William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet is a 1996 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy of the same name. It was directed by Baz Luhrmann and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the leading roles.

The film is an abridged modernization of Shakespeare's play. While it retains the original Shakespearean dialogue, the Montagues and the Capulets are represented as warring business empires and swords are replaced by guns (manufactured by 'Sword').

Some of the names were also changed. Lord and Lady Montague and Lord and Lady Capulet were given first names (as opposed to the Shakespeare original where their first names are never mentioned), Friar Lawrence became Father Lawrence, and Prince Escalus was renamed Captain Prince.

Additionally, a few plot details were shifted; most notably, Juliet awakens just as Romeo poisons himself and the two see each other alive before he dies and she commits suicide.

Plot[link]

In the fictional modern-day location "Verona Beach", Florida,^[1] the Capulets and the Montagues are arch-rivals.^[2] The animosity of the older generation — Fulgencio and Gloria Capulet and Ted and Caroline Montague — is felt by their younger relatives. A gunfight between the Montague boys led by Benvolio, Romeo's cousin, and the Capulet boys led by Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, creates chaos in the city. The Chief of Police, Captain Prince, reprimands the families, warning them that if such behavior continues, their lives "shall pay the forfeit of the peace".

Dave Paris, son of the Governor and nominated "Bachelor of the Year", meets with Fulgencio to discuss marrying Fulgencio's daughter, Juliet, although Fulgencio believes her too young to wed. Nevertheless, he invites Paris to a party he is hosting. Gloria unsuccessfully tries convincing Juliet to accept Paris' proposal.

The Montague boys meet their friend, Mercutio, who has tickets to the Capulet party. Romeo takes an Ecstasy pill Mercutio gives him and they proceed to the Capulet mansion. The effects of the drug and the party overwhelm Romeo, who goes to the restroom. While admiring an aquarium, he sees Juliet. Tybalt spots Romeo and vows to kill him for invading his family's home, but Fulgencio stops him.

Romeo and Juliet sneak into an elevator and kiss. The nurse spots them when the doors open and drags Juliet away, while revealing that Romeo is a Montague. At the same time, Romeo realizes Juliet is a Capulet. Mercutio takes Romeo from the party, but he sneaks back to the mansion, hiding under Juliet’s balcony. Juliet emerges into the yard and proclaims her love for him before Romeo sneaks up behind her. Juliet is horrified that he risked death, but Romeo tells her he does not care whether he is caught. Knowing her nurse is looking for her, Juliet tells him that if he sends word by the following day, she will be his. Romeo visits Father Lawrence, telling him he wants to marry Juliet. He agrees to marry the pair. Romeo passes the word onto Juliet’s nurse and the lovers are married.

Tybalt encounters Mercutio just as Romeo arrives. Romeo attempts to make peace, but Tybalt assaults him. Mercutio intervenes and batters Tybalt, about to shoot Tybalt when Romeo stops him. Tybalt slashes Mercutio with a shard of glass, killing him, but not before Mercutio curses the warring houses. Angry that Mercutio, neither a Capulet nor Montague, has been murdered, Romeo kills Tybalt.

Captain Prince banishes Romeo from the city. Romeo, hiding with Father Lawrence, claims he would rather die than be banished. The nurse tells Romeo that Juliet is waiting for him. At the Capulet mansion Juliet prays, horrified by what has happened. When Romeo climbs over her balcony, she kisses him and they have sex. Fulgencio decides Juliet will marry Paris.

The next morning, Romeo narrowly escapes as Juliet's mother tells her she has been promised to Paris. She refuses to marry, so her father threatens to throw her out. Her mother and nurse insist it would be in her best interest to marry Paris. Juliet sees Father Lawrence, imploring him to help her and threatening to commit suicide. The priest proposes she fake death and be put in the Capulet vault to awaken 24 hours later. Romeo will be told of the plot, sneak into the vault, and once reunited the two can travel to Mantua. He gives her the poison necessary to make her seem dead. After saying goodnight to her mother, Juliet drinks the poison. She is found in the morning, declared dead and placed in the vault. Balthasar learns Juliet is dead and tells Romeo, who was not home when the messenger arrived to tell him of the plan.

