Most modern editions are based on a combination of Q1 and Q2. Q2 formed the basis of the version that appeared in the First Folio, the first collection of the complete works of Shakespeare, published in 1623. Q1 is apparently a pirated copy based on an actor's faulty memory of the play, whereas Q2 appears to be based on Shakespeare's own rough draft. Two different versions of Romeo and Juliet were published in book form during Shakespeare's lifetime, the First Quarto (Q1) in 1597 and the Second Quarto (Q2) in 1599. However, stories similar to Romeo and Juliet existed for centuries before Shakespeare's time, including the legend of Pyramus and Thisbe, which is parodied in Shakespeare's own A Midsummer Night's Dream. Romeo and Juliet is based on a lost novella by the Italian author Matteo Bandello which was adapted into English in 1562 as a poem by Arthur Brooke and in 1582 as a short story by William Painter. The hatred between the two families means that Romeo and Juliet are forced to keep their love for each other secret, with ultimately tragic consequences. The two main characters come from two families which have long been feuding with each other, Romeo from the Montague family and Juliet from the Capulet family. It was one of the most popular of Shakespeare's plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, it remains one of the most frequently performed of his plays today. It is believed to have been written at some time between 15. Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare early in his career as a playwright. 1884 painting of Romeo and Juliet by Frank Bernard Dicksee.

20 romeo and juliet songs