why did romeo and juliet die essay

A Summary and Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Although it was first performed in the 1590s, the first documented performance of Romeo and Juliet is from 1662. The diarist Samuel Pepys was in the audience, and recorded that he ‘saw “Romeo and Juliet,” the first time it was ever acted; but it is a play of itself the worst that ever I heard in my life, and the worst acted that ever I saw these people do.’

Despite Pepys’ dislike, the play is one of Shakespeare’s best-loved and most famous, and the story of Romeo and Juliet is well known. However, the play has become so embedded in the popular psyche that Shakespeare’s considerably more complex play has been reduced to a few key aspects: ‘star-cross’d lovers’, a teenage love story, and the suicide of the two protagonists.

In the summary and analysis that follow, we realise that Romeo and Juliet is much more than a tragic love story.

Romeo and Juliet : brief summary

After the Prologue has set the scene – we have two feuding households, Montagues and Capulets, in the city-state of Verona; and young Romeo is a Montague while Juliet, with whom Romeo is destined to fall in love, is from the Capulet family, sworn enemies of the Montagues – the play proper begins with servants of the two feuding households taunting each other in the street.

When Benvolio, a member of house Montague, arrives and clashes with Tybalt of house Capulet, a scuffle breaks out, and it is only when Capulet himself and his wife, Lady Capulet, appear that the fighting stops. Old Montague and his wife then show up, and the Prince of Verona, Escalus, arrives and chastises the people for fighting. Everyone leaves except Old Montague, his wife, and Benvolio, Montague’s nephew. Benvolio tells them that Romeo has locked himself away, but he doesn’t know why.

Romeo appears and Benvolio asks his cousin what is wrong, and Romeo starts speaking in paradoxes, a sure sign that he’s in love. He claims he loves Rosaline, but will not return any man’s love. A servant appears with a note, and Romeo and Benvolio learn that the Capulets are holding a masked ball.

Benvolio tells Romeo he should attend, even though he is a Montague, as he will find more beautiful women than Rosaline to fall in love with. Meanwhile, Lady Capulet asks her daughter Juliet whether she has given any thought to marriage, and tells Juliet that a man named Paris would make an excellent husband for her.

Romeo attends the Capulets’ masked ball, with his friend Mercutio. Mercutio tells Romeo about a fairy named Queen Mab who enters young men’s minds as they dream, and makes them dream of love and romance. At the masked ball, Romeo spies Juliet and instantly falls in love with her; she also falls for him.

They kiss, but then Tybalt, Juliet’s kinsman, spots Romeo and recognising him as a Montague, plans to confront him. Old Capulet tells him not to do so, and Tybalt reluctantly agrees. When Juliet enquires after who Romeo is, she is distraught to learn that he is a Montague and thus a member of the family that is her family’s sworn enemies.

Romeo breaks into the gardens of Juliet’s parents’ house and speaks to her at her bedroom window. The two of them pledge their love for each other, and arrange to be secretly married the following night. Romeo goes to see a churchman, Friar Laurence, who agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet.

After the wedding, the feud between the two families becomes violent again: Tybalt kills Mercutio in a fight, and Romeo kills Tybalt in retaliation. The Prince banishes Romeo from Verona for his crime.

Juliet is told by her father that she will marry Paris, so Juliet goes to seek Friar Laurence’s help in getting out of it. He tells her to take a sleeping potion which will make her appear to be dead for two nights; she will be laid to rest in the family vault, and Romeo (who will be informed of the plan) can secretly come to her there.

However, although that part of the plan goes fine, the message to Romeo doesn’t arrive; instead, he hears that Juliet has actually died. He secretly visits her at the family vault, but his grieving is interrupted by the arrival of Paris, who is there to lay flowers. The two of them fight, and Romeo kills him.

Convinced that Juliet is really dead, Romeo drinks poison in order to join Juliet in death. Juliet wakes from her slumber induced by the sleeping draught to find Romeo dead at her side. She stabs herself.

The play ends with Friar Laurence telling the story to the two feuding families. The Prince tells them to put their rivalry behind them and live in peace.

