Page:Romeo and Juliet (1917) Yale.djvu/142



Although the credulous visitor to Verona may still see the 'tomb of Juliet' and the 'home of Juliet's parents, there is little doubt that the tragic story of the two lovers is not based upon historical fact. The essential elements of the tale have been traced as far back as a fifth century Greek romance, but the story as we know it took shape in Italy, where it was told by more than one author of the sixteenth century. Of these versions the one most directly connected with Shakespeare's play is Bandello's Giulietta e Romeo (1554). This, with some alterations and additions, was translated into French by Boaistuau, who made it the third of his Histoires Tragiques (1559). On this Arthur Brooke based an English poem, The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet (1562), and Painter a prose version published in his Palace of Pleasure (1567). There is also good reason to believe that an English play, now lost, presented the story shortly before 1562. A Dutch play, which has been thought to be an adaptation of this, was made by one Jacob Struijs in 1630. This has come down to us and may give some notion of the lost English original.

Shakespeare, when writing his tragedy, knew and used Painter's prose version, Brooke's poem, and probably the earlier English play. Of the three the poem is the most important source. The alterations which Shakespeare made are profound, affecting the whole tone and structure of the narrative as well as the characterization of individuals; but not infrequently he follows closely the suggestions of the poem, as may be seen by comparing IV. iii. 15–58 with the following passage: