Two facts prompted me to write this note. First, the newest translation of Romeo and Juliet by director Ivan Didenko has now appeared on the net, which I listened to with pleasure, and, I must say, this is the best thing that has happened to Shakespeare's tragedy in the last 100 years.
Secondly, a post about “how old we all are” began to circulate on social networks again, where it is mentioned that Juliet’s mother was 28 years old, and this is absolutely not true. In the note - 12 quick facts about the tragedy "Romeo and Juliet", after reading which, I hope you will want to get acquainted with the new translation of the play, because it is incredibly good. So let's go!
1. First and most important. Shakespeare did not create a play about two unfortunate lovers from Verona from scratch. By the time the tragedy was staged at the Globe Theatre, the whole of Europe already knew this story. The first to take it into literary form was the Italian writer Luigi da Porto. In 1530, he published The Newly Found Story of Two Noble Lovers, but the novella was most famous in the interpretation of Matteo Bandello, another Italian writer who reworked da Porto's plot in his own way. By the way, Bandello is also the author of short stories, which later formed the basis of the plays "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Twelfth Night", so the researchers, not without reason, believe that Shakespeare was inspired by his version of the tragedy.
Romeo and Juliet by Franco Zeffirelli
2. If we talk about Luigi da Porto, then, according to many literary critics, the plot of "Romeo and Juliet" is based on the writer's autobiography. Luigi was in love with his cousin, 16-year-old Lucina Savornian from the Italian city of Udine, and it was she who became the prototype of Juliet. The lovers were involved in family feuds and as a result, Lucina married another. To this day, many Udine guides call this city the place where the plot of the well-known tragedy was born.
3. Another point on the map of Italy, associated with Romeo and Juliet, is the town of Montecchio Maggiore, located near Vicenza, where Luigi da Porto lived and worked. There are two castles on the neighboring hills - the former fortresses of the Scaligers, built for defensive purposes. Today, everyone calls them “the castles of Romeo and Juliet”, they say, Luigi da Porto, who described the confrontation between the two families, was inspired by just these fortresses. In addition, the name of the locality of Montecchio is consonant with the name of Romeo Montecchi, which, of course, is no accident. Today, restaurants are open in the castles and, for obvious reasons, they are most often rented for weddings. In the courtyard of the “Castle of Juliet”, the current owners even installed a white statue of Romeo for some reason with an apple in his hands.
OUR VIDEO ABOUT "ROMEO AND JULIET" CASTLES
4. Juliet's surname "Capuleti" is a distorted version of the Italian surname "Cappelleti", which means "Shlyapnikova". So, in translation into Russian, the main character of Shakespeare's tragedy is simply called: "Julia Shlyapnikova."
5. The play takes place between 1301 and 1304. Where does such accurate information come from? It's simple: the text of Luigi da Porto indicates that at that time Bartolomeo I della Scala was Verona's underling, and he ruled the city from 1301 to 1304.
6. It is also possible to determine with relative accuracy the month when the tragic events took place. Most likely, they met, fell in love, got married and Romeo and Juliet died in late April - early May. Everything is also very simple here: during the wedding night, they hear the birds singing, and brother Lorenzo in the scene, when Romeo asks to marry him to Juliet, collects spring flowers and herbs for potions.
7. Juliet's mother is believed to be 28 years old. This is not so, most likely, she is only 25. Calculate for yourself: at the time of the tragedy, Juliet “is not yet fourteen years old”, while her mother mentions that she “had given birth to her before”, that is, at 12. By the way, this particular age was considered in the fourteenth century "the age of the first youth". 12 + 13 \u003d 25. Or 24 if Juliet's mother was not at all lucky.
8. The name "Juliet" indicates two aspects at once. Firstly, that the girl is very young, because in Italy this is a childish appeal to a female person named "Julia". At the same time, in the story of Luigi da Porto (the first version of this story), the main character is already 18 years old, but in Shakespeare she is only 13. Secondly, the name Juliet tells us that the girl was born in July. For the doubters: The Nurse mentions that Juliet will turn fourteen on Peter's Day - July 29th.
