《罗密欧与朱丽叶》（Romeo and Juliet）是英国剧作家威廉·莎士比亚创作的戏剧，因其知名度而常被误称为威廉·莎士比亚的四大悲剧之一（实为《麦克白》、《奥赛罗》、《李尔王》及《哈姆雷特》）。
该剧讲述意大利贵族凯普莱特女儿朱丽叶与蒙太古的儿子罗密欧诚挚相爱，誓言相依，但因两家世代为仇而受到阻挠。
《罗密欧与朱丽叶》虽是一出悲剧，但两个青年男、女主人公的爱情本身却不可悲。他们不仅彼此相爱，而且大胆追求他们的爱情，不惜以命拼争。他们的爱情力量使他们敢于面对家族的仇恨，敢于向生活中的障阻挑战。他们为了追求新的生活模式，不怕做赎罪的羔羊，因而他们的死亡虽是生命的终结，却在道德上取得了胜利，终于使两个敌对的家族言归于好。许多学者和评论家从这个意义上称这出戏是乐观主义的悲剧，也就是人们惯说的悲喜剧。
凯普莱特和蒙太古是一座城市的两大家族，这两大家族有深刻的世仇，经常械斗。蒙太古家有个儿子叫罗密欧，17岁，品学端庄，是个大家都很喜欢的小伙子。可他喜欢上了一个不喜欢他的女孩罗萨兰，当听说罗萨兰会去凯普莱特家的宴会后，他决定潜入宴会场。所以罗密欧为了罗萨兰，而他的朋友为了让罗密欧找一个新的女孩而放弃罗萨兰，他和自己的朋友为了各自的目的戴上面具，混进了宴会场。
于是，在这次宴会上，他被凯普莱特家的独生女儿朱丽叶深深吸引住了。这天晚上，朱丽叶是宴会的主角，13岁的她美若天仙。罗密欧上前向朱丽叶表达了自己的爱慕之情，朱丽叶也对罗密欧有好感。可是，当时双方都不知道对方的身份。真相大白之后，罗密欧仍然不能摆脱自己对朱丽叶的爱慕。他翻墙进了凯普莱特的果园，正好听见了朱丽叶在窗口情不自禁呼唤罗密欧的声音。显然，双方是一见钟情。
第二天，罗密欧去见附近修道院的神父，请代为帮忙。神父答应了罗密欧的请求，觉得这是化解两家的矛盾的一个途径。罗密欧通过朱丽叶的奶娘把朱丽叶约到了修道院，在神父的主持下结成了夫妻。这天中午，罗密欧在街上遇到了朱丽叶的堂兄提伯尔特。提伯尔特要和罗密欧决斗，罗密欧不愿决斗，但他的朋友茂丘西奥觉得罗密欧没面子，于是茂丘西奥和提伯尔特决斗，结果被提伯尔特借机杀死。罗密欧大怒，拔剑为朋友报仇，因此提伯尔特被罗密欧杀死了。
经过多方协商，城市的统治者决定驱逐罗密欧，下令如果他敢回来就处死他。朱丽叶很伤心，她非常爱罗密欧。罗密欧不愿离开，经过神父的劝说他才同意暂时离开，前往曼多亚。 这天晚上，他偷偷爬进了朱丽叶的卧室，度过了新婚之夜。第二天天一亮，罗密欧就不得不开始了他的流放生活。罗密欧刚一离开，出身高贵的帕里斯伯爵再次前来求婚。凯普莱特非常满意，命令朱丽叶下星期四就结婚。
朱丽叶去找神父想办法，神父给了她一种药，服下去后就像死了一样，但四十二小时后就会苏醒过来。神父答应她派人叫罗密欧，会很快挖开墓穴，让她和罗密欧远走高飞。朱丽叶依计行事，在婚礼的头天晚上服了药，第二天婚礼自然就变成了葬礼。神父马上派人去通知罗密欧。可是，罗密欧在神父的送信人到来之前已经知道了错误的消息。他在半夜来到朱丽叶的墓穴旁，杀死了阻拦他的帕里斯伯爵，掘开了墓穴，他吻了一下朱丽叶之后，就掏出随身带来的毒药一饮而尽，倒在朱丽叶身旁死去。等神父赶来时，罗密欧和帕里斯已经死了。这时，朱丽叶也醒过来了。人越来越多，神父还没来得及顾及朱丽叶，就逃走了。朱丽叶见到死去的罗密欧，也不想独活人间，她没有找到毒药，就拔出罗密欧的剑刺向自己，倒在罗密欧身上死去。两家的父母都来了，神父向他们讲述了罗密欧和朱丽叶的故事。失去儿女之后，两家的父母才清醒过来，可是已经晚了。从此，两家消除积怨，并在城中为罗密欧和朱丽叶各铸了一座金像。
历史背景
罗密欧与朱丽叶的爱情悲剧，据说历史上确有其事，它于1303年发生在意大利维罗纳城。有人还援引但丁《神曲》作为佐证。但此说难以定论。不过，古罗马时倒确实流传着关于一对情侣生死相恋的民间传说，它在漫长的口口相传的过程中，故事和细节不断得到补充和丰富，逐渐演变为后来的罗密欧与朱丽叶的传奇。
16世纪初叶，意大利人路易吉·达·波尔托写了一则短篇小说，罗密欧与朱丽叶的爱情故事，在小说中已见端倪。班戴洛从民间传说中撷取素材，又借鉴前人以此为题材的作品，于1554年写成了他的小说《罗密欧和朱丽叶》。
班戴洛和薄伽丘虽同属文艺复兴时代，但一先一后，相距已近二百年。班戴洛的时代，意大利政治上、经济上已显出颓势，时移俗易，世风日下，表现在小说创作中，则是许多庸俗的言情小说应运而生。而班戴洛却奋意纵笔，写出了充溢着人文主义精神的《罗密欧与朱丽叶》。班戴洛善于编织曲折变幻、波跌浪涌的故事，擅长描写激情的悲剧性冲突，娓娓动听的叙谈。因此，这部作品迅即被众多艺术家相中，纷纷从中撷取再创作的素材。
近水楼台先得月。班戴洛的小说问世之后仅仅五年，法国人皮埃尔·布瓦多即把它译成法文。不过，这一回法国人只是更多地充当了二传手，倒是英国人对班氏的小说推崇备至，情有独钟。英国人伊英特，把布瓦多的法文版译成了英文。约莫有十几位英国作家，从这则动人的意大利悲情故事中获取了二度创作的灵感和材料。莎士比亚据此创作了悲剧《罗密欧与朱丽叶》。
时代背景
莎士比亚生活的时代，意大利和欧洲的许多国家正相继开展一场思想文化运动，即文艺复兴运动。这期间是欧洲封建社会逐渐解体，资本主义生产方式在封建社会母体内孕育的时期，人文主义是文艺复兴时，资产阶级反封建斗争的思想武器，也是这一时期资产阶级进步文学的中心思想。其主要内容：第一，用人性反对神权；第二，用个性解放反对禁欲主义；第三，用理性反对蒙昧主义。其中个性解放是针对封建社会宣扬的禁欲主义，要求劳动人民克制欲望、放弃斗争、放弃现世的幸福而提出的，它肯定现世生活，认为现世幸福高于一切，人生的目的就是追求个人自由和个人幸福。莎士比亚的早期作品主要是宣扬这种人文主义思想，《罗密欧与朱丽叶》就是在这一背景下产生的一部具有反封建意识的爱情悲剧。
Romeo and Juliet is a play created by William Shakespeare, a British playwright. Because of its popularity, it is often misunderstood as one of the four tragedies of William Shakespeare (actually Macbeth, Othello, King Lear and Hamlet).

