the Elizabethan audience, the country was a place of passionate love affairs and mysterious murder. Unfortunately, Romeo and Juliet's passionate love affair is hindered by their rival feuding families: the Montague and the Capulet.