9. Apparently, Juliet's father and the Nurse had an intimate relationship in the past. The Nurse herself hints at this: in the scene of preparations for the wedding of Juliet and Paris, she calls Senor Capulet "an old debauchee." By the way, if we turn to the realities of Northern Italy of the XIV century, this is quite likely. The former “civil wives” of influential seniors often became breadwinners here, that is, mistresses from the bottom, who instructed young people of the upper class in the art of family life and love. Relations with them, as a rule, ceased after the marriage of the lord on the level. Then the girls got married, gave birth, and then moved into the category of nurses: you won’t trust your blood to an unfamiliar woman?
10. Everyone knows the famous scene on the balcony: when Romeo and Juliet first declare their love to each other and agree on marriage. In fact, neither Shakespeare nor other versions of the tragedy have any balcony at all. Juliet stands at the window, which is closed with shutters, then opens them, looks at the stars, and then Romeo, sighing under the window, makes himself felt, after which their famous dialogue begins.
This is especially noticeable if you read the text in the original. Not without reason, the balcony does not appear in the scene of the wedding night either: Romeo climbs in and climbs out through the window. Where did he come from? Here, the theatrical tradition is to blame for everything, which eventually took hold, and everyone began to associate the scene of a declaration of love with a balcony, on which Romeo, of course, must climb, risking his life, according to the laws of the genre.
In the photo: Juliet's balcony in Verona
11. If we talk about Shakespeare's text, then, you know, everything that we read today is just a pirated version of the play. Shakespeare's works were not published, just competitors who came to the Globe Theater recorded the action by ear, so the same Hamlet today exists in very different versions. Another important point: the play was written for the crowd, so it contains an unthinkable amount of all kinds of obscene and jokes below the belt of some Pavel Volya. But, starting from the 18th century, when the theater began to be perceived more as a sublime and noble art, directors began to systematically eradicate obscenities from the original text. In the classical Russian translations of the tragedy, there are no indecencies at all.
12. Filmmakers and directors of theatrical productions most often throw out the same scene from Shakespeare's play. It takes place in the cemetery, when Romeo, heading to the tomb of Juliet, meets Paris on his way, and a duel takes place between the young people. As a result, Romeo kills the groom of his beloved, after which he takes his body to the crypt. This episode is not in the classic Zeffirelli film, nor in the modernized adaptation of the tragedy with Leonardo DiCaprio, nor, of course, in the musical. Apparently, the directors are diligently getting rid of the ambiguity of the image of Romeo, and besides, they do not want to distract the audience's attention from the story of two lovers, which brings the play closer to pre-Shakespearean versions: texts by Luigi da Porto and Matteo Bandello.
Juliet's birthday is celebrated on September 16 in Verona, Italy. But did this girl live in real life and did she really experience such feelings because of which one could die?
Love Letters
As you know, Shakespeare did not indicate any specific dates in his history. It is only known that Juliet was not even 14 years old. Historians have spent a lot of time and effort to compare all the events in the tragedy and calculate the exact date of her birth. It is believed that Juliet Capulet born September 16, 1284. On this day, the most romantic and loving people from all over the world come to Verona. Juliet's Club has existed in the city for 45 years. Girls from the club respond to letters that come to the heroine of the tragedy with questions about love, betrayal and requests to resolve some difficult situation. It is said that more than 5000 letters addressed to Juliet are sent to Verona every year. They are even emailed. And not a single message has gone unanswered.
ROMEO AND JULIET. MASS PRODUCED / WIKIPEDIASpanish tragedy
They say that in the XIII century in the Spanish city of Teruel lived two families, both of a noble family. Daughter grew up in one Isabel, to another son Diego. The children grew up together, and over time, their friendship grew into tender feelings. When they were 15 years old, they started talking about the wedding. But the Diego family was noticeably impoverished and experienced serious difficulties. It is not surprising that Isabella's father did not want to give his blood to a poor family.
