![]() ![]() At the time, England was ravaged by the Bubonic Plague, which had a fatality rate of 50%. The time period in which Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet debuted was one of particular distress and turmoil. Why is it that Shakespeare’s version affected his audience deeply enough that it is still firmly lodged in the literary cannon? What about this story is so enduring? And most importantly: why is it so popular? Shakespeare felt “driven” (in his own words) to write the narrative all over again, and something about his version impacted audiences so intensely that it is today considered one of the greatest stories ever told. It might seem surprising to modern audiences that this story wasn’t treading any new ground at the time of its “conception,” and some might wonder why the brilliant, the mighty Shakespeare might have retold a story whose twisted ending came as no surprise to its audience. The tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers existed for a few hundred years before Shakespeare took a stab at it, and audiences in the early modern era were familiar with the story before setting foot in the theater. Shakespeare, however, did not invent the story of Romeo and Juliet. Of these thirty-nine plays, Romeo and Juliet is one of the best known. In his lifetime, he wrote thirty-nine plays, most of which are still read and performed today. Shakespeare is largely considered to be the greatest writer in the English language.
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