Romeo and Juliet : analysis

How should we analyse Romeo and Juliet , one of Shakespeare’s most famous and frequently studied, performed, and adapted plays? Is Romeo and Juliet the great love story that it’s often interpreted as, and what does it say about the play – if it is a celebration of young love – that it ends with the deaths of both romantic leads?

It’s worth bearing in mind that Romeo and Juliet do not kill themselves specifically because they are forbidden to be together, but rather because a chain of events (of which their families’ ongoing feud with each other is but one) and a message that never arrives lead to a misunderstanding which results in their suicides.

Romeo and Juliet is often read as both a tragedy and a great celebration of romantic love, but it clearly throws out some difficult questions about the nature of love, questions which are rendered even more pressing when we consider the headlong nature of the play’s action and the fact that Romeo and Juliet meet, marry, and die all within the space of a few days.

Below, we offer some notes towards an analysis of this classic Shakespeare play and explore some of the play’s most salient themes.

It’s worth starting with a consideration of just what Shakespeare did with his source material. Interestingly, two families known as the Montagues and Capulets appear to have actually existed in medieval Italy: the first reference to ‘Montagues and Capulets’ is, curiously, in the poetry of Dante (1265-1321), not Shakespeare.

In Dante’s early fourteenth-century epic poem, the Divine Comedy , he makes reference to two warring Italian families: ‘Come and see, you who are negligent, / Montagues and Capulets, Monaldi and Filippeschi / One lot already grieving, the other in fear’ ( Purgatorio , canto VI). Precisely why the families are in a feud with one another is never revealed in Shakespeare’s play, so we are encouraged to take this at face value.

The play’s most famous line references the feud between the two families, which means Romeo and Juliet cannot be together. And the line, when we stop and consider it, is more than a little baffling. The line is spoken by Juliet: ‘Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?’ Of course, ‘wherefore’ doesn’t mean ‘where’ – it means ‘why’.

But that doesn’t exactly clear up the whys and the wherefores. The question still doesn’t appear to make any sense: Romeo’s problem isn’t his first name, but his family name, Montague. Surely, since she fancies him, Juliet is quite pleased with ‘Romeo’ as he is – it’s his family that are the problem. Solutions have been proposed to this conundrum , but none is completely satisfying.

There are a number of notable things Shakespeare did with his source material. The Italian story ‘Mariotto and Gianozza’, printed in 1476, contained many of the plot elements of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet . Shakespeare’s source for the play’s story was Arthur Brooke’s The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet (1562), an English verse translation of this Italian tale.

The moral of Brooke’s tale is that young love ends in disaster for their elders, and is best reined in; Shakespeare changed that. In Romeo and Juliet , the headlong passion and excitement of young love is celebrated, even though confusion leads to the deaths of the young lovers. But through their deaths, and the example their love set for their parents, the two families vow to be reconciled to each other.

Shakespeare also makes Juliet a thirteen-year-old girl in his play, which is odd for a number of reasons. We know that Romeo and Juliet is about young love – the ‘pair of star-cross’d lovers’, who belong to rival families in Verona – but what is odd about Shakespeare’s play is how young he makes Juliet.

In Brooke’s verse rendition of the story, Juliet is sixteen. But when Shakespeare dramatised the story, he made Juliet several years younger, with Romeo’s age unspecified. As Lady Capulet reveals, Juliet is ‘not [yet] fourteen’, and this point is made to us several times, as if Shakespeare wishes to draw attention to it and make sure we don’t forget it.

This makes sense in so far as Juliet represents young love, but what makes it unsettling – particularly for modern audiences – is the fact that this makes Juliet a girl of thirteen when she enjoys her night of wedded bliss with Romeo. As John Sutherland puts it in his (and Cedric Watts’) engaging Oxford World’s Classics: Henry V, War Criminal?: and Other Shakespeare Puzzles , ‘In a contemporary court of law [Romeo] would receive a longer sentence for what he does to Juliet than for what he does to Tybalt.’