And then the young man in love promised the man that he would leave Teruel for five years to get rich. And he asked, if successful, to give his daughter to marry him. Diego left. Her father tried to marry Isabella to someone else, more noble and rich, but the girl cheated: she asked the head of the family to give her a five-year deferment in order to learn how to manage the household and be a good wife.
When she was twenty, a worthy young man betrothed her. Played a wedding. And the next day, Diego appeared in Teruel. He kept his word and became a very rich and respected man, participating in the Crusades. Upon learning that his beloved did not wait for him, he entered the bedroom of the newlyweds at night. Diego begged Isabella to give him one last kiss. But the girl refused, because she did not want to betray her husband. And Diego died of anguish and grief near her bed.
Isabella woke up her husband, told him her sad story and asked for help to secretly bury Diego. She put on her wedding dress, and after kissing her beloved in the coffin, she immediately fell dead.
They say that this story happened for real, and it is these lovers who are considered the prototypes of Romeo and Juliet. There is an assumption that Shakespeare could have heard the story about Diego and Isabella, and later retold it in his tragedy. Moreover, in Teruel there is a mausoleum in which the mummified bodies of two lovers can be seen even now.
TERUEL IS THE CITY WHERE A TRAGEDY HAPPENED TO LOVERS MUCH BEFORE SHAKESPEARE'S ROMEO AND JULIET. DIEGO DELSO / WIKIPEDIA The deceit that elevates us
In Verona itself, only 200 years ago they thought about the untwisted history. So, at the beginning of the 19th century, the burial place of young Juliet was officially established. More precisely, an empty sarcophagus was presented. It was not possible to establish who exactly belonged to the tomb made of red marble. It is believed that in the former Capuchin monastery it has been located since the time Caesars. But for two centuries now, Juliet's grave has become a place of pilgrimage for all lovers.
Juliet's house also appeared in Verona. Archaeologists paid attention to the structure at the beginning of the 20th century. It was an abandoned building, supposedly erected in the 13th century - the century when the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet took place. In addition, a coat of arms was found on the house, which belonged to a noble family. cappelo- a surname very similar to the Capulet.
And so Juliet's house appeared in Verona with the legendary balcony, on which the girl stood and suffered that she fell in love Romeo Montecchi. In the courtyard of the house there is a bronze statue of Juliet. Or rather, a copy of it.
According to legend, every lover, having visited the Capulet house, for good luck should touch Juliet's right breast. As a result, a crack appeared on the statue, and in 2014 it was removed to the premises, and a remake was put on the street.
JULIET'S TOMB. THERE IS A SPECIAL LETTER BOX FOR A YOUNG LOVE. TESTUS / WIKIPEDIA Eternal love
Probably, few works can compete in popularity with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. But the English playwright was not the first to decide to tell a sad tale of eternal love.
Another ancient poet Ovid described the story of two Babylonian lovers pyrama and Thisbe. They fell in love, but their parents forbade them to see each other. And then the young people agreed to secretly meet outside the city walls. Thisbe came first, but she was frightened off by a lioness who had just hunted.
During the flight, the girl dropped her handkerchief, which was ruffled by the beast, staining the blood of the just eaten animal. When Pyramus came to the meeting place and saw a bloody cloth, he decided that a lioness had killed his beloved. Blaming himself for her death, he stabbed himself with a dagger. And thisbe, who returned, saw the dying Pyramus and also decided to kill herself.
For the first time in literature, lovers Romeo and Juliet appeared at the cavalry commander and writer Luigi da Porta. His novel "The Newly Found Story of Two Noble Lovers and Their Sad Death in Verona in the Time of the Signor Bartolomeo Della Scala he wrote in 1524. Luigi da Porta himself in his work said that he retold an ancient Verona legend that he heard in a conversation with a friend.
Then there was an Italian writer Matteo Bandello, a very popular novelist in the 16th century. He was born into a noble family and received an excellent education. His uncle was a general in a Catholic monastic order and Matteo accompanied him everywhere. The writer was well received in noble houses and even royal families. Bandello has a short story "Romeo and Juliet". It is believed that it was from her that Shakespeare took the plot for his tragedy.
