"As with most of his plays, Shakespeare did not invent the story of Romeo and Juliet himself."
"His genius lay, not in creating an original plot, but in giving new life and meaning to already existing stories."
" "
"The story of Romeo and Juliet, which many people believe is based on a true incident, was first known as an Italian novel, early in the 16th century."
"The story was well-known in Europe, and before long it was turned into a long poem, by a man called Arthur Brooke."
" "
"It seems highly likely that Shakespeare knew Brooke's poem, and that he used the details of it to form the basis of his play."
7
"The poem by Brooke was the best-known version of the story in English, and the events ofShakespeare's version are largely the same as in the poem."
"However, Shakespeare did make some changes for dramatic effect."
" "
"For instance, he speeds up the play to take place within a few days, whereas in the poem the action takes a few months."
"Also noticeable are the characters of the Nurse and Mercutio, who take on much greater importance in Shakespeare's play."
" "
"A final change is that he does not end the tragedy with the death of the two lovers. Instead he shows how their deaths serve to end the feud between the two families."