There appears to be no satisfactory answer to this question, but one possible explanation lies in one of the play’s recurring themes: bawdiness and sexual familiarity. Perhaps surprisingly given the youthfulness of its tragic heroine, Romeo and Juliet is shot through with bawdy jokes, double entendres, and allusions to sex, made by a number of the characters.

These references to physical love serve to make Juliet’s innocence, and subsequent passionate romance with Romeo, even more noticeable: the journey both Romeo and Juliet undertake is one from innocence (Romeo pointlessly and naively pursuing Rosaline; Juliet unversed in the ways of love) to experience.

In the last analysis, Romeo and Juliet is a classic depiction of forbidden love, but it is also far more sexually aware, more ‘adult’, than many people realise.

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4 thoughts on “A Summary and Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet”

Modern reading of the play’s opening dialogue among the brawlers fails to parse the ribaldry. Sex scares the bejeepers out of us. Why? Confer “R&J.”

It’s all that damn padre’s fault!

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Why Did Romeo and Juliet Die Essay

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The Role of Fate in 'Romeo and Juliet'

Were the star-cross'd lovers doomed from the start?

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There's no real consensus among Shakespearean scholars about the role of fate in "Romeo and Juliet." Were the "star-cross'd lovers" doomed from the start, their tragic futures determined before they even met? Or are the events of this famed play a matter of bad luck and missed chances?

Let's take a look at the role of fate and destiny in the story of the two teenagers from Verona whose feuding families couldn't keep them apart.

Examples of Fate in 'Romeo and Juliet'

The story of Romeo and Juliet asks the question, "Are our lives and destinies preordained?" While it is possible to see the play as a series of coincidences, bad luck, and bad decisions, many scholars see the story as an unfolding of events predetermined by fate.

For example, in the opening lines of "Romeo and Juliet," Shakespeare allows the audience to hear his characters’ destiny. We learn early on what is going to happen to the title characters: “a pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life.” As a result, the idea of a preordained ending is already on the audience's mind as the story plays out.

Then, in Act One, Scene Three, Romeo is already feeling that fate is planning his doom before the Capulet's party. He wonders if he should attend the party, as "my mind misgives / Some consequence yet hanging in the stars."

In Act Three, Scene One, when Mercutio shouts “a plague on both your houses," he's foreshadowing what's to come for the title couple. This bloody scene in which characters are killed gives us a glimpse of what's to come, marking the beginning of Romeo and Juliet’s tragic downfall.

When Mercutio dies, Romeo himself foreshadows the outcome: "This day's black fate on more days doth depend / This but begins the woe, others must end." The others upon whom fate later falls, of course, are Romeo and Juliet.

In Act Five, when he hears of Juliet's death, Romeo swears he will defy fate: "Is it even so? Then I defy you, stars!" Later, as he plans his own death in Juliet's tomb, Romeo says: "O, here / Will I set up my everlasting rest, / And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars / From this world-wearied flesh." This brave defiance of fate is especially heartbreaking because Romeo's suicide is the event that leads to Juliet's death.

The idea of fate permeates through many of the events and speeches in the play. Romeo and Juliet see omens throughout, continually reminding the audience that the outcome will not be a happy one.

Their deaths are also a catalyst for change in Verona, as the dueling families become united in their mutual grief and create a political shift in the city. Perhaps Romeo and Juliet were fated to love —and die—for the greater good of Verona.

Were Romeo and Juliet Victims of Circumstance?

Other readers may examine the play through the lens of happenstance and coincidence, and thus conclude that Romeo and Juliet's fates were not wholly predetermined but rather a series of unfortunate and unlucky events.

For instance, Romeo and Benvolio happen to meet and talk about love on the very day of the Capulets' ball. Had they had the conversation the following day, Romeo would not have met Juliet.

In Act Five, we learn that Friar Lawrence's messenger to Romeo, who would have explained the plan of Juliet's pretend death, is detained, and Romeo doesn't get the message. If the messenger had not tried to find someone to accompany him on the trip, he would not have been held back.

Finally, Juliet wakes just moments after Romeo's suicide. Had Romeo arrived just a few moments later, all would have been well.

It is certainly possible to describe the events of the play as a series of unfortunate events and coincidences. That said, it is a much more rewarding reading experience to consider the role of fate in "Romeo and Juliet."

