Product Description

"The permanent popularity, now of mythic intensity, of Romeo and Juliet is more than justified," writes eminent scholar Harold Bloom, "since the play is the largest and most persuasive celebration of romantic love in Western literature."

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) based his early romantic tragedy on Arthur Brooke's 1562 poem The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet. Shakespeare's resulting masterpiece, in turn, has inspired countless retellings around the world in mediums that include literature, dance, stage, and screen.

"It is Shakespear all over, and Shakespear when he was young," declares William Hazlitt (1778-1830), acclaimed British essayist and critic, in his exuberant Introduction to this Modern Library edition.

"Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whose misadventuríd piteous overthrows, Do with their death bury their parents' strife."
--Prologue


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #256480 in Books
• Published on: 1994-01-01
• Released on: 1994-01-01
• Formats: Abridged, Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 3
• Binding: Audio CD

From Library Journal
This production of Romeo and Juliet featuring Kenneth Branagh and Sir John Gielgud is a superb contribution to the field of classics on cassette. The stunning performance by the Renaissance Theatre Company captures all the color and emotion of Shakespeare's eloquent tragedy of young love. With Samantha Bond as Juliet, Derek Jacobi as Mercutio, and Judi Dench as Nurse, the play, which is set in 16th-century Verona, contains some of the most passionate dialog ever written. An excellent musical score by Patrick Doyle accompanies the actors, as well as a full array of authentic sound effects. The pounding of hooves, the chiming of church bells, and the clashing of angry swords enrich this outstanding listening experience. A 24-page booklet complete with sketches and photos of the actors, a synopsis of the play, and background information is included in the package. Highly recommended for most libraries.
Gretchen Browne, Rockville Centre P.L., N.Y.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"We can more easily decide between Shakespear and any other author, than between him and himself. Shall we quote any more passages to shew his genius or the beauty of Romeo and Juliet? At that rate, we might quote the whole."


From the Hardcover edition. -- Review

Review
"We can more easily decide between Shakespear and any other author, than between him and himself. Shall we quote any more passages to shew his genius or the beauty of Romeo and Juliet? At that rate, we might quote the whole."


From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews

Far from satisfying
This radio adaptation is interesting in some ways, but it remains rather short on its objective. The sound universe created behind the voices is rather diminutive. Some voices are not that very accurate : Juliet is rather old-sounding and Romeo is quite late in his twenties at least. Lord Capulet speaks as if he were plain drunk all the time. But what's more some interpretations are defective. The famous sonnet during the dance is just badly done. The tone is wrong. The wit is flattened, etc. The balcony scene is slightly better, luckily. Romeo, by the way, is too much of a hooligan, of an agressive character, not at all in keeping with the world we can vaguely hear behind. Finally there are some cuts and some changes in the text that are not at all justified, such as « pacing » for « passing ». Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Paris Universities II and IX.

Indepth look at Romeo and Juliet... not for performance.
The beauty of Romeo and Juliet is universal of any edition you choose to buy--- Shakespeare's work is not what is being reviewed here. This edition is different from the other versions available of the same text, because this edition looks at Shakespeare's source, discrepancies in the text, meanings and significance of the imagery, etc. The multitude of footnotes (often taking up more than half the page) makes it ideal for scholars of Shakespeare who need more than just superficial notes. This edition is grossly inadequate for stage use due to the multitude of notes and small text. Buy this edition of the book for a sturdy, reliable and in-depth study of Romeo and Juliet. Look elsewhere for a simple copy of the text.
NOTE: THIS IS A REVIEW FOR THE OXFORD SHAKESPEARE EDITION OF THE PLAY NOT THE RADIO BROADCAST!!!

have not received my order
I have this recording on audio cassette, and I was very excited to find the same version on CD. However, after a month of waiting, I still have not received my order. I was not notified by the company in any way that the order had been back-ordered, but they certainly did not hesitate to go on and take the money out of my bank account. I thought that normally when items were backordered, they waited to charge your account once the product was en route. I only discovered the backordered status after I contacted the company to ask where my order was located. I am sure that if I ever receive the product I will be quite pleased with it, but I am incredibly impatient, and I would have at least liked to have received a courtesy email detailing the delay. I don't think that is too much to ask.