Romeo returns to Verona, where he buys poison. Father Lawrence learns that Romeo has no idea Juliet is alive. Romeo enters the church where Juliet lies. Juliet awakens as Romeo takes the poison. The two kiss before Romeo dies from the poison. Juliet picks up Romeo's gun and shoots herself in the head, killing her instantly. The two lovers are discovered in each other's arms. Prince condemns both families whose feuding led to such a tragedy. Coroners take the bodies away as both families unite and make peace.

Cast[link]

Production[link]

While some parts of the film were shot in Miami, most of the film was shot in Mexico City and Veracruz. For instance, the Capulet mansion was set at Chapultepec Castle while the ballroom was built on Stage One of Churubusco Studios; and the church is Immaculate Heart of Mary in the Del Valle neighborhood.^[3]

Casting[link]

Natalie Portman had been chosen for the role of Juliet, but after production began, it was felt that the footage looked as though DiCaprio was "molesting" her.^[4] Eventually, Luhrmann agreed that the age difference between the two actors was too great. Filming was halted to find another actress for the part.

Reception[link]

The film grossed USD$147,554,998 worldwide at the box office^[5] on a US$14.5 million budget. The film premiered November 1, 1996 in the United States and Canada in 1,276 theaters and grossed $11.1 million its opening weekend, ranking #1 at the box office. It went on to gross $46.3 million in the United States and Canada.^[6]

Critics gave the film generally positive reviews. According to the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 70% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 53 reviews.^[7] However, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times disliked the film, giving it 2 stars and saying, "This production was a very bad idea ... I have never seen anything remotely approaching the mess that the new punk version of Romeo & Juliet makes of Shakespeare's tragedy." Ebert wrote that Pete Postlethwaite and Miriam Margolyes were "the only actors in the film who seem completely at home" and said, "In one grand but doomed gesture, writer-director Baz Luhrmann has made a film that (a) will dismay any lover of Shakespeare, and (b) bore anyone lured into the theater by promise of gang wars, MTV-style."^[8] James Berardinelli, a critic of Shakespeare plays adapted into film writes, "Ultimately, no matter how many innovative and unconventional flourishes it applies, the success of any adaptation of a Shakespeare play is determined by two factors: the competence of the director and the ability of the main cast members. Luhrmann, Danes, and DiCaprio place this Romeo and Juliet in capable hands."^[9]

Leonardo DiCaprio won Favorite Actor and Claire Danes won Favorite Actress in a Romance at the 1997 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.^[10] At the 1997 MTV Movie Awards, Danes won Best Female Performance. DiCaprio was nominated for Best Male Performance, and DiCaprio and Danes were both nominated for Best Kiss and Best On-Screen Duo.^[10] At the 51st BAFTA Film Awards, director Baz Luhrmann won Best Direction. Luhrmann and Mary Haile won the Best Adapted Screenplay. Nellee Hooper won the Best Film Music. And Catherine Martin won the Best Production Design. The film was also nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Sound.^[10]

The film won several awards.^[10] At the 47th Berlin International Film Festival in 1997, DiCaprio won the Silver Bear for Best Actor and Luhrmann won the Alfred Bauer Award.^[11] Luhrmann was also nominated for the Golden Bear Award for Best Picture.^[10] At the 69th Academy Awards, Catherine Martin and Brigitte Broch were nominated for Best Art Direction/Set Decoration.^[10]

Soundtrack[link]

Track listing

1. "#1 Crush" – Garbage
2. "Local God" – Everclear
3. "Angel" – Gavin Friday
4. "Pretty Piece of Flesh" – One Inch Punch
5. "Kissing You (Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet)" – Des'ree
6. "Whatever (I Had a Dream)" – Butthole Surfers
7. "Lovefool" – The Cardigans
8. "Young Hearts Run Free" – Kym Mazelle
9. "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" – Quindon Tarver
10. "To You I Bestow" – Mundy
11. "Talk Show Host" – Radiohead
12. "Little Star" – Stina Nordenstam
13. "You and Me Song" – The Wannadies

References[link]

Notes

Bibliography

• Lehmann, Courtney. "Strictly Shakespeare? Dead Letters, Ghostly Fathers, and the Cultural Pathology of Authorship in Baz Luhrmann's 'William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet'." Shakespeare Quarterly. 52.2 (Summer 2001) pp. 189–221.

