Most people view William Shakespeare as a literary innovator and a creative mastermind. The truth is the great poet Shakespeare is just another remixer of past innovations and historical information. Romeo and Juliet, the classic tale of two star crossed lovers, is not as original as Shakespeare or his readers might have led on. In fact the story of Romeo and Juliet was derived from similar stories written in the 1500s by authors like Author Brooke and William Painter. Brooke’s poem and Painter’s story in return were inspired by novella written by Italian author Matteo Bandello and other literary works of the time (Malbillard, 2009). Shakespeare’s play was written between 1951 and1956, however Romeo and Juliet was not published until 1597.
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In Greek mythology the story of Pyramus and Thisbe by Ovid is about two lover who are forbidden to marry by their rival parents. Like Romeo and Juliet the Greek lovers meet an untimely death due to confusion of their dead true love. Contrasting the Shakespearian play Pyramus and Thisbe death are attributed to a mistake with a lioness and a bloody veil and both lovers die by the same blade. In true Greek fashion the story takes place in Babylon and also becomes the reason why “the gods made mulberry fruits into the stained color to honor the forbidden love” (Madlebuam, 1993). From this mythological Greek storied arose stories like Mariotto e Ganozza by Masuccio Salernitano. In 1476 Salernitano wrote a novella about Mariotte Montecchi and Ganozza Cappellet, lovers from rival families trying to marry each other. In this rendition of the star cross lover story the friar and potion ending was introduced. The story also took place in Siena and included the rival families Montecchi and the Cappellet, which introduced the location and rival families later used in Shakespeare’s play. Shakespeare of course reshaped the Italian names to reflect his English culture and …show more content…
Historia Novellamente Ritrovata di Due Nobili Amanti or A Story Newly Found of two Noble Lovers written and published in 1530 by Luigi Da Porto is considered to be the true“ first Romeo and Juliet” (Malbillard, 2009). Da Porto took the novella by Salernitano and included his own literary style and element of his own life to create Historia Novellamente Ritrovata di Due Nobili Amanti. (Valenzi, 2010). The story is based off his own missed love in a noble society and is the same as Romeo and Juliet right down to the characters. Da Porto’s story introduced the lovers Romeus and Giulietta and the characters of Mercutio, Tybalt, Friar Laurence, and Paris, and the location of Verona, Italy not know to the previous stories (Valenzi, 2010). The story of Romeus and Giulietta takes form in many ways before it was remixed to the well-known Shakespearian play of today’s society. In 1554 an Italian Catholic Bishop, Matteo Bandello, adapts Luigi da Porto’s novel into a short story. French writer Pierre Boaistuau changes the story into a poem that he included in his Histoires Tragiques (Tragic Stories). Around 1562 English writer, Author Brooke, extends the story into a long narrative poem Romeus and Juliet. William Shakespeare then turned Brooke’s narrative poem into the wit filled tragic play of two ill-fated lovers. Shakespeare’s major transformation of the story was changing the timeline. He changed
In Greek mythology the story of Pyramus and Thisbe by Ovid is about two lover who are forbidden to marry by their rival parents. Like Romeo and Juliet the Greek lovers meet an untimely death due to confusion of their dead true love. Contrasting the Shakespearian play Pyramus and Thisbe death are attributed to a mistake with a lioness and a bloody veil and both lovers die by the same blade. In true Greek fashion the story takes place in Babylon and also becomes the reason why “the gods made mulberry fruits into the stained color to honor the forbidden love” (Madlebuam, 1993). From this mythological Greek storied arose stories like Mariotto e Ganozza by Masuccio Salernitano. In 1476 Salernitano wrote a novella about Mariotte Montecchi and Ganozza Cappellet, lovers from rival families trying to marry each other. In this rendition of the star cross lover story the friar and potion ending was introduced. The story also took place in Siena and included the rival families Montecchi and the Cappellet, which introduced the location and rival families later used in Shakespeare’s play. Shakespeare of course reshaped the Italian names to reflect his English culture and …show more content…
Historia Novellamente Ritrovata di Due Nobili Amanti or A Story Newly Found of two Noble Lovers written and published in 1530 by Luigi Da Porto is considered to be the true“ first Romeo and Juliet” (Malbillard, 2009). Da Porto took the novella by Salernitano and included his own literary style and element of his own life to create Historia Novellamente Ritrovata di Due Nobili Amanti. (Valenzi, 2010). The story is based off his own missed love in a noble society and is the same as Romeo and Juliet right down to the characters. Da Porto’s story introduced the lovers Romeus and Giulietta and the characters of Mercutio, Tybalt, Friar Laurence, and Paris, and the location of Verona, Italy not know to the previous stories (Valenzi, 2010). The story of Romeus and Giulietta takes form in many ways before it was remixed to the well-known Shakespearian play of today’s society. In 1554 an Italian Catholic Bishop, Matteo Bandello, adapts Luigi da Porto’s novel into a short story. French writer Pierre Boaistuau changes the story into a poem that he included in his Histoires Tragiques (Tragic Stories). Around 1562 English writer, Author Brooke, extends the story into a long narrative poem Romeus and Juliet. William Shakespeare then turned Brooke’s narrative poem into the wit filled tragic play of two ill-fated lovers. Shakespeare’s major transformation of the story was changing the timeline. He changed