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An introductory guide to ´Romeo and Juliet´ in performance offering a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, contextual documents, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key productions, a survey of screen adaptations, a sampling of critical opinion and annotated further reading.

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´Romeo and Juliet´ remains one of Shakespeare´s most popular and frequently produced plays. However, despite its enduring theatrical appeal, and the fact that it is widely described as the archetypal story of doomed love, it has nevertheless provoked a long-running debate about its unique interplay of comic and tragic elements. This indispensable volume provides:
a scene-by-scene theatrically focused commentary
an introduction to the differences between the two Quarto and the Folio texts of the play
excerpts from Shakespeare´s source and other contextual documents
a study of key performances on stage and screen, including the musical adaptation West Side Story and Baz Luhrmann´s film William Shakespeare´s Romeo + Juliet
an overview of the debate about the play´s status as a tragedy.

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General Editor´s Preface.- Acknowledgements.- The Text and Early Performances.- Commentary.- The Play´s Sources.- Key Productions.- The Play on Screen.- Critical Assessments.- Further Reading.- Index.

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EDWARD L. ROCKLIN is Professor of English at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, USA. His previous publications include Performance Approaches to Teaching Shakespeare (2005).

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