Romeo and Juliet: Third Series (Arden Shakespeare) (The Arden Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare

by William Shakespeare

Genres: Classics, Shakespeare, Plays, Theatre

Unknown Binding

Published January 1, 1770

About the author

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men after the ascension of King James VI and I of Scotland to the English throne. At age 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs, and even certain fringe theories as to whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best works produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.
Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. However, in 1623, John Heminge and Henry Condell, two fellow actors and friends of Shakespeare's, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of Shakespeare's dramatic works that includes 36 of his plays. Its Preface was a prescient poem by Ben Jonson, a former rival of Shakespeare, that hailed Shakespeare with the now famous epithet: "not of an age, but for all time".

Reviews

[hannah bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will always be a R&J apologist!! It’s one of Shakespeare’s most famous classics for a reason. In my opinion it’s so overrated that it’s underrated and I will proclaim that it is incredible for all to hear!! 🗣️🗣️ The characters are raw and real and endearing and the picture of life in this era is eye opening, as well as not actually that different from today. Call me a hopeless romantic or a glutton for heartache but sometimes I just love a sad ending, okay? Glad grad school homework gave me a reason to read it front to back.

[Sedina]

read this again for my acting shakespeare class (it’s giving senior spring eek) and it was so interesting to think about how the young lovers were aware of death the whole time…i feel that I never picked that up in past readings. was lovely to read after seeing American Repertory Theater’s version so recently and after being involved in Adrienne Chan’s contemporary dance version…cool to think about what’s kept and what’s left out of performances. no one really wants to hear what the servingmen have to say. curious. it was an exercise indeed to imagine how I might act different parts. i feel like Nurse would come really naturally to me; I’ve been told I give mom energy.

[artrynsic · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic!!
Had goosebumps all over my body several times! This love story just never gets old. love it <3

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Leichte" Lektüre 🤌

[Maya]

pretty good

[Colin Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

He really popped off with this one

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I specifically read the version edited by Brian Gibbons, although not sure if Goodreads has that listed.

One of those "it's so popular because it's good, actually" reads - giving it another chance over ten years after first encountering it in high school definitely made me appreciate this more (as did reading it in preparation to see it performed live). This is a veritable hit parade of Shakespeare's favorite motifs - fate and fortune, love and death, madness and sickness, and a malleable time frame that progresses exactly as quickly or slowly as the drama requires. It really does contain some exquisite language, and although far from my favorite play (of those I've read), it stands up as deserving of its praise (most of it, at least).

For the edition itself, this is a fine example of what I now come to expect from Arden. Thorough scholarship, an illuminating introduction, and a deft balance in the footnotes between merely defining words and tracing the connections between one line and another later in the play or across plays and other Elizabethan literature.

Never in my life have I read the phrase "bawdy quibble" so many times in the same book, though. On the same page, no less.

[Stefanos Baziotis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's beyond me how a good friend of mine doesn't like Shakespeare, and specifically Romeo and Juliet. It's sad what literature-heavy high schools can cause...

Anyway, how sweet! But we should not forget the spicy bits, like:

'Yea,' quoth he, 'dost thou fall upon thy face?
Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit,
Wilt thou not Jule? ...

Now, regarding the edition. Arden has, in my opinion, the best Shakespeare editions. Sometimes they can have too much information that makes you lose the flow. But, it has the most comprehensive treatment. That said, a Folger edition can be a good companion. In terms of format, the Arden Performance editions are the best, because the annotations are aligned with the text, so you can quickly go back and forth. But, they don't have nearly as much nuanced details. However, they are an easier-to-parse Folger-like editions.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The well-researched and comprehensive introduction of Arden Shakespeare books really help me understand the play. My first real reading of Romeo and Juliet so it was quite enjoyable, even though I don't really "get" poetry. 5.3.309-10 is chef kiss

[laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

ahora que lo leo sin ser una adolescente edgy y diferente me parece mucho mejor

[Caroline Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Then I see Queen Mab hath been with you.

smh, a plague on both your houses

[James Earle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intro wasn't as helpful as the Arden editions usually are. I'd recommend picking up the Arden Critical reader if you want a good introduction to the plays critical reception.

[spooky · Rating 4 out of 5]

🥲. that’s it. i love theatre

[Ted Manahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over rated.

This publishing of the story is very good, with a long scholarly introduction and copious footnotes.

[Christine Strong]

bencutio… i’m gonna be sick!

[U · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The challenges to authority in Romeo and Juliet are less ideological than in Webster’s tragedy of mature love. Rather, the imaginative conception of the young Veronese lovers is as much aesthetic as it is sentimental: Romeo and Juliet cannot grow old, their beauty can never fade.”

I hate to admit it, but there’s something profoundly touching about this play. Perhaps it’s how each character meets their end for what they passionately love: Tybalt for his pride and family, Mercutio for his friends and the theatricality of a duel, Lady Montague for her son, and Romeo and Juliet for each other. Or perhaps it’s the way, despite their youth and the play’s unrealistic setting, I was completely convinced that Romeo and Juliet loved one another. Their first exchange formed a sonnet, a clear indicator of their connection but they also possessed a love they actively work to nurture despite overwhelming odds. Juliet, for instance, refuses to accept Romeo’s conventional poetic advances until he collaborates with her to create something meaningful and mutual. To Romeo’s credit, his language about Juliet is far more mature and profound than anything he ever says about Rosaline.

Ultimately, though, it’s the tragedy that drew me in. Romeo and Juliet are victims of a society consumed by a senseless feud. In such a hostile world, their relationship represents a rare, tragic beauty–a love that dares to exist in the face of hate. Both Romeo and Juliet possess a perspective on life that transcends the limitations of their world. Juliet, in particular, stands out as a bright, exuberant protagonist who defies stereotypical gender roles by setting the terms of their relationship.

Yet, it remains a profound sorrow that they never felt safe enough with their loved ones to confess their innocent act of familial defiance in the name of love. But then again, as the play reminds us, there was never a tale of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Having read both the Arden and The Annotated Shakespeare editions of the play, I found that the Arden offered a stronger introduction, particularly in its focus on Juliet’s power as a character and its insightful commentary on the performance of the play. However, The Annotated Shakespeare was perhaps more accessible for newcomers to Shakespeare, as it provided more comprehensive translations and explanations, whereas the Arden often assumed a prior familiarity with the text.