External links[link]

	Film portal
	United States portal
	1990s portal

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Romeo + Juliet

• Romeo + Juliet at the Internet Movie Database
• Romeo + Juliet at AllRovi
• Romeo + Juliet at Box Office Mojo
• Romeo + Juliet at Rotten Tomatoes

v t e William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Characters Romeo Juliet Mercutio Tybalt Benvolio Friar Laurence Nurse Paris Prince Escalus Rosaline Full Character List Sources The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet Pyramus and Thisbe Palace of Pleasure Troilus and Criseyde Ephisaica Musical adaptations Romeo und Julie (1776) I Capuleti e i Montecchi (1830) Roméo et Juliette (Berlioz) (1839) Roméo et Juliette (1867) Romeo and Juliet (overture) (1870) Romeo und Julia (1929) Romeo and Juliet (1938) West Side Story (1957) Roméo et Juliette, de la Haine à l'Amour (2001) Giulietta e Romeo (2007) On screen Romeo and Juliet (1900) Romeo and Juliet (1908) Romeo and Juliet (1916) Romeo and Juliet (1936) Romeo and Juliet (1954) Romeo i Dzhulyetta (1955) Romeo and Juliet (1968) Romeo and Juliet (1978) The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (1982) Romeo and Juliet (1992) Romeo + Juliet (1996) Romeo and Juliet (2012) Adaptations Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953) Romeo, Juliet and Darkness (1960) Romanoff and Juliet (1961) West Side Story (1961) Romie-0 and Julie-8 (1979) The Sea Prince and the Fire Child (1981) Tromeo and Juliet (1996) Love Is All There Is (1996) The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998) Shakespeare in Love (1998) Romeo Must Die (2000) Romiette and Julio (2001) Hobak Nar (2004) Pizza My Heart (2005) West Bank Story (2005) Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss (2006) Romeo × Juliet (2007) Saints & Sinners (2007) Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) Book:Romeo and Juliet

Romeo
The balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet as depicted by Ford Madox Brown in an 1870 painting.
Creator	William Shakespeare
Play	Romeo and Juliet
Family	Juliet (wife) Montague (father) Lady Montague (mother) Benvolio (cousin)
Associates	Mercutio
Role	Protagonist

Romeo is one of the title characters in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is the son of old Montague and his wife, who secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet. Forced into exile by his slaying of Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, in a duel, Romeo commits suicide upon hearing falsely of Juliet's death.

The character's origins can be traced as far back as Pyramus, who appears in Ovid's Metamorphoses, but the first modern incarnation of Romeo is Mariotto in the 33rd of Masuccio Salernitano's Il Novellino (1476). This story was adapted by Luigi da Porto as Giulietta e Romeo (1530), and Shakespeare's main source was an English verse translation of this text by Arthur Brooke.^[1] Although both Salernitano and da Porto claimed that their stories had historical basis, there is little evidence that this is the case.

Romeo is one of the most important characters of the play, and has a consistent presence throughout it. His role as an idealistic lover has led the word "Romeo" to become a synonym for a passionate male lover in various languages. Although often treated as such, it is not clear that "Montague" is a surname in the modern sense.

Origins[link]

The earliest tale bearing a resemblance to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is Xenophon of Ephesus' Ephesiaca, whose hero is a Habrocomes.The character of Romeo is also similar to that of Pyramus in Ovid's Metamorphoses, a youth who is unable to meet the object of his affection due to an ancient family quarrel, and later kills himself due to mistakenly believing her to have died.^[2] Although it is unlikely that Shakespeare directly borrowed from Ovid while writing Romeo and Juliet, the story was likely an influence on the Italian writers who the playwright was greatly indebted to.^[3] The two sources which Shakespeare most likely consulted himself are Brookes' translation of de Porta and W. Painter's The goodly historye of the true, and constant Love between Rhomeo and Iulietta.^[1]

Role in the play[link]

