Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1594 to 1596, set in the Italian city of Verona. Two young lovers from feuding noble families (the Montagues and the Capulets) meet, marry in secret, and try desperately to stay together against the violence of their families’ hatred. Over the course of just four days, a chain of misunderstandings and ill-timed events drives them toward their deaths, and only their loss finally ends the feud.

It is one of the most performed plays in history and a landmark work on love, fate, and youth, shaping how Western literature has written about romantic love ever since. Today it is a set text on the Cambridge IGCSE English Literature syllabus, a common choice on IB English Literature and Language & Literature courses, and frequently appears on AP English Literature exam questions, making it many students’ first serious encounter with Shakespeare.