But there was still Arthur Brook with his Tragic History of Romeus and Juliet, which was published two years before Shakespeare's birth in 1562. And some historians suggest that the Englishman could have taken the plot for his work from him. Be that as it may, it is William Shakespeare who makes you cry over the saddest "tale of Romeo and Juliet" for more than four centuries.
The writing
Love,
Walls don't stop her.
In need, she decides on everything ...
Before us is a masterpiece of world literature: the tragedy of William Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet". Imagination can easily take us to the XIV century, to the Italian city of Verona. On the stage there are two warring families - the Montagues and the Capulets, they fiercely hate each other, although they have long forgotten what was the reason for their quarrel. They are dominated by the ancient custom of vendetta, blood feud, when death must be paid for with death. And now, in an environment saturated with poisonous malice, where any trifle serves as a pretext for bloody skirmishes, a magnificent bud of love blooms, despising many years of tribal enmity.
Young Montecchi and young Capulet forget about family intransigence, as the feeling that has taken possession of them instantly breaks the wall of alienation that separated them. Despite her incomplete 14 years, Juliet has the richest spiritual world, she is smart, brave and spontaneous. Upon learning that Romeo heard her declaration of love for him, the girl is embarrassed, but, convinced of the sincerity of his feelings, she decides to take a step that has become a complete surprise for the two families. Having fallen in love with the young man, Juliet wisely argues that his belonging to a hostile family does not matter to her. In turn, Romeo is ready to be baptized a second time and give up his family name if it becomes an obstacle to his love.
The monk Lorenzo is also on the side of the young people. He secretly crowns them, hoping that this marriage will lead to the reconciliation of childbirth. However, shortly after the sacrament of the wedding, Romeo in a skirmish kills Juliet's cousin, Tybalt, a fierce adherent of the principle of blood feud, and is forced to go into exile. His beloved, having learned from the goofy story of the nurse about the death of a relative, at first angrily denounces the betrayer, as she thinks, her man. But then Juliet herself reproaches herself for such thoughts:
But would it be better if in a fight
Did this robber kill you, brother?
However, fate prepares a new test for the girl: Capulet's father decides to marry her as soon as possible to Paris, a relative of the Duke of Verona. Not understanding the true cause of his daughter's tragedy, he thinks only of practical benefits: this marriage will enable his entire family to rise. But Juliet does not intend to give up, she decides to fight for her love to the end.
All her courage, all her feeling is shown in the fatal scene when, on the advice of a monk, she drinks a sleeping potion. How understandable is the fear of a young girl when she thinks that she will wake up in a family crypt among the tombs with the dead. But she, having overcome fear, still drinks the drink, as she understands that this test is the only way to connect with her beloved.
The monk Lorenzo, who came up with a plan to save the love of young people, could not take into account all the vicissitudes of fate in advance. An unexpected plague prevented him from warning Romeo that Juliet's death was imaginary. From this moment on, events take a tragic turn. The love of the young man is so strong that he and the dead Juliet are not inferior to Paris. He decides to drink poison so as not to part with his beloved even in death.
Juliet, waking up in the crypt, sees the dead Romeo. Without thinking for a long time, she plunges a dagger into her heart, because she cannot live without her beloved. How simply, sincerely the Girl behaves at the hour of the last choice:
It's time to finish. But here is the dagger, fortunately.
Sit in a case.
(Plunges it into himself)
Stay here and I'll die...
The death of Romeo and Juliet hits their parents so deeply that they forget their enmity. What the duke could not achieve with his threats, comes under the influence of this tragic lesson, which made the parents understand the cruel senselessness of their enmity. But the price paid for this is too high.
Striking in their integrity and expressiveness, the images of Romeo and Juliet are the living embodiment of love that knows no compromises, selfless and boundless love that overcomes dangers, fears and even death.
