The play Romeo and Juliet was written by a famous play write called William Shakespeare

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   The play Romeo and Juliet was written by a famous play write called William Shakespeare (1564-1616). He wrote many plays including MacBeth, Twelfth Night, As You Like It but Romeo and Juliet is one of his most popular tragedies. This is a play about two people in love brought together by hatred.

   

   The way William Shakespeare’s plays were performed is unusual to today’s standard but very usual in the 16th century. Young boys not women performed the parts of women in these plays. Women were not allowed to act on stage. Shakespeare’s plays were performed at the Globe Theatre or the Black Fairs Theatre. Some times though they would get a special presentation at the courts of Queen Elizabeth 1st and King James 1st.

   The Montague’s and Capulets are two rivalry families. They are involved in a family feud that goes back years before any of the members were born. Yet the feud still continues due to the fact that neither family is ready to forgive and forget the past. Even the townspeople are involved because the families do not keep the feud in the privacy of their own home but have been seen fighting in the public streets and displaying violence. They disrupt the peace of Verona and even Prince Escalus personally had to break up a fight, where the family members were heavily fined. They were also given a warning that another public fight could result in death. While this is occurring Romeo, the main character, is getting over his last love, Rosaline, and was very upset. Juliet of the Capulet household has just been introduced to a wealthy young man, Paris, who her parents wish her to marry. Yet she does not love him. During this Romeo, who is in love with Rosaline, goes to a party in an effort to forget her or to rebuild his broken heart. At this party he meets Juliet, and immediately falls in love with her. He later finds out that she is a Capulet, the rival family of the Montague’s. He decides that he loves her anyway and they confess their love for each other during the very famous "balcony scene" in which they agree to secretly marry the next day. Friar Lawrence agrees to marry them in an effort to end the feuding between the families. Unfortunately, the fighting gets worse and Mercutio, a good friend of Romeo's, ends up in a fight with Tybalt, Juliet's cousin. Tybalt kills Mercutio, which causes Romeo to kill Tybalt in an angry rage. For this, Romeo is banished from Verona.

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   At the same time, the Capulet's are planning Juliet's marriage to Paris. Juliet does not want to marry this man so she arranges with Friar Lawrence to fake her own death with a sleeping potion that will make everyone think that she is dead. Friar Lawrence promises to send word to Romeo to meet her when the potion wears off and to rescue her to Mantua, where Romeo is currently staying. There they would live happily ever after. Unfortunately, Romeo does not receive this message on time and upon hearing of her "death" goes to Juliet's tomb where he ...

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