Romeo and Juliet by Edith Nesbit
Romeo and Juliet belong to two feuding Verona families, the Montagu and the Capulet, who nurse an old quarrel instead of letting it die, so that street fights and duels keep breaking out between them. Lord Capulet holds a grand supper and dance, barring only Montagues, but young Romeo Montagu attends in disguise with his friends Mercutio and Benvolio, hoping to see Rosaline, whom he loves without being loved in return. At the feast he instead falls for Juliet, Lord Capulet's daughter, before learning who she is; Tybalt, Lady Capulet's nephew, recognizes Romeo and is restrained from quarrelling only by old Capulet's courtesy. That night Romeo overhears Juliet confess her love for him from her window, reveals himself, and the two pledge themselves to each other. The next morning Friar Laurence agrees to marry them secretly, hoping the match will end the feud, and the nurse arranges a rope ladder for Romeo to visit Juliet after their wedding. That same day Tybalt provokes a fight; he kills Mercutio, and Romeo, enraged, kills Tybalt and is sentenced to banishment. Romeo and Juliet meet once more in secret before he must flee. Juliet's father, unaware of her marriage, insists she wed Paris, and when she resists, she seeks Friar Laurence's help. He gives her a sleeping draught to feign death, planning to free her from the tomb before Paris's wedding and reunite her with Romeo, with a letter sent to warn Romeo in Mantua. Juliet pretends to consent, is found apparently dead on her wedding morning, and is laid in the Capulet vault. The warning letter fails to reach Romeo in time; instead his servant brings word of Juliet's death. Romeo buys poison and returns to Verona, where he meets Paris at the tomb, fights and kills him at Paris's own dying request to be laid beside Juliet, then drinks the poison beside her and dies. Friar Laurence arrives too late; as he flees at the sound of approaching people, Juliet wakes, finds Romeo and Paris dead, and stabs herself with Romeo's dagger, dying across his body. Learning the full truth from Friar Laurence, the grieving Montagu and Capulet families finally clasp hands over their children's bodies, repenting the quarrel that caused their deaths.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1907 · Genre: Tragedy, Romance, Drama · 2,621 words
First lines
Once upon a time there lived in Verona two great families named Montagu and Capulet. They were both rich, and I suppose they were as sensible, in most things, as other rich people. But in one thing they were extremely silly. There was an old, old quarrel between the two families, and instead of making it up like reasonable folks, they made a sort of pet of their quarrel, and would not let it die out. So that a Montagu wouldn't speak to a Capulet if he met one in the street -- nor a Capulet to a Montagu -- or if they did speak, it was to say rude and unpleasant things, which often ended in a fight. And their relations and servants were just as foolish, so that street fights and duels and uncomfortablenesses of that kind were always growing out of the Montagu-and-Capulet quarrel.
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Genres
- Tragedy — The work culminates in the deaths of both protagonists due to miscommunication and circumstance, which is the defining characteristic of the tragedy genre.
- Romance — The central plot is the passionate love story between Romeo and Juliet, featuring declarations of love, secret marriage, and emotional devotion as the driving narrative force.
- Drama — The work is built on intense interpersonal conflicts including family feuds, street fights, duels, and emotional confrontations that define dramatic storytelling.
- Young Adult — The protagonists are young, the writing style is accessible and narrative-driven, and the themes of first love and youthful passion resonate with adolescent readers.
Tags
Verona · Montagu · Capulet · family feud · forbidden love · star-crossed lovers · tragedy · romance · children's literature · retelling · secret marriage · love at first sight
What this Textopian page supports
Romeo and Juliet is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edith Nesbit, dated 1907 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Edith Nesbit
- Date: 1907 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Tragedy, Romance, Drama, Young Adult, Literary Adaptation
- Length: 2,621 words
- Structure: 1 section, 48 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for Romeo and Juliet by Edith Nesbit
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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