1. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
Play Background
*Glencoe Literature Course 4

2. Romeo and Juliet Background
Shakespeare’s main source was the Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet (1562), a narrative poem by Arthur Brooke.
Shakespeare changed Brooke’s version in several way.
He gave more detail to some characters such as the Nurse, Benvolio, and Mercutio.
Juliet’s age dropped from 16 to 13.
Instead of taking place over several months, the action of the play occurs within a single week.

3. Setting
The events of the play take place during the summer in Verona and Mantua, two cities in northern Italy, in the 1300’s.

4. Parents and Marriage
In Romeo and Juliet, parents are the biggest obstacle to the couple’s marriage.
During the Renaissance, young people need permission from their parents or guardians to be married.
Parents commonly arranged marriages for their children, especially in the upper-class.
Arranged marriages usually required the bride’s consent.
Girls could legally get married at age 12, but they were usually 15 or 16 when they married.

5. Influence of Astrology
Romeo and Juliet are described as “a pair of star-cross’d lovers” in the play’s prologue, or introduction.
This suggests that their tragic downfall was influenced by the position of the stars and planets at their birth.
Belief in astrology was widespread during Elizabethan England.
Physicians often studied their patients’ horoscopes before deciding on a diagnosis or treatment.