The play tells the story of Juliet, the daughter of Capulet, an Italian aristocrat, and Romeo, the son of Montague, who love each other sincerely and swear to rely on each other, but are blocked by the feud between the two families for generations.

Although Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, the love between the two young male and female protagonists is not tragic in itself. They not only love each other, but also boldly pursue their love, willing to fight with their lives. Their love power enables them to face family hatred and challenge obstacles in life. They were not afraid to be lambs of redemption in pursuit of a new way of life, so although their death was the end of their lives, they achieved moral victory and finally reconciled the two hostile families. In this sense, many scholars and critics call this play a tragedy of optimism, which is also known as tragicomedy.

Capulet and Montague are two families in the same city. These two families have deep feuds and often fight with weapons. The Montague family has a son named Romeo, who is 17 years old and has a dignified character. He is a young man that everyone likes very much. But he fell in love with a girl named Rosaland who didn’t like him. When he heard that Rosaland would go to the Capulet party, he decided to sneak into the banquet hall. So Romeo gave up Rosaland for Rosaland, and his friends gave up Rosaland to make Romeo find a new girl. He and his friends put on masks for their respective purposes and sneaked into the banquet hall.

So, at this banquet, he was deeply attracted by the only daughter of the Capulets, Juliet. That night, Juliet was the protagonist of the banquet, and at the age of 13, she was as beautiful as heaven. Romeo approached Juliet to express his admiration, and Juliet also had a liking for Romeo. However, neither party knew the other’s identity at that time. After the truth was revealed, Romeo still couldn’t shake off his admiration for Juliet. He climbed over the wall and entered Capulet’s orchard, hearing Juliet’s involuntary call to Romeo from the window. Obviously, both parties fell in love at first sight.