Other writings on this work
Eternal problems in W. Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" HOW LOVE FOR JULIET CHANGED ROMEO Composition-review based on the play by W. Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet" What Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" makes us think about Romeo and Juliet - characterization of a literary hero Characteristics of the image of Romeo Montague Tragedy play "Romeo and Juliet" - artistic analysis Characteristics of the image of Juliet Capulet Romeo and Juliet the tragic story of two lovers Tragedy and triumph of love Romeo and Juliet - love in tragedy (composition based on the tragedy of W. Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet") Characteristics of the image brother Lorenzo The Humanistic Meaning of W. Shakespeare's Tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" The power of love, capable of conquering even death (according to W. Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet") (1) "Romeo and Juliet" The immortality of Romeo and Juliet in the world of art Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" The "eternal" theme of love in the tragedy of W. Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet" Love is stronger than death (based on the tragedy of W. Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet") (Plan) The conflict of prejudices in William Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" Heroes of W. Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet"I really like Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. You can even say that this is one of my favorite works. It's a beautiful yet incredibly sad love story with a tragic ending in which both main characters die.
The plot of the play
This work shows the triumph of love. A chance meeting between two heroes changes their lives. Now the meaning of their existence is to live for each other, to love each other. Their happiness is overshadowed only by the fact that their families have long been at enmity with each other, which means they will subject the feelings of lovers to serious tests.
Love transforms Romeo and Juliet, even changes their inner world, as well as their attitude towards people.
Romeo's blind, inexplicable hatred of his enemies is replaced by nobility and courageous restraint. It was love that made him more patient, wiser and more reasonable.
Juliet is still just a child. When she falls in love, she changes too. Her love is open, she does not hide from others either grief or joy. Her parents are trying to marry her to an unloved man, but the fragile Juliet finds the strength to resist them.
As a result, the enmity of the two families leads to the death of both lovers. This tragic death, while reading the play, caused conflicting emotions in me. I wanted to cry, I sympathized with the young heroes, worried about them. At the same time, I was outraged by human cruelty, the injustice of life, and also by a fatal accident.
Why Romeo and Juliet die
Romeo drinks poison, believing Juliet is dead. Although she was alive, she simply drank the potion, after which she fell into a long sleep. She did this so that her parents considered her dead and she had the opportunity to escape. Waking up from a dream, the girl finds out that her chosen one is dead. What is left for her? Go after him...
There are many reasons for their death:
- No one can replace a loved one.
- True love comes only once in a lifetime.
- There is no point in living without love.
Having passed away, the young heroes of the play pass a sentence of cruelty and inhumanity. They were not divided by the enmity of families, they were united by the power of love.
Probably, in all world literature there is no such famous and great work that has not lost its relevance over the centuries, like the play "Romeo and Juliet". Who wrote this immortal creation is known today to all educated people. One of the tragedies that glorified William Shakespeare is Romeo and Juliet. Its author - the most famous and playwright - is recognized as the greatest of the brilliant personalities of the Renaissance. His story about Romeo and Juliet is permeated with a bright feeling of love, which conquers not only many years of human enmity, but also death.
History of creation
"Romeo and Juliet"... Who wrote the brilliant work? It is known that before the creation of this play, there were already several legends and short stories by other authors about the love of two representatives of the warring clans. Shakespeare's tragedy is based on three short stories. The earliest was written in 1562 by Arthur Brooke, a famous playwright. It was called The Tragic Story of Romeus and Juliet. This poem is considered the direct source of the plot on which the work "Romeo and Juliet" is based.
Who wrote another prototype of Shakespeare's play is also known from the history of literature. They became the short story "Romeo and Juliet", created by one of the famous Italian writers of the XVI century, Matteo Bandello. Even later, the Italian writer and historiographer Luigi Da Porto wrote the short story "The Story of Two Noble Lovers", which almost completely repeated the plot of Shakespeare's play.
As you know, William Shakespeare only slightly changed the previous works, for example, in the early plays, the action took place over a longer time - about nine months. In Shakespeare, according to the plot, five days are allocated for everything that happens.