Romeo first appears in the play in the first scene, shortly after the brawl between the Montagues and the Capulets. As a young man, he is rash and quite easily distempered. As a general rule, he is a mirror image of Juliet, being urged to marry by his father. He is overly eager, especially because he is infatuated with Rosaline, who is uninterested in him due to her commitment to chastity.^[4] His cousin Benvolio (who is related by his divorced mother's new husband), wishing to distract him from his romantic plight, presumably to gain Rosaline's favour, takes him and his friend Mercutio, uninvited and disguised, to a feast at the house of the Capulets.^[5] There he meets and falls in love with Juliet, the daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet.^[6] However, this was not merely infatuation, but true love, as Romeo explicitly states that loves Rosaline, but the two talk and indeed fall in love, as Romeo also is noted to find Juliet less than beautiful. This however changes and Romeo learns to see the beauty in his true love (as opposed to infatuation with Rosaline, Shakespeare's method of adding contrast). Romeo again meets her after the feast, as she laments her love for him from her balcony.^[7] Through a meeting with Juliet's Nurse, Romeo arranges for them to be married secretly by Friar Lawrence.^[8] When Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, insults Romeo in the streets the next day, he is prevented by his now familial relation with Tybalt from defending his honour.^[9] His friend Mercutio, exasperated by this, fights Tybalt, and is killed by him.^[10] Romeo, seeking revenge, kills Tybalt, which results in him being exiled from the city by the Prince.^[11] He leaves the next morning, having consummated his marriage with Juliet. Juliet, whose father intends to marry her to an aristocrat, Paris, unbeknownst to Romeo takes a potion, provided by Friar Lawrence, which places her in a death-like coma.^[12] She is therefore buried, and a messenger is sent to Romeo to tell him that Juliet is in fact alive, who unfortunately is unable to reach him to due to the plague.^[13] Romeo, genuinely believing Juliet to be dead, travels to her grave, where he meets and kills Paris.^[14] When he sees her body, he kills himself, moments before she awakes; when Juliet sees that Romeo is dead, she kills herself in turn shortly thereafter.^[15] The tragedy leads to the end of the feud between the two families.^[16]

Francisco Araiza playing Romeo in a 1990 production of Giuseppe Verdi's opera adaptation of the play.

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Bevington, David M. (2006). How to read a Shakespeare play. Westport: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-30089-5. 
• Halio, Jay (1998). Romeo and Juliet: A Guide to the Play. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 1-4051-1396-0. 
• Hunter, Lynette, Lichfield, Peter (2009). Negotiating Shakespeare's language in Romeo and Juliet: reading strategies from criticism, editing and the theatre. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7546-5844-3. 
• Shakespeare, William (1859). Romeo and Juliet:A tragedy. Leipzig: G. Græbner. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=izgALQkNvwwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Romeo+and+Juliet&hl=en&ei=nau0TbuqGZCI5Aab4eGkDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false. 

External links[link]

• Complete listing of all of Romeo's lines

v t e William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Characters Romeo Juliet Mercutio Tybalt Benvolio Friar Laurence Nurse Paris Prince Escalus Rosaline Full Character List Sources The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet Pyramus and Thisbe Palace of Pleasure Troilus and Criseyde Ephisaica Musical adaptations Romeo und Julie (1776) I Capuleti e i Montecchi (1830) Roméo et Juliette (Berlioz) (1839) Roméo et Juliette (1867) Romeo and Juliet (overture) (1870) Romeo und Julia (1929) Romeo and Juliet (1938) West Side Story (1957) Roméo et Juliette, de la Haine à l'Amour (2001) Giulietta e Romeo (2007) On screen Romeo and Juliet (1900) Romeo and Juliet (1908) Romeo and Juliet (1916) Romeo and Juliet (1936) Romeo and Juliet (1954) Romeo i Dzhulyetta (1955) Romeo and Juliet (1968) Romeo and Juliet (1978) The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (1982) Romeo and Juliet (1992) Romeo + Juliet (1996) Romeo and Juliet (2012) Adaptations Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953) Romeo, Juliet and Darkness (1960) Romanoff and Juliet (1961) West Side Story (1961) Romie-0 and Julie-8 (1979) The Sea Prince and the Fire Child (1981) Tromeo and Juliet (1996) Love Is All There Is (1996) The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998) Shakespeare in Love (1998) Romeo Must Die (2000) Romiette and Julio (2001) Hobak Nar (2004) Pizza My Heart (2005) West Bank Story (2005) Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss (2006) Romeo × Juliet (2007) Saints & Sinners (2007) Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) Book:Romeo and Juliet

