This innovative edition of one of Shakespeare's most beloved plays offers modernized texts not only of the 1599 quarto but also of the short, or "bad" quarto of 1597, regarding each as witness to a "mobile text" which changed in composition as Shakespeare wrote it and which has continued to evolve throughout its richly varied history, both in the theatre and in film, television, opera, and ballet. The more familiar 1599 text is accompanied by a detailed explanatory commentary. The Introduction traces the Romeo and Juliet narrative from its origins in myth through its adaptation in the novella, and shows how Shakespeare's transmutation of the story reflects contemporary concerns with love, death, adolescence, and patriarchism.
The Oxford Shakespeare offers authoritative texts from leading scholars in editions designed to interpret and illuminate the plays for modern readers
* a new, modern-spelling text, collated and edited from all existing printings
* the only edition to include both the 1599 Quarto and also the 'bad' Quarto of 1597
* on-page commentary and notes explain meaning, staging, allusions, and much else
* detailed introduction considers composition, sources, performances, and changing critical attitudes to the play
* illustrated with production photographs, film stills, and related art
* full index to introduction and commentary
* durable sewn binding for lasting use
