Romeo and Juliet (Folger Shakespeare Library)

Romeo and Juliet (Folger Shakespeare Library)

 by William Shakespeare
(based on 29 customer reviews)

Romeo and Juliet (Folger Shakespeare Library) (Mass Market Paperback)
Author: William Shakespeare
Publisher: Washington Square Press


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Most useful review as voted by customers:
15 out of 20 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 2/28/06


Beautiful Love Story

Romeo and Juliet is a compelling romantic tragedy which I first read at secondary school. I suppose that since the play is simple, it was a good introduction for me to the wealth of Shakespeare's genius. I thoroughly enjoyed the moving exchanges between Romeo and Juliet.

Here were two families, the Capulet and Montague that were in perpetual feud. The quarrel was going on for a long time that no one in the two families really cared to find out the root cause and if it could not be resolved. All that the two families cared about was to kill each other wherever possible.

Romeo (a Montague) falls in love with Juliet (a Capulet). However, because of the long-running feud between their families, they were married in secret by Friar Lawrence. They decide to flee Verona since Juliet was due to be married to another man. Romeo gets banished from Verona following his killing of Tybalt when he was avenging the death of his friend Mercutio.

With the dilemma that Romeo and Juliet were having, Friar Lawrence and Juliet come up with a plan for Juliet to take a poison that would make her appear dead and Romeo would come and take her when she wakes up 48 hours later. However, Romeo was not aware of the plan and when he turns up and sees Juliet apparently dead, he decides to kill himself. When eventually Juliet wakes up, she finds her lover dead so she also kills herself. When the two feuding families discover what happened, they decide to end their feud.

For those who want to start learning Shakespeare, this is a good place to start. The play is first class, simple and straightforward romantic tragedy. I love the play as it highlights the ultimate futility of all conflicts and teaches the often unfortunate and unnecessary tragic consequences of such conflicts.


10 out of 14 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 8/6/04


Thwarted love.

I recently re-read ROMEO AND JULIET prior to attending The Colorado Shakespeare Festival's performance of the Bard's most famous love story under the summer stars here in Boulder. It tells the familiar, romantic tragedy of an age-old feud between the Montague and Capulet familes, and the love between "star-crossed" lovers, Romeo (a Montague) and Juliet (a Capulet). After the two lovers secretly marry, the hostility between their families escalates, driving young Romeo and Juliet to their shared destiny of love and death. ROMEO AND JULIET is a powerful play about the pursuit of love in a violent society. It is also a play that reminds me that it is perhaps better to read and re-read Shakespeare than to devour one bestseller after the next.

G. Merritt

9 out of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 12/4/06


Immortal Story Presented So Anyone Can Understand The Vocabulary

Of course this is an immortal story that has been read for centuries and at least one beautiful motion picture has been based on it. But, I guess I'm a "dunce" because I never could understand much of the dialogue. "What he say?" was my reaction to much of it. But, I discovered these Folger Shakespeare Library editions that have the dialogue as written by Shakespeare in Elizabethan English on the right side of the page and the "translations" and explanations on the left. Wow! That format makes it very easy to enjoy this book without going to a dictionary every 90 seconds or so! And, for teachers, I think they'll be overjoyed when they see the positive results they could get in class! If you have any opinions about this edition please email boland7214@aol.

8 out of 11 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 2/4/05


Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet was one of my first Shakespearean plays, but I still love it. Each time I read it, it gets better and better. It's so poetic, and the way Shakespeare plays with words and phrasing in this play has yet to be beaten. And, of course, there's that irresistible plot...

In fair Verona, Italy, where this play takes place, two houses, alike in dignity, are feuding-the Monatagues and the Capulets. Romeo, a Monatague, attending an evening party at the Capulets in disguise (for if he went as himself he'd get killed), falls in love with the beautiful Juliet, who is a Capulet. Nevertheless, both find time to see each-other and fall even more in love. They marry in secret, but when Romeo is forced to kill the evil Tybalt, he is banished. Juliet is plunged into despair and hatches an elaborate plan to be with Romeo once again. This leads to their famed and passionate deaths, and, at last, the breaking of the feud between the family.

Many people like to make fun of this play (formerly me included) and call it a comedy, but I got so caught up in the plot that I actually cried at the end--just reading it. It's a sad story, but it's still so beautifully written and wonderful. A must on any shelf.

8 out of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 2/21/06


Understandable notations

The Folger edition of Romeo and Juliet is very easy to read. The many notes and illustrations make it enjoyable.

8 out of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 8/1/06


Great Book!

Romeo and Juliet is a wonderful read. I loved reading every minute of it. The summaries and the explanatory notes help you understand everything about it. This is a great book and I would recommend you read this as an introduction to Shakespeare. I did and I am now going to start A Midsummer Night's Dream. Read this book! You'll love every minute of it!


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