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A Modern Perspective: Romeo and Juliet

By Gail Kern Paster

Does Romeo and Juliet need an introduction? Of all Shakespeare’s plays, it has been the most continuously popular since its first performance in the mid-1590s. It would seem, then, the most direct of Shakespeare’s plays in its emotional impact. What could be easier to understand and what could be more moving than the story of two adolescents finding in their sudden love for each other a reason to defy their families’ mutual hatred by marrying secretly? The tragic outcome of their blameless love (their “misadventured piteous overthrows”) seems equally easy to understand: it results first from Tybalt’s hotheaded refusal to obey the Prince’s command and second from accidents of timing beyond any human ability to foresee or control. Simple in its story line, clear in its affirmation of the power of love over hate, Romeo and Juliet seems to provide both a timeless theme and universal appeal. Its immediacy stands in welcome contrast to the distance, even estrangement, evoked by other Shakespeare plays. No wonder it is often the first Shakespeare play taught in schools—on the grounds of its obvious relevance to the emotional and social concerns of young people.

Recent work by social historians on the history of private life in western European culture, however, offers a complicating perspective on the timelessness of Romeo and Juliet. At the core of the play’s evident accessibility is the importance and privilege modern Western culture grants to desire, regarding it as deeply expressive of individual identity and central to the personal fulfillment of women no less than men. But, as these historians have argued, such conceptions of desire reflect cultural changes in human consciousness—in ways of imagining and articulating the nature of desire. 1 In England until the late sixteenth century, individual identity had been imagined not so much as the result of autonomous, personal growth in consciousness but rather as a function of social station, an individual’s place in a network of social and kinship structures. Furthermore, traditional culture distinguished sharply between the nature of identity for men and women. A woman’s identity was conceived almost exclusively in relation to male authority and marital status. She was less an autonomous, desiring self than any male was; she was a daughter, wife, or widow expected to be chaste, silent, and, above all, obedient. It is a profound and necessary act of historical imagination, then, to recognize innovation in the moment when Juliet impatiently invokes the coming of night and the husband she has disobediently married: “Come, gentle night; come, loving black-browed night, / Give me my Romeo” ( 3.2.21 –23).

Recognizing that the nature of desire and identity is subject to historical change and cultural innovation can provide the basis for rereading Romeo and Juliet. Instead of an uncomplicated, if lyrically beautiful, contest between young love and “ancient grudge,” the play becomes a narrative that expresses an historical conflict between old forms of identity and new modes of desire, between authority and freedom, between parental will and romantic individualism. Furthermore, though the Chorus initially sets the lovers as a pair against the background of familial hatred, the reader attentive to social detail will be struck instead by Shakespeare’s care in distinguishing between the circumstances of male and female lovers: “she as much in love, her means much less / To meet her new belovèd anywhere” ( 2. Chorus. 11 –12, italics added). The story of “Juliet and her Romeo” may be a single narrative, but its clear internal division is drawn along the traditionally unequal lines of gender.

Because of such traditional notions of identity and gender, Elizabethan theatergoers might have recognized a paradox in the play’s lyrical celebration of the beauty of awakened sexual desire in the adolescent boy and girl. By causing us to identify with Romeo and Juliet’s desire for one another, the play affirms their love even while presenting it as a problem in social management. This is true not because Romeo and Juliet fall in love with forbidden or otherwise unavailable sexual partners; such is the usual state of affairs at the beginning of Shakespearean comedy, but those comedies end happily. Rather Romeo and Juliet’s love is a social problem, unresolvable except by their deaths, because they dare to marry secretly in an age when legal, consummated marriage was irreversible. Secret marriage is the narrative device by which Shakespeare brings into conflict the new privilege claimed by individual desire and the traditional authority granted fathers to arrange their daughters’ marriages. Secret marriage is the testing ground, in other words, of the new kind of importance being claimed by individual desire. Shakespeare’s representation of the narrative outcome of this desire as tragic—here, as later in the secret marriage that opens Othello —may suggest something of Elizabethan society’s anxiety about the social cost of romantic individualism.