Juliet
The balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet as depicted by Ford Madox Brown in an 1870 painting
Creator	William Shakespeare
Play	Romeo and Juliet
Family	Romeo (husband) Capulet (father) Lady Capulet (mother) Tybalt (cousin)
Associates	The Nurse
Role	Protagonist

Juliet is one of the title characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the other being Romeo. She is the daughter of old Capulet, head of the house of Capulet. The story has a long history that precedes Shakespeare himself.

Relationships[link]

This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (September 2010)

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Juliet by Philip H. Calderon

The play takes place over a time span of four days. Within these few days, Juliet is thrust into adulthood quickly—where she must deal with issues of life, love, passion, and even death. During the play she is courted by a potential husband (Count Paris), falls in love with another (Romeo), marries Romeo secretly, experiences the death of her cousin Tybalt, has one brief passionate night with her new husband before he is forced to leave the city, is threatened by her father and nearly disowned by both of her parents for refusing to marry the man they have chosen for her, she is emotionally betrayed by the nurse who raised her from infancy, spends nearly two days drugged to unconsciousness, is widowed, and ultimately commits suicide near the body of her dead husband.

Shakespeare's Juliet is a headstrong and intelligent character in spite of her young age, though she often seems timid to the audience because of her young age. She is considered by many to be the true hero of the play, acting as a sounding board and a balance against the impulsive Romeo. It is Juliet who sets the boundaries of behavior in her relationship with Romeo: she allows him to kiss her, she pledges her commitment before him, and it is she who suggests their marriage. Juliet's forgiveness of Romeo after he kills Tybalt indicates her mature nature in contrast to his passionate impulsiveness. Furthermore, Juliet lies and clandestinely subverts her family's wishes, a truly rebellious action against traditional Italian society. These actions and the choices they require establish Juliet as a far more complex character than her family, or even Romeo, appreciate.

Character history[link]

Juliet's wealthy and rich family lived in Verona, headed by old Capulet and his wife. She was their only child and was thought of as a gift from heaven. As a child, she was cared for by her nurse, who is now her confidante, or Juliet's caretaker.

In Juliet's first scene, she demonstrates her obedience and lack of experience in the world, outlining herself as inexperienced and in many ways dependent on her parents and nurse. She has not given marriage a second thought but she does want to do what her mother asks. It is high time that Juliet go the route Lady Capulet went in her youth, and be married to a rich and powerful gentleman like her father. The Count Paris is a bit of a bystander in the play however, unwittingly mixed up in the drama between the families. The to-be couple only ever met once in the Friar Lawrence's cell, which was very brief. His interest in her is primarily based on her social standing and her family's vast wealth, in contrast to her youthful beauty. He politely and nobly asks Capulet for her hand, and apparently would like her to begin bearing his children as soon as physically possible: "Younger than she are happy mothers made" (I.ii.12). Juliet, on the other hand, has no interest in becoming a wife and the mother of Paris's children: "(Marriage) is an honour that I dream not of" (I.iii.68). Even her father at first considers her too young to settle down. This may be a reflection on his feelings about his own wife, who might have been happier waiting a few years before marrying him. He tells Paris to let Juliet grow up for a few more years before planning marriage, but he pompously disagrees (I.ii.10–11). Of course, Juliet's mind on the matter changes within a few minutes of meeting Romeo, but when Paris is mentioned to her by her mother in act three she reverts back to an immature, whining, almost infantile state. Romeos very presence seems to propel her toward maturity however, and her decisions are made quickly but thoughtfully from that point forward.

