Romeo and Juliet

At a Glance

In Verona, two noble families — the Montagues and Capulets — wage a pointless feud. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet meet at a party and fall instantly, catastrophically in love. They marry in secret. Romeo kills Juliet's cousin Tybalt and is banished. Juliet fakes her death to escape a forced marriage; Romeo doesn't get the message, believes she is truly dead, and poisons himself beside her. Juliet wakes, finds Romeo dead, and kills herself with his dagger. The families, devastated, finally end their feud — over the bodies of their children.

Why This Book Matters

Romeo and Juliet was performed within Shakespeare's lifetime and immediately became one of his most popular plays. Unlike many Shakespeare plays that fell out of fashion and were revived later, Romeo and Juliet never stopped being performed. It is the most-produced Shakespeare play in the world and has generated more adaptations than any other work of Western literature. The balcony scene is possibly the most recognized theatrical image in any language.

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