Hi. I have a question. Wasn't the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare based off of a poem by Arthur Brooke? This is what I was taught in school and have read on several websites, but someone else told me that what I know is completely wrong, but instead Shakespeare went to Verona and based his play on a real couple by the names of Romeo and Juliet and this person says you can go to Verona and see Juliet's balcony. I was researching this, but most people seemed to say the balcony is just a tourist attraction. Am I the crazy one or have my teachers taught me right?

Question

Hi. I have a question. Wasn't the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare based off of a poem by Arthur Brooke? This is what I was taught in school and have read on several websites, but someone else told me that what I know is completely wrong, but instead Shakespeare went to Verona and based his play on a real couple by the names of Romeo and Juliet and this person says you can go to Verona and see Juliet's balcony. I was researching this, but most people seemed to say the balcony is just a tourist attraction. Am I the crazy one or have my teachers taught me right?

http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Romeo%20and%20Juliet

Never bad mouth a tourist attraction, it gets you in trouble with the chamber of commerce. Here in Texas, we have many caves where famous bandits must have camped.

Thanks.

I didn't bad mouth a tourist attraction.

Answer 1

Hi! I understand your confusion about the origins of Romeo and Juliet. Let me explain the different theories regarding its source.

The play Romeo and Juliet is indeed a famous tragedy written by William Shakespeare in the late 16th century. However, Shakespeare did not come up with the story entirely on his own. The play is believed to be heavily influenced by an earlier narrative poem called "The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet" written by Arthur Brooke in 1562. Shakespeare likely used this poem as a source of inspiration for his play.

Now, as for the theory that Shakespeare based his play on a real couple from Verona named Romeo and Juliet, it is mostly a misconception. While there may have been some real-life events or characters that inspired certain aspects of the play, there is no concrete evidence to support the claim that Shakespeare directly based his play on a specific historical couple from Verona.

Regarding the balcony in Verona associated with Juliet, it is indeed a popular tourist attraction known as Juliet's Balcony. However, it is widely regarded as a fictional addition to the story and not an actual historical site. Verona itself has a long history and many other attractions, but the association with Romeo and Juliet is mainly literary and theatrical.

To summarize, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was influenced by Arthur Brooke's narrative poem, but it is not directly based on a real couple from Verona. The balcony in Verona associated with Juliet is primarily a tourist attraction and not an actual historical location.

Hope this clears up your confusion!