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Abstract

In composing Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare did not have to invent its basic story, because it was common dramatic practice that the Elizabethan dramatists drew upon known histories, legends and stories for the plot material of their plays. The story on which Romeo and Juliet is formed was originally written by Luigi da Porto of Italy. His tale of the noble lovers of Verona, Giulietta and Romeo, published in 1530, mainly agrees with Shakespeare's play in its plot, except a notable variant that Giulietta awakes and exchanges words with Romeo before his death of the poison, and then she dies by drawing her breath and holding it long. This tale was so popular in Italy that it was soon retold both in prose and verse by many writers, and later dramatized in Italy, Spain and France. In 1554 Matteo Bandello of Italy published his novella, Romeo e Giulietta, based on da Porto. In 1559 a French writer by the name of Pierre Boaistuau translated Bandello's ":ersion into French. He added a number of fatalistic and ominous touches to the straightforward tale of the original, and it was he that postponed Juliet's awakening till after Romeo's death, letting her die with his dagger." In this form the tale came to England, where appeared two adaptations based on Boaistuau's story, Arthur Brooke's long narrative poem, The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet(1562), and William Painter's prose tale in his Palace of Pleasure (1967). Most critics agree that Shakespeare composed his play directly and perhaps solely from Brooke's poem, though he surely knew Painter." In fact, we see that Shakespeare has not only followed the poem in the plot, but also often borrowed the very words and phrases of dialogue. But he has brought many noteworthy alterations in disposing his source-material, according as the dramatic requirements.