Romeo and Juliet:‘These violent delights have violent ends.’

Episode 162

In today’s episode I look at Shakespeare’s early tragedy and one of his enduringly popular plays ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

The dating of the play

The early printings of the play in quarto editions

The origins of the story and Shakespeare’s direct sources

The opening chorus

Violence and the hand of fate underlying the action

The opening brawl and the threat of violence to women

The calming voice of women in the play

Romeo as a Petrarchan hero

Juliet as an innovative character who drives the plot

Romeo and Juliet’s shared sonnet

The motivations of Friar Lawrence and Juliet’s nurse

A brief performance history of the play

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