"Romeo and Juliet". Summary
In the play, the author describes the events that take place in the Italian city of Verona. Two warring clans, two families - the Montagues and the Capulets, have been competing with each other for a long time. Their enmity then subsides, then resumes again. The last outbreak begins with a squabble of servants, then turns into a real carnage. Romeo Montecchi, heir to one of the families, does not participate in the bloodshed, he is busy thinking about the conquest of the noble beauty Rosalina, whose heart he wanted to win. His friends - Mercutio and Benvolio - are trying in every possible way to distract him from heavy thoughts, but Romeo continues to be sad.
At this time, a fun holiday is planned in the Capulet family. These people do not have aristocratic roots, but they are very wealthy, and with the help of organized balls, they seek to further demonstrate their wealth and luxury. A relative of the Duke himself, Count Paris, is invited to their holiday, who falls under the spell of the beautiful Juliet and asks the head of the family for her hand. Juliet's father gives his consent, despite the young age of his daughter. Juliet is only 13 years old.
At this time, Romeo's friends invite him to put on a mask and enter the Capulet's house for a ball to have fun. Romeo agrees. One of the relatives of the Capulet family - Tybalt - recognizes in Romeo the son of the Montagues, with whom there is enmity. But at this time, Romeo sees Juliet, falls in love with her at first sight and forgets about his former lady of the heart Rosalina. Juliet also falls in love with Romeo, they hide from everyone and take an oath of devotion to each other.
Late in the evening after the ball, Juliet goes out onto the balcony and begins to talk aloud about her feelings for Romeo, he hears her words and confesses to her in return attraction. The lovers are planning to get married. Early in the morning, brother Lorenzo, a minister of the monastery of St. Francis, helps them in this.
At the same time, Mercutio and Tybalt meet by chance. A quarrel breaks out between them, and Tybalt kills Mercutio. Romeo is forced to avenge the death of his friend, he kills Tybalt. After that, the young man hides, so as not to incur the wrath of the Duke. He is forced to flee the city. Before this, Romeo spends the night with Juliet, the approach of dawn means their separation. Listening to the morning chirping of the larks, they say goodbye.
The Capulet family is determined to marry Juliet to Count Paris, and the bride's parents begin preparations for the wedding. The girl, in desperation, seeks solace from her brother Lorenzo, and he offers her an insidious plan - to drink a drink that will plunge her into a deep sleep, similar to death. Juliet will sleep, meanwhile everyone will think that she is dead, and thus the fatal wedding will be avoided. Romeo is sent a letter warning him of this plan. Unfortunately, the messenger does not have time to warn Romeo because of the plague quarantine, and the news of Juliet's death arrives earlier. Romeo returns to Verona to say goodbye to his beloved.
At the sight of the deceased Juliet, not knowing that she is just sleeping, Romeo drinks poison, unable to imagine life without her. Juliet wakes up when Romeo is already dead. In desperation, she considers herself guilty of the death of her beloved, snatching his dagger, strikes herself in the very heart. When the rival families of the Montagues and Capulets learn of the tragedy, they negotiate peace - the death of their beloved children softens their hearts, the enmity ceases. The love of Romeo and Juliet becomes atonement for all the evil the clans have done to each other.
William Shakespeare. "Romeo and Juliet". Who wrote the masterpiece
There is very little information about the life of the most talented English playwright W. Shakespeare. He did not keep a diary, did not write down his memories and corresponded with practically no one. All documents that have his signature or at least some record made by his hand are of great historical value.
In the small English town of Stratford, which is located on the banks of the River Avon, in 1564.
His father, a wealthy merchant, went bankrupt when William was fifteen. From this age, he himself was forced to earn his own living. In 1585 William Shakespeare traveled to London. There he changed several professions. For example, he guarded the horses while the nobles watched the performances. Then he joined the theater, where he sometimes replaced the prompter, rewrote some of the roles and made sure that the actors got on stage on time. Such work in the future helped him to put on amazing plays, as he knew the behind the scenes very well.
