Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a classic tragedy by William Shakespeare about two teenage "star-cross'd lovers" from feuding households in Verona. Along with Hamlet, the play is Shakespeare's most widely-performed and adapted. The plot is based on an Italian story, translated into verse in 1562 by Arthur Brooke as Romeus and Juliet. It was retold in prose form by William Painter in 1582 as Palace of Pleasure. Painter and Brooke's work served as Shakespeare's primary inspiration for the play.

The play has been adapted for film, ballet, opera and television. Most notably, Franco Zeffirelli directed a 1968 version starring Olivia Hussey as Juliet and Leonard Whiting as Romeo. The film was given a thoroughly postmodern retelling by Australian director Baz Luhrmann who released an amped-up, Academy Award-nominated version, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, in 1996.

• But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
• It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
• Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
• Who is already sick and pale with grief,
• That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
• Be not her maid, since she is envious;
• Her vestal livery is but sick and green
• And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
• It is my lady, O, it is my love!
• O, that she knew she were!
• She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
• Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
• I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:
• Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
• Having some business, do entreat her eyes
• To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
• What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
• The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
• As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
• Would through the airy region stream so bright
• That birds would sing and think it were not night.
• See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
• O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
• That I might touch that cheek!

• Note: The majority of the links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.

• 1933: Romeo and Juliet First Sound Recording

• 1936: Romeo and Juliet (Norma Shearer) (Leslie Howard) (John Barrymore) (Basil Rathbone)]

• 1947: Romeo and Juliet (TV) First TV Production

• 1965: Romeo and Juliet (TV-Filmed Stage Performance)

• 1968: Romeo and Juliet (Franco Zeffirelli) (Olivia Hussey) (Leonard Whiting)

• 1978: Romeo and Juliet (TV) (John Gielgud) (Alan Rickman-TV Debut)

• 1996: William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (Leonardo Dicaprio) (Claire Danes)

• Note: These links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.

• 1900: Romeo and Juliet (Silent)

• 1924: Romeo and Juliet (Comedy Short) (Silent)

• 1942: Shuhaddaa el gharam (Arabic)

• 1943: Romeo y Julieta (Spanish)

• 1947: Romeo and Juliet (Indian-Urdu)

• 1951: Romeo e Giulietta

• 1955: Romeo i Dzhulyetta (Russian)

• 1964: Giulietta e Romeo (Italian)

• 1982: Romeo e Giulietta (Ballet)

• 1983: Romeo and Juliet on Ice (TV)

• 1998: Shakespeare in Love

• 2000: Romeo e Giulietta (TV) (Ballet) (Italian)

• 2002: Roméo et Juliette (TV) (Opera) (French)

• Amazon.com: Romeo and Juliet Related Merchandise

• eBay.com: Romeo and Juliet Related Merchandise

• CafePress: Romeo and Juliet Printed Merchandise

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