The conflict between traditional authority and individual desire also provides the framework for Shakespeare’s presentation of the Capulet-Montague feud. The feud, like the lovers’ secret marriage, is another problem in social management, another form of socially problematic desire. We are never told what the families are fighting about or fighting for; in this sense the feud is both causeless and goal-less. The Chorus’s first words insist not on the differences between the two families but on their similarity: they are two households “both alike in dignity.” Later, after Prince Escalus has broken up the street brawl, they are “In penalty alike” ( 1.2.2 ). Ironically, then, they are not fighting over differences. Rather it is Shakespeare’s careful insistence on the lack of difference between Montague and Capulet that provides a key to understanding the underlying social dynamic of the feud. Just as desire brings Romeo and Juliet together as lovers, desire in another form brings the Montague and Capulet males out on the street as fighters. The feud perpetuates a close bond of rivalry between these men that even the Prince’s threat of punishment cannot sever: “Montague is bound as well as I,” Capulet tells Paris ( 1.2.1 ). Indeed, the feud seems necessary to the structure of male-male relations in Verona. Feuding reinforces male identity—loyalty to one’s male ancestors—at the same time that it clarifies the social structure: servants fight with servants, young noblemen with young noblemen, old men with old men. 2

That the feud constitutes a relation of desire between Montague and Capulet is clear from the opening, when the servants Gregory and Sampson use bawdy innuendo to draw a causal link between their virility and their eagerness to fight Montagues: “A dog of that house shall move me to stand,” i.e., to be sexually erect ( 1.1.12 ). The Montagues seem essential to Sampson’s masculinity since, by besting Montague men, he can lay claim to Montague women as symbols of conquest. (This, of course, would be a reductive way of describing what Romeo does in secretly marrying a Capulet daughter.) The feud not only establishes a structure of relations between men based on competition and sexual aggression, but it seems to involve a particularly debased attitude toward women. No matter how comic the wordplay of the Capulet servants may be, we should not forget that the sexual triangle they imagine is based on fantasized rape: “I will push Montague’s men from the wall and thrust his maids to the wall” ( 1.1.18 –19). Gregory and Sampson are not interested in the “heads” of the Montague maidens, which might imply awareness of them as individuals. They are interested only in their “maidenheads.” Their coarse view of woman as generic sexual object is reiterated in a wittier vein by Mercutio, who understands Romeo’s experience of awakened desire only as a question of the sexual availability of his mistress: “O Romeo, that she were, O, that she were / An open-arse, thou a pop’rin pear” ( 2.1.40 –41).

Feuding, then, is the form that male bonding takes in Verona, a bonding which seems linked to the derogation of woman. But Romeo, from the very opening of the play, is distanced both physically and emotionally from the feud, not appearing until the combatants and his parents are leaving the stage. His reaction to Benvolio’s news of the fight seems to indicate that he is aware of the mechanisms of desire that are present in the feud: “Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love” ( 1.1.180 ). But it also underscores his sense of alienation: “This love feel I, that feel no love in this” ( 187 ). He is alienated not only from the feud itself, one feels, but more importantly from the idea of sexuality that underlies it. Romeo subscribes to a different, indeed a competing view of woman—the idealizing view of the Petrarchan lover. In his melancholy, his desire for solitude, and his paradox-strewn language, Romeo identifies himself with the style of feeling and address that Renaissance culture named after the fourteenth-century Italian poet Francesco Petrarca or Petrarch, most famous for his sonnets to Laura. By identifying his beloved as perfect and perfectly chaste, the Petrarchan lover opposes the indiscriminate erotic appetite of a Gregory or Sampson. He uses the frustrating experience of intense, unfulfilled, and usually unrequited passion to refine his modes of feeling and to enlarge his experience of self.

