Romeo and Juliet

"Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene." From its first lines, William Shakespeare tells us that this will be a story of "star-crossed lovers." Written in the mid-1590s, Romeo and Juliet is the most famous love story in the world, and more than four centuries later it still holds audiences spellbound.

In the Italian city of Verona, two noble families, the Montagues and the Capulets, are locked in an ancient feud so bitter that their servants brawl in the streets. Young Romeo Montague, moping over a girl who doesn't love him, slips into a masked ball at the Capulet house with his friends Benvolio and the witty, fiery Mercutio. There he sees Juliet, the Capulets' only daughter, not yet fourteen, and falls instantly in love. She falls for him just as quickly, before either discovers the other belongs to the enemy family.

That night, beneath Juliet's balcony, they confess their love in some of the most beautiful lines ever written. With the help of the kindly Friar Laurence and Juliet's talkative Nurse, they marry in secret the very next day, hoping their union might heal the feud. But in the heat of a summer afternoon, a street fight with Juliet's hot-tempered cousin Tybalt changes everything. As the story races forward over just a few days, the young lovers struggle against their families, their city, and fate itself.

Shakespeare based his play on an older story, but he transformed it with his poetry, his humor, and his sympathy for the young. The play gave us lines that everyone knows, from "Wherefore art thou Romeo?" to "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" to "Parting is such sweet sorrow." It explores love and hate, youth and age, haste and fate, and it has inspired countless retellings, including operas, ballets, the musical West Side Story, and many films.

Why read it?

• The world's great love story. Romeo and Juliet are the archetype of young love.
• Shakespeare's poetry. The balcony scene alone is worth the read.
• Drama and suspense. Feuds, duels, secret plans, and fateful timing keep the story racing.
• Timeless themes. It explores love, hatred, impulsiveness, and the cost of old grudges.
• Essential for students. It is a staple of school reading and wonderful for reading aloud together.

Why the Comfortable Classics edition?

Comfortable Classics was created to help families build a library worth keeping. Each book in the series shares the same handsome design, a black cover with warm wood-grain bands and a parchment panel. Only the title lettering changes, chosen to suit each book's spirit. Together they make a matching collection that looks beautiful on a shelf and invites you to take the next one down.

Classics meant to be kept, studied, and handed down.