The next day, Romeo went to see the priest from a nearby monastery and asked for his help. The priest agreed to Romeo’s request and felt that it was a way to resolve the conflict between the two families. Romeo invited Juliet to the monastery through her nurse and married her under the guidance of the priest. At noon that day, Romeo met Juliet’s cousin Tibert on the street. Tibert wanted to duel with Romeo, but Romeo was unwilling to do so. However, his friend Maucchio felt that Romeo had no face, so Maucchio and Tibert dueled, but Tibert took the opportunity to kill him. Romeo was furious and drew his sword to avenge his friend, so Tibert was killed by Romeo.

After multiple negotiations, the rulers of the city decided to expel Romeo and ordered his execution if he dared to return. Juliet is very sad, she loves Romeo very much. Romeo refused to leave, but only after the priest’s persuasion did he agree to temporarily leave and head to Mandoa. That night, he secretly crawled into Juliet’s bedroom and spent his wedding night. The next day at dawn, Romeo had to start his exile life. As soon as Romeo left, the noble Count of Paris proposed again. Capulet was very satisfied and ordered Juliet to get married next Thursday.

Juliet went to the priest to find a way, and the priest gave her a medicine. After taking it, it felt like she was dead, but it would wake up in forty-two hours. The priest promised her to send someone to call Romeo and would soon dig up the tomb, letting her and Romeo fly away. Juliet acted according to her plan and took medicine on the night before the wedding, which naturally turned into a funeral the next day. The priest immediately sent someone to notify Romeo. However, Romeo already knew the wrong news before the priest’s messenger arrived. He came to Juliet’s grave in the middle of the night, killed the Count of Paris who had obstructed him, dug up the grave, kissed Juliet, took out the poison he had brought with him, and drank it all in one gulp. He fell beside Juliet and died. When the priest arrived, Romeo and Paris were already dead. At this moment, Juliet also woke up. There were more and more people, and the priest ran away before he could take care of Juliet. Juliet saw the dead Romeo and didn’t want to live alone in the world. She couldn’t find the poison, so she pulled out Romeo’s sword and stabbed herself, falling on him to die. The parents of both families came, and the priest told them the story of Romeo and Juliet. After losing their children, the parents of both families woke up, but it was already too late. From then on, the two families eliminated their feuds and cast a gold statue for Romeo and Juliet in the city.

historical background

The tragic love story between Romeo and Juliet is said to have happened in history. It happened in the city of Verona, Italy in 1303. Some people also cite Dante’s “Divine Comedy” as evidence. But this statement is difficult to determine. However, in ancient Rome, there was indeed a folk legend about a couple’s life and death love. Through the long process of word of mouth, the story and details were constantly supplemented and enriched, gradually evolving into the legend of Romeo and Juliet.

In the early 16th century, Italian Luigi da Porto wrote a short story about the love story between Romeo and Juliet, which is already evident in the novel. Bandaro extracted materials from folklore and drew inspiration from previous works on this theme, and wrote his novel “Romeo and Juliet” in 1554.

Although both Bandaro and Boccaccio belong to the Renaissance period, they have been separated for nearly two hundred years. In the era of Bandaro, Italy had already shown a decline in politics and economy, with times changing and the world declining. This was reflected in the creation of many vulgar romantic novels. But Bandalo painstakingly wrote Romeo and Juliet, which is full of the spirit of humanism. Bandaro is skilled in weaving stories of twists and turns, ups and downs, and excels in depicting tragic conflicts of passion, as well as engaging storytelling. Therefore, this work was quickly sought after by many artists, and they extracted and re created materials from it.

A tower near the water catches the moon first. Just five years after the publication of Bandaro’s novel, the Frenchman Pierre Bouraudo translated it into French. However, this time the French only played a more important role as setters, but it was the British who highly admired Ban’s novels and had a particular fondness for them. The British man, Eintra, translated the French version of Budo into English. About a dozen British writers drew inspiration and materials for their second creation from this touching Italian tragic story. Shakespeare created the tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” based on this.

historical background

In the era of Shakespeare’s life, many countries in Italy and Europe were successively carrying out an ideological and cultural movement, namely the Renaissance Movement. During this period, the European feudal society gradually disintegrated, and the capitalist mode of production was bred in the feudal society matrix. humanism was the ideological weapon of the bourgeois anti feudal struggle during the Renaissance, and also the central idea of the bourgeois progressive literature during this period. Its main content is: firstly, using human nature to oppose divine power; Second, use individuality liberation to oppose asceticism; Thirdly, use reason to oppose obscurantism. Among them, personality liberation is proposed against the asceticism advocated by the feudal society, which requires the working people to restrain their desires, give up struggle, and give up worldly happiness. It affirms worldly life, believes that worldly happiness is above everything, and the purpose of life is to pursue personal freedom and personal happiness. Shakespeare’s early works mainly publicized this kind of humanism thought, and Romeo and Juliet was a love tragedy with anti feudal consciousness under this background.

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