It is not coincidental, then, that Shakespeare uses the language and self-involved behaviors of the Petrarchan lover to dramatize Romeo’s experience of love. For Romeo as for Petrarch, love is the formation of an individualistic identity at odds with other kinds of identity: “I have lost myself. I am not here. / This is not Romeo. He’s some other where” ( 1.1.205 –6). Petrarchan desire for solitude explains Romeo’s absence from the opening clash and his lack of interest in the activities of his gang of friends, whom he accompanies only reluctantly to the Capulet feast: “I’ll be a candle holder and look on” ( 1.4.38 ). His physical isolation from his parents—with whom he exchanges no words in the course of the play—further suggests his shift from traditional, clan identity to the romantic individualism prefigured by Petrarch.

Shakespeare’s comic irony is that such enlargement of self is itself a mark of conventionality, since Petrarchism in European literature was by the late sixteenth century very widespread. A more cutting irony is that the Petrarchan lover and his sensual opponent (Sampson or Gregory) have more in common than is first apparent. The Petrarchan lover, in emphasizing the often paralyzing intensity of his passion, is less interested in praising the remote mistress who inspires such devotion than he is in displaying his own poetic virtuosity and his capacity for self-denial. Such a love—like Romeo’s for Rosaline—is founded upon frustration and requires rejection. The lover is interested in affirming the uniqueness of his beloved only in theory. On closer look, she too becomes a generic object and he more interested in self-display. Thus the play’s two languages of heterosexual desire—Petrarchan praise and anti-Petrarchan debasement—appear as opposite ends of a single continuum, as complementary discourses of woman, high and low. Even when Paris and old Capulet, discussing Juliet as prospective bride, vary the discourse to include a conception of woman as wife and mother, she remains an object of verbal and actual exchange.

In lyric poetry, the Petrarchan mistress remains a function of language alone, unheard, seen only as a collection of ideal parts, a center whose very absence promotes desire. Drama is a material medium, however. In drama, the Petrarchan mistress takes on embodiment and finds an answering voice, like Juliet’s gently noting her sonneteer-pilgrim’s conventionality: “You kiss by th’ book” ( 1.5.122 ). In drama, the mistress may come surrounded by relatives and an inconveniently insistent social milieu. As was noted above, Shakespeare distinguishes sharply between the social circumstances of adolescent males and females. Thus one consequence of setting the play’s domestic action solely within the Capulet household is to set Juliet, the “hopeful lady” of Capulet’s “earth” ( 1.2.15 ), firmly into a familial context which, thanks to the Nurse’s fondness for recollection and anecdote, is rich in domestic detail. Juliet’s intense focus upon Romeo’s surname—“What’s Montague? . . . O, be some other name” ( 2.2.43 , 44 )—is a projection onto her lover of her own conflicted sense of tribal loyalty. Unlike Romeo, whose deepest emotional ties are to his gang of friends, and unlike the more mobile daughters of Shakespearean comedy who often come in pairs, Juliet lives isolated and confined, emotionally as well as physically, by her status as daughter. Her own passage into sexual maturity comes first by way of parental invitation to “think of marriage now” ( 1.3.75 ). Her father invites Paris, the man who wishes to marry Juliet, to attend a banquet and feast his eyes on female beauty: “Hear all, all see, / And like her most whose merit most shall be” ( 1.2.30 –31). Juliet, in contrast, is invited to look only where her parents tell her:

I’ll look to like, if looking liking move.

But no more deep will I endart mine eye

Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.

( 1.3.103 –5)

The logic of Juliet’s almost instant disobedience in looking at, and liking, Romeo (rather than Paris) can be understood as the ironic fulfillment of the fears in traditional patriarchal culture about the uncontrollability of female desire, the alleged tendency of the female gaze to wander. Petrarchism managed the vexed question of female desire largely by wishing it out of existence, describing the mistress as one who, like the invisible Rosaline of this play, “will not stay the siege of loving terms, / Nor bide th’ encounter of assailing eyes” ( 1.1.220 –21). Once Romeo, in the Capulet garden, overhears Juliet’s expression of desire, however, Juliet abandons the conventional denial of desire—“Fain would I dwell on form; fain, fain deny / What I have spoke. But farewell compliment” ( 2.2.93 –94). She rejects the “strength” implied by parental sanction and the protection afforded by the Petrarchan celebration of chastity for a risk-taking experiment in desire that Shakespeare affirms by the beauty of the lovers’ language in their four scenes together. Juliet herself asks Romeo the serious questions that Elizabethan society wanted only fathers to ask. She challenges social prescriptions, designed to contain erotic desire in marriage, by taking responsibility for her own marriage:

If that thy bent of love be honorable,

Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,

By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,

Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite,

And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay

And follow thee my lord throughout the world.

