Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

by Lynette Hunter, Peter Lichtenfels

This new scholarly edition ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is edited with theatre productions in mind, and how theatre has an impact on how we read and play Shakespeare’s works. The editors bring a wealth of experience in theatre, textual editing and literary criticism to the play, and renew it as a comic tragedy that establishes many of the modern world’s obsessions. The edition restores much of the early text that is traditionally cut out and offers insight into how to play difficult passages. This great romance becomes an early commentary on identity, sexuality, the family and the law, creating some of the first fully-rounded female characters in the English theatre, and providing a dry-run for ‘Hamlet’.

Genres: Classics

644 pages, Paperback

First published March 24, 2010

About the author

Hunter is Distinguished Professor Emerita of the History of Rhetoric and Performance at the University of California, Davis, and Professor Emeritus in Rhetoric at Gresham College, City of London. She has written or co-written over 25 books in performance studies, feminist philosophy, the politics of decolonial and alterior aesthetics, and the history of rhetoric and performance, including Critiques of Knowing (Routledge, 1999).

Reviews

[Ophelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Review of *Romeo and Juliet***
By Ophelia

*Romeo and Juliet* is a tale of love so fierce and fleeting that it aches to read. Their devotion is pure, their longing sweet, yet their passion leads them to ruin. I understand Juliet’s heart—the way it beats for her Romeo, even as the world conspires to keep them apart.

The story is full of tender words and tragic ends, like a flower plucked too soon. Their love, though beautiful, feels reckless. I wonder if they had paused, would their tale have turned to joy instead of sorrow? Or is love always destined to hurt those who hold it too tightly?

It is a bittersweet play, much like my own life, and it lingers in the soul like the faint scent of a fading bloom.

**Rating: 4/5 violets.**

[Vicki Carbone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everybody dies. No one wins. Especially 9th grade teachers. Thank you NYS for making this the play introducing kids to Shakespeare. It was my "intro" in 9th grade too. Fortunately, my discerning 8th grade teacher introduced me to Shakespeare by telling me what an extraordinary reader I was, how she had such faith in me that she was loaning me her Shakespeare and to start with the comedies and come talk to her as I finished things. R&J has been done to death. Literally and figuratively. Rant over.

[Zach Wolcott · Rating 1 out of 5]

It wasnt that interesting too me. i didnt like the plot.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

love that will never happen.

[Rebe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Flowery language, with little character development. I enjoyed reading it for the sound of the words, but I don't like the plot or the characters themselves.

[William Kannegieter]

was pretty boring read in class.

[Ineta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too sappy for my taste.

[Wilson Aguayza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is amazing because i use this book for all my essays.

[Menna · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing