Meanwhile, Romeo Montague, the son of Lord Montague, runs into his cousin Benvolio. Attempting to end the violence plaguing the city, he announces that anyone caught fighting in the future will be punished by death. Verona’s ruler, the Prince, arrives to end the battle. The play opens as a street fight breaks out between servants of these families. In the streets of Verona, Italy, two noble families - the Montagues and the Capulets - are locked in a violent feud. (Don’t worry if you’re a beginner - we’ll start with a summary of Romeo and Juliet to get you familiar with the play.) If you’re ready to understand what sets Romeo and Juliet apart and why it’s relevant to your life, this article is for you. (Sorry to call you out, Vampire Diaries and Fifty Shades of Grey). In fact, they often have to rely on amped-up drama and over-the-top sexual content in order to keep their audiences hooked. Like all Shakespeare’s plays, it captures eternal themes about human experience‒ something that most romance novels try to grasp, but can only imitate.īy comparison, even the most popular modern romance dramas fall flat. In a nutshell, Romeo and Juliet is the real thing. Why has it engrossed audiences for centuries and inspired countless spin-offs, while it only takes a few decades for most rom-droms to end up in the cultural trash heap? So what sets Romeo and Juliet apart and makes it the definitive tragic love story? However, that’s basically the plot of every modern teen romance, from Twilight to Riverdale. We all know that The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is about star-crossed lovers who get themselves into a lot of trouble. If I tell you to name a Shakespeare play, what’s the first one that springs to mind?įor most, it’s “Romeo and Juliet.” It’s not just a great Shakespeare play for beginners, but undeniably one of the greatest love stories of all time.

Romeo and juliet drama script