Introduction to Romeo and Juliet Without knowing it, you are probably already familiar with William Shakespeares

Romeo and Juliet. The play itself has come to us through the ages and represents a classic tale of what true romantic love is all about. Chances are you have either seen a stage production or a film version of Romeo and Juliet, or you have seen one of the many adaptations of the story that have been created. For example, West Side Story is a musical that is roughly based on the story. In addition, because of its fame, the play serves as a cultural reference for anything that has to do with love. Shakespeare as Plagiarist? Did you know that Shakespeare did not actually think up the actual storylines of many of his plays? One of the greatest writers in the English language was actually a very good adapter of traditional or popular stories! Shakespeare was a partner in one of Englands many acting companies, and it was his job to continually produce new scripts so that his company could stay competitive in a fierce market. With all of that pressure, Shakespeare would turn to other stories; however, the reason why we study Shakespeare today is because of what he did with those stories. Shakespeares language and imagery, his way of turning the tales and exploring complex human emotions and conditions within them has not been equaled.

Romeo and Juliet was originally written as Romeo and Guilietta by an Italian writer named da Porta
in 1530. Later, a British poet (Brooke) transformed it into a 3000 line poem, and Shakespeare used this as the basis for his play.

Structure in Romeo and Juliet A Shakespearean tragedy can be broken down into six distinct structural elements: 1. Exposition 2. Inciting Force 3. Rising Action 4. Climax 5. Falling Action 6. Catastrophe

In Romeo and Juliet these elements roughly correspond to the acts of the play: Act I: Exposition, Inciting Force, Rising Action Act II: Rising Action Act III: Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action Act IV: Falling Action Act V: Falling Action, Catastrophe As we are reading the play, jot down the main events that take place during each of the six structural elements of the play:

Climax Falling Action Rising Action Catastrophe Exposition Inciting Force