Week #40 – Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

Welcome to 2023!  On Mondays this year, let’s discuss and have fun with books. No I’m not writing book reviews. But this website is for writers, and writers like books right? So let’s have FUN with books!

Week #40 – Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare, 1597

Romeo and Juliet, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, is about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. Along with Hamlet, it’s one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. Juliet is just 13 years old and the couple’s romance lasted just 24 hours.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet

Twelve facts about Romeo & Juliet, including that the Montague’s and the Capulet’s were referenced in Dante’s Divine Comedy which was written more than 250 years before Shakespeare was born.

https://www.howlifeunfolds.com/learning-education/12-facts-about-william-shakespeares-romeo-and-juliet

West Side Story (1957), an American musical, is a modern retelling set in the 1950s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Side_Story

https://www.westsidestory.com/

There are several film iterations, including 1961 [directors Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise] and 2021 [director Stephen Spielberg]. The 2021 version stars Rachel Zegler who also plays Snow White in the new Disney movie.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055614/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3581652/

Have you read Romeo and Juliet? What about West Side Story? Tell us in the comments!