Gradually, after serving for several years, he made sure that he was given small roles on stage. Then he himself began to write and stage plays. Shakespeare is known for his poems and sonnets. In addition to Romeo and Juliet, he has some other immortal creations - A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, King Lear, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing other. In total, 37 plays by Shakespeare, 154 sonnets and 4 poems are known.
William did not invent many of his texts, but simply processed real events - it is thanks to this talent that his works are known for their truthfulness and vitality. Shakespeare's work conveys the breath of that time - the humanistic ideas of the Renaissance. His works are thoughtful, his characters are spiritual and strong people, they struggle with human passions and vices.
One of the main ideas of the brilliant Shakespeare: people should be evaluated not by status and titles, not by the level of wealth or position, but by thoughts, actions and human qualities. Shakespeare's contribution to world culture is difficult to overestimate, his works are still relevant today, they win the hearts of millions of fans around the world.
William Shakespeare died at the age of 52 in 1616. He is buried in his hometown, Stratford. Numerous fans and tourists still come to his grave. It is possible that life in the town would have completely stopped if the "Shakespearean" industry had not been organized in it - each sign of the city certainly points to the genius of William Shakespeare. Crowds of tourists come to Stratford every year to bow to the grave of the great writer and playwright.
Theatrical performances
The play "Romeo and Juliet" was staged thousands of times on many stages of the world. Perhaps this play can be called one of the most popular in the repertoires of many world theaters. In Russia, the play "Romeo and Juliet" was staged at the "Satyricon" theater. A. Raikin, in the theater. Pushkin and many others. The main characters are played by the most talented actors, great directors undertake to stage this play.
Shakespeare, "Romeo and Juliet" - this is the eternally relevant timeless classic, the production of which can be considered an honor for any theater. Musicals on the theme of unfortunate lovers are constantly updated, sometimes the most unexpected details are introduced into the tragedy, the production is interpreted by the most talented people in the most unexpected way. West Side Story is an adaptation of Shakespeare's classic play that premiered worldwide in 1957. The play "Romeo and Juliet" (author - Shakespeare) is the property of world culture, it constantly attracts many admirers of the great master's talent.
Romeo and Juliet in the movies
Since 1900, almost since the advent of cinema, Shakespeare ("Romeo and Juliet" in particular) has been filmed a huge number of times. Almost every year, films about the tragedy of lovers are made in different countries of the world. In France and the USA, in Great Britain and Spain, in Mexico, Belgium, Italy, Argentina, in Brazil and Portugal, Romeo and Juliet are played by the best actors of world cinema. In the USSR, the film-ballet "Romeo and Juliet" was filmed in 1983, the main roles were played by Alexander Mikhailov and Olga Sirina. The last film co-produced by the USA and Italy was released in 2013. It was a success in many countries of the world and was recognized as one of the best at the end of the year.
Music
Many academic works have been written based on Shakespeare's immortal play. In 1830, the opera "Romeo and Juliet" by V. Bellini appeared, in 1839 - a symphonic poem; in 1938, a ballet to music by Prokofiev was published.
In addition to operatic and classical versions, there are many compositions by rock bands and pop artists. Songs about Romeo and Juliet were performed by V. Kuzmin, A. Malinin, S. Penkin. The name of the play is used in the titles of the albums of various groups.
Translation in literature
The work "Romeo and Juliet" (translation in Russian and not only) was reprinted many hundreds of times. Based on the immortal play, short stories by G. Keller and a novel by Ann Fortier were published. The creation of "Romeo and Juliet" in Russian first appeared in the second half of the 19th century. One of the best is the translation of I. Raskovshenko. The translations of Grekov, Grigoriev, Mikhalovsky, Sokolovsky, Shchepkina-Kupernik, and Radlova were popular with readers. The work "Romeo and Juliet" (the original was in English) translated by B. Pasternak was especially warmly received. This option is far from the most accurate, but the most beautiful and poetic. It is Pasternak who owns the lines "But the story of Romeo and Juliet will remain the saddest in the world ...".