Romeo too seems to achieve depth through his intense love with Juliet. When compared to the pining and frustration he exhibited during his crush on Rosaline, his behavior toward Juliet and her family and his attitude in general both show a level of great maturity. The feud that one day had seemed all-encompassing now makes no sense, and he abandons it. Much of Romeo's dialogue with Juliet is an intricate pattern of words. Their rhyming couplets sometimes come together to create a poem. This symbolizes their union, and shows that Juliet can easily match Romeo in wordplay.

It is not clear exactly why Romeo and Juliet love each other, beyond immediate physical attraction. They were married not 24 hours after their first meeting. Fate plays a constant role in the story. Their love is "death-marked" (I.I.9), the lovers are "star-crossed" (I.I.6), and Romeo feels he is being led by the stars as a ship is steered by its pilot. The idea may be that the heirs to these two families were fated to end up together to end the feud, and their deaths may or may not have been part of that fate. The play may be interpreted differently according to the whim of the reader or viewer. The series of disastrous events that leads to their deaths may have been just a part of the destiny, or it may have been what shattered the fate and made the story a true tragedy. Either way, peace comes to the families.

Juliet's age[link]

One aspect of the story which now seems problematic is Juliet's age. As the story occurs, Juliet is approaching her fourteenth birthday. She was born on "Lammas Eve at night" (August 1), so Juliet's birthday is July 31 (1319). Her birthday is "a fortnight hence", putting the action of the play in mid-July (1317). Her father states that she "hath not seen the change of fourteen years" (129). In many cultures and time periods, women did and do marry and bear children at an early age. Romeo and Juliet is a play about Italian families. The average English playgoer in Shakespeare's audience had never met an Italian person, and it was commonly thought that they were quite exotic, the Italian male passionate and emotional, and the Italian female precocious and quite ready to become a mother by thirteen. Lady Capulet had given birth to her first child by the time she had reached Juliet's age: "By my count, I was your mother much upon these years that you are now a maid" (1374–75). The play celebrates youth while pointing out its impulsiveness, passion, and idealism; qualities which contribute to the tragedy. The adolescent infatuation of the lovers becomes elevated to the status of sacred love.

This aspect of the story appears to be Shakespeare's invention, since Juliet is approaching her sixteenth birthday in Arthur Brooke's poem, his main source. Even Capulet tries to encourage Paris to wait a little longer before even thinking of marrying his daughter, feeling that she is still too young; "She hath not seen the change of fourteen years, Let two more summers wither in their pride, Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride". The common English people of that age were very rarely in their teens when they married and even among the nobility and gentry of the age, brides thirteen years of age were rare, at about one in one thousand brides; in that era, the vast majority of English brides were at least nineteen years of age when they first married, most commonly at about 22 years, and most English noblewomen were at least sixteen when they married. That the parts of young women were played by pre-adolescent boys in Shakespeare's day also cannot be overlooked and it is possible that Shakespeare had the physique of a young boy in mind during composition^[2].

In today's Verona[link]

[edit] Casa di Giulietta

Juliet's purported balcony, in Verona. Beneath it, on the walls, there are love letters.

In Verona, a house claiming to be the Capulets' has been turned into a tourist attraction. It features the balcony, and in the small courtyard, a bronze statue of Juliet. It is one of the most visited sites in the town. The metal of its chest is worn bare due to a legend that if a person strokes the right breast of the statue, that person will have good fortune.^[3]

Many people write their names and the names of their beloved ones on the walls of the entrance, known as Juliet's wall. Many believe that writing on that place will make their love everlasting. After a restoration and cleaning of the building, it was intended that further writing should be on replaceable panels^[4] or white sheets^[5] placed outside the wall.

It is also a tradition to put small love letters on the walls (which is done by the thousands each year), which are regularly taken down by employees to keep the courtyard clean.^[6]

Club di Giulietta[link]

Since the 1930s, letters addressed to Juliet keep arriving in Verona. As of 2010, more than 5,000 letters are received annually, three quarters of which are from women. The largest single group of senders are American teenagers.^[7] The letters are read and replied to by local volunteers, organized since the 1980s in the Club di Giulietta (Juliet Club), which is financed by the City of Verona.^[7] The club has been the subject of a book by Lise and Ceil Friedman and is the setting for a 2008 book by Suzzane Harper and a 2010 USA movie, Letters to Juliet.

