Everyone knows the story of the star-crossed lovers but close attention to the language of the play can deepen and darken the legend. As icons of passion, Romeo and Juliet reveal the recklessness, as well as the idealism, of desire in a violent world. Catherine Belsey shows how you can tease out the play's subtle meanings and goes on to discuss key adaptations, including the classic Baz Lurhmann film.

CATHERINE BELSEY is Research Professor of English at the University of Wales, Swansea, UK.

Series editor's preface
Preface
1 Introduction: The play
2 The Language of love
3 The language of death
4 Shakespeare retells the tale
5 Textual choices
6 Afterlives: Language through time
7 Critical issues and the text
8 Writing skills
Further reading