Curious facts
Until now, tourists in Verona are offered to visit the houses of Romeo and Juliet, and even their graves. In fact, these landmarks are known to have nothing to do with Shakespeare's literary characters. However, in the courtyard of the house where Juliet allegedly lived, there is a statue of her, cast in bronze. Local legend says that anyone who touches her breast will find happiness and love.
Another interesting fact is that in Italy, when they talk about Shakespeare's play and his characters, it is customary to mention the name of the girl first, and then the guy - Juliet and Romeo. For the Russian language, it is more common to use names in the title the other way around.
Juliet's balcony is an important detail of any production or film about the legendary lovers. However, it is known that in the original version, Shakespeare is not talking about a balcony - Romeo listened to her speech just from the window. Nevertheless, Juliet's balcony eventually became one of the significant details of all productions about lovers. The guides of Verona even now demonstrate to numerous tourists exactly the balcony on which Juliet stood.
Historical figures or literary characters?
The story of Romeo and Juliet is beautiful and very tragic. Many researchers, historians and literary critics are concerned about the question of whether the characters in Shakespeare's play actually lived. It is known that some personalities really existed - for example, Escala, mentioned by Shakespeare, was in reality Duke Bartolomeo I della Scala. It is roughly established what year is described in the play - 1302.
Italy of that time was indeed characterized by various conflicts, when various clans competed for titles and nobility of the family. The American historian Olin Moore devoted several years to studying the legend of lovers, and thanks to his research, it was possible to find out that it was precisely in those years in question that two clans with very similar surnames really existed in Verona - Dal Capello and Monticoli. In fact, there was a confrontation between them, which was explained by different parties, whose adherents these families were. The history of the city indicates that in fact there lived a girl who did not reciprocate a high-ranking person and married a poor young man, despite pressure from relatives. took revenge on them, and the lovers died during the torture, without admitting any guilt and not parting even after death.
It is possible that the story of unfortunate lovers, described by Shakespeare in his tragedy, was based on real events, but slightly changed by the author and embellished with artistic details for greater expressiveness.
Symbol of eternal love
The tragedy of two unfortunate lovers, written by the great W. Shakespeare, has not lost its relevance for several centuries. The story took place more than four hundred years ago, but the theme still lives on in numerous theatrical productions, in sculpture and painting, in music and cinema. Perhaps all of humanity with its diverse culture would noticeably become impoverished if Shakespeare had not written his brilliant creation.
The story of Romeo and Juliet is the most touching and beautiful story known to the world. Young people are recognized as a symbol of high feelings, devotion and fidelity, eternal love and its power over death and time. This play has many fans - there is a Museum of Love, which presents all the exhibits that testify to the veracity of the story of Romeo and Juliet. There are clubs of admirers of legendary lovers. You can even write a letter to Juliet - in one of her clubs there are special secretaries who receive messages in different languages, read them and respond on behalf of Juliet.
On February 14, this club chooses the most touching and romantic story, and the author of the letter receives a gift from Juliet. The thirteen-year-old girl, who suffered from deep feelings, is revered by fans as the one who can bless lovers, give them confidence and bring true happiness.
In Verona, the legend of lovers is very popular to this day - there is a travel agency and a hotel named after Juliet, pastry shops sell cakes of the same name, guides conduct tours of the mansions that allegedly belonged to the Montecchi and Capulet families. The name "Romeo and Juliet" is given to champagne, confectionery, furniture, flowers and fragrances - everything that one wants to consider romantic and beautiful. In general, it can be seen that the industry also supports the brand of Romeo and Juliet with pleasure and profit - their story sells well, and manufacturers cannot but use it.
It doesn't really matter whether Shakespeare's characters actually existed, anyway, people want to believe in a fairy tale, not lose hope and dream of the same strong and pure feeling as Romeo and Juliet. As long as we are able to love, the story of Romeo and Juliet will remain one of the most popular and most romantic in world culture.