Performers[link]

A number of famous actresses have portrayed the role of Juliet:

• Mary Saunderson was the first woman to play Juliet professionally. Previous actors had all been males.^[8]
• Eliza O'Neill won her fame with Juliet at Covent Garden, 1814.
• Katharine Cornell had a notable Broadway success as Juliet opposite the Romeo of Basil Rathbone in 1934, and revived the production with Maurice Evans as Romeo and Ralph Richardson as Mercutio the following year.
• Peggy Ashcroft was one of the great Juliets in history, most famously in the 1935 London production directed by John Gielgud, in which Gielgud and Laurence Olivier alternated the roles of Romeo and Mercutio.
• Norma Shearer in George Cukor's Romeo and Juliet (1936). Leslie Howard was her Romeo.
• Judi Dench had a great success as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's 1960 London production.
• The 1961 musical film West Side Story starred Natalie Wood as Maria, the Juliet analogue.
• Olivia Hussey portrayed Juliet in Zeffirelli's 1968 film, Romeo and Juliet,; Leonard Whiting was her Romeo.
• Niamh Cusack portrayed Juliet in 1986 with The Royal Shakespeare Company. Sean Bean was her Romeo.
• Claire Danes was Juliet in Baz Luhrmann's modernized 1996 version, Romeo + Juliet, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo.
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw portrayed Juliet at the Royal Exchange Theatre's 2005 production.
• Hailee Steinfeld will portray Juliet in Carlo Carlei's upcoming film adaptation opposite actor Douglas Booth as Romeo.^[9]

Animation[link]

• In Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss, Juliet is portrayed as a white seal and is voiced by Patricia Trippett while her brother Daniel did the voicing of the brown seal Romeo.
• Fumie Mizusawa voices Juliet in the heroic-fantasy adaptation Romeo x Juliet by the Japanese animation studio GONZO, with Takahiro Mizushima voicing Romeo; Brina Palencia and Chris Burnett portrayed the characters in the English-language version.

Fictional performers[link]

• The Academy Award-winning film Shakespeare in Love depicts history's first Juliet as being illegally played by Viola de Lesseps, a woman (Gwyneth Paltrow).
• In her music video Love Story, American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift played the part of Juliet. The plot was transformed to a happy ending, instead of tragic.
• In the credits of Toy Story 3, one of the Squeeze Toy Aliens/LGMs play the role of Juliet dressed up in a dress, a wig and a princess hat.
• In the climax of "Casting Call" from The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog, after Camille Wallaby who is beautifully dressed solves the mystery with Alfred and Milo, she is chosen to be the perfect Juliet by saying her famous words.
• In The Sims 2 Juliet reappears as Juliette Capp.

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Bevington, David, Ed. Romeo and Juliet, The Bantam Shakespeare (New York, 1988)
• Levenson, Jill L., Ed. Romeo and Juliet, The Oxford Shakespeare (Oxford, 2000)

Further reading[link]

• "Juliet's Taming of Romeo" Carolyn E. Brown; Studies in English Literature, 1500–1900, Vol. 36, 1996
• "A Psychological Profile of Shakespeare's Juliet: Or Was It Merely Hormones?" Nancy Compton Warmbrod The English Journal, Vol. 69, No. 9 (Dec., 1980), p. 29

External links[link]

• The Juliet club in Verona
• The fanlisting for Juliet
• Juliet Character Analysis

