You can read the original Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet playscript online at. Perhaps, only Shakespeare and the original “star-cross'd” lovers have the answer to this conundrum.

There has been much scholarly disagreement over what, if anything, is the key theme in Romeo and Juliet. It happens all the time, especially on Tuesdays.Īnyway, Romeo and Juliet is one of the most influential plays ever written. We all know the story: boy meets girl girl meets boy their families hate each other there's a secret wedding boy gets banished and, it all ends in disaster. The first performance of the play probably featured Richard Burbage –leading superstar actor of the age- as Romeo. Shakespeare developed the plot, characters and added drama and humour to story. The original tale of 'Romeus and Juliet' was translated from Italian into English by Arthur Brooke in 1562. It was immediately popular with audiences, except for the critic Samuel Pepys, who wrote in 1662, that “it is a play of itself the worst that I ever heard in my life.” Most people disagree with this. Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare sometime between 15. THREE COUPLES (6 non-speaking roles in total) The play is set in 15th century Verona and Mantua. As I hate hell, all Montagues and Brussels sprouts! Lay down your weapon, spoon! If you cannot accept peace why don't you go to your room and cry like a spanked child, eh? LORD CAPULET: I hate their guts too, but the Prince has banned all fighting between our houses on pain of death. TYBALT: (Pointing at Romeo.) A Monatague has squirmed his way into our house and I will make him pay in blood for the insult! LORD CAPULET: Tybalt lay down your, er, spoon. (Tybalt grabs the spoon from Servant 1 and brandishes it like a knife. SERVANT 1: Not if you don't say 'please', sir. TYBALT: Give me your biggest, meanest, sharpest spoon for I mean kill a sworn enemy. TYBALT: A plague in your pants! What do you have? Romeo is now gazing lovingly a metre away from Julie, who does not notice him.) (Tybalt rushes over to the serving tables. Aghh, alas I carry no sword and have no dagger. TYBALT: I recognise that face! A cursed Montague in our house. She's just faking it: it's probably wedding day nerves. I nurtured her like one of my own and now death lies on her like an untimely frost.

Romeo and juliet junior play script