v t e William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Characters Romeo Juliet Mercutio Tybalt Benvolio Friar Laurence Nurse Paris Prince Escalus Rosaline Full Character List Sources The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet Pyramus and Thisbe Palace of Pleasure Troilus and Criseyde Ephisaica Musical adaptations Romeo und Julie (1776) I Capuleti e i Montecchi (1830) Roméo et Juliette (Berlioz) (1839) Roméo et Juliette (1867) Romeo and Juliet (overture) (1870) Romeo und Julia (1929) Romeo and Juliet (1938) West Side Story (1957) Roméo et Juliette, de la Haine à l'Amour (2001) Giulietta e Romeo (2007) On screen Romeo and Juliet (1900) Romeo and Juliet (1908) Romeo and Juliet (1916) Romeo and Juliet (1936) Romeo and Juliet (1954) Romeo i Dzhulyetta (1955) Romeo and Juliet (1968) Romeo and Juliet (1978) The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (1982) Romeo and Juliet (1992) Romeo + Juliet (1996) Romeo and Juliet (2012) Adaptations Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953) Romeo, Juliet and Darkness (1960) Romanoff and Juliet (1961) West Side Story (1961) Romie-0 and Julie-8 (1979) The Sea Prince and the Fire Child (1981) Tromeo and Juliet (1996) Love Is All There Is (1996) The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998) Shakespeare in Love (1998) Romeo Must Die (2000) Romiette and Julio (2001) Hobak Nar (2004) Pizza My Heart (2005) West Bank Story (2005) Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss (2006) Romeo × Juliet (2007) Saints & Sinners (2007) Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) Book:Romeo and Juliet

Hailee Steinfeld
Steinfeld in January 2011, photographed by Nathan Blaney
Born	(1996-12-11) December 11, 1996 (age 15)[1] Tarzana, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2007–present

Hailee Steinfeld (born December 11, 1996)^[1] is an American actress. She rose to fame for her portrayal as Mattie Ross in the 2010 film True Grit, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Early life[link]

Steinfeld was born in Tarzana, Los Angeles, the daughter of Cheri (née Domasin), an interior designer, and Peter Steinfeld, a personal fitness trainer.^[2][3] She has an older brother, Griffin,^[2] and her uncle is fitness trainer Jake Steinfeld.^[1] Her father is Jewish^[4] and her maternal grandfather is Filipino.^[5][6] Steinfeld was raised in Agoura Hills and later in Thousand Oaks, California,^[2][7] attending Ascension Lutheran School, Conejo Elementary, and Colina Middle School.^[8] She has been home-schooled since 2008.^[8]

Career[link]

Steinfeld began acting at the age of eight, initially appearing in several short films to gain experience. She played the role of Talia Alden in the award-winning short film, She's a Fox.^[9] She eventually made appearances in several commercials and a few guest-starring television roles. ^[7]

Steinfeld was chosen out of 15,000 girls for the role of Mattie Ross in True Grit.^[2] She was announced as a nominee for Best Supporting Actress at the 83rd Academy Awards on January 25, 2011.^[10]

She has been cast as Juliet Capulet in an upcoming adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet by director Carlo Carlei.^[11]

In May 2011, Miu Miu announced that it had chosen Steinfeld as its new face.^[12][13]

Filmography[link]

Feature films[link]

Steinfeld at the premiere of Secretariat, September 30, 2010.

Short films[link]

Awards and Nominations[link]

Steinfeld at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011.

Wins[link]

• 2010 - Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards: Sierra Award for Youth in Film (True Grit)
• 2010 - Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards for Best Performance by a Youth in a Leading or Supporting Role - Female (True Grit)
• 2010 - Austin Film Critics Association: Austin Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress (True Grit)
• 2010 - Chicago Film Critics Association Awards for Best Supporting Actress (True Grit)
• 2010 - Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards for Best Supporting Actress (True Grit)
• 2010 - Toronto Film Critics Association Awards for Best Supporting Actress (True Grit)
• 2011 - Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards: Critics Choice Award for Best Young Actor/Actress (True Grit)
• 2011 - Central Ohio Film Critics Association for Best Supporting Actress (True Grit)
• 2011 - Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Supporting Actress (True Grit)
• 2011 - Online Film Critics Society Awards for Best Supporting Actress (True Grit)
• 2011 - YOUreviewers movie awards for Best Supporting Actrees and Best Breakthrough Actress (True Grit)
• 2011 - Santa Barbara International Film Festival: Virtuoso Award for (True Grit)
• 2011 - Vancouver Film Critics Circle for Best Supporting Actress (True Grit)
• 2011 - Western Heritage Award: Bronze Wrangler Award for Outstanding Theatrical Motion Picture (True Grit)
• 2011 - Young Artist Awards for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress (True Grit)
• 2011 - Young Hollywood Awards for Breakthrough Star of the Year