( 2.2.150 –55)

The irony in her pledge—an irony perhaps most obvious to a modern, sexually egalitarian audience—is that Romeo here is following Juliet on an uncharted narrative path to sexual fulfillment in unsanctioned marriage. Allowing her husband access to a bedchamber in her father’s house, Juliet leads him into a sexual territory beyond the reach of dramatic representation. Breaking through the narrow oppositions of the play’s two discourses of woman—as either anonymous sexual object (for Sampson and Gregory) or beloved woman exalted beyond knowing or possessing (for Petrarch)—she affirms her imaginative commitment to the cultural significance of desire as an individualizing force:

Come, civil night,

Thou sober-suited matron all in black,

And learn me how to lose a winning match

Played for a pair of stainless maidenhoods.

Hood my unmanned blood, bating in my cheeks,

With thy black mantle till strange love grow bold,

Think true love acted simple modesty.

( 3.2.10 –16)

Romeo, when he is not drawn by desire deeper and deeper into Capulet territory, wanders into the open square where the destinies of the play’s other young men—and in part his own too—are enacted. Because the young man’s deepest loyalty is to his friends, Romeo is not really asked to choose between Juliet and his family but between Juliet and Mercutio, who are opposed in the play’s thematic structure. Thus one function of Mercutio’s anti-Petrarchan skepticism about the idealization of woman is to offer resistance to the adult heterosexuality heralded by Romeo’s union with Juliet, resistance on behalf of the regressive pull of adolescent male bonding—being “one of the guys.” This distinction, as we have seen, is in part a question of speaking different discourses. Romeo easily picks up Mercutio’s banter, even its sly innuendo against women. Mercutio himself regards Romeo’s quickness at repartee as the hopeful sign of a return to a “normal” manly identity incompatible with his ridiculous role as lover:

Why, is not this better now than groaning for love? Now art thou sociable, now art thou Romeo, now art thou what thou art, by art as well as by nature. For this driveling love is like a great natural that runs lolling up and down to hide his bauble in a hole.

( 2.4.90 –95)

Implicit here is a central tenet of traditional misogyny that excessive desire for a woman is effeminizing. For Mercutio it is the effeminate lover in Romeo who refuses shamefully to answer Tybalt’s challenge: “O calm, dishonorable, vile submission!” he exclaims furiously ( 3.1.74 ). Mercutio’s death at Tybalt’s hands causes Romeo temporarily to agree, obeying the regressive emotional pull of grief and guilt over his own part in Mercutio’s defeat. “Why the devil came you between us?” Mercutio asks. “I was hurt under your arm” ( 3.1.106 –8). Why, we might ask instead, should Mercutio have insisted on answering a challenge addressed only to Romeo? Romeo, however, displaces blame onto Juliet: “Thy beauty hath made me effeminate / And in my temper softened valor’s steel” ( 3.1.119 –20).

In terms of narrative structure, the death of Mercutio and Romeo’s slaying of Tybalt interrupt the lovers’ progress from secret marriage to its consummation, suggesting the incompatibility between romantic individualism and adolescent male bonding. The audience experiences this incompatibility as a sudden movement from comedy to tragedy. Suddenly Friar Lawrence must abandon hopes of using the love of Capulet and Montague as a force for social reintegration. Instead, he must desperately stave off Juliet’s marriage to Paris, upon which her father insists, by making her counterfeit death and by subjecting her to entombment. The legal finality of consummated marriage—which was the basis for Friar Lawrence’s hopes “to turn your households’ rancor to pure love” ( 2.3.99 )—becomes the instrument of tragic design. It is only the Nurse who would allow Juliet to accept Paris as husband; we are asked to judge such a prospect so unthinkable that we then agree imaginatively to Friar Lawrence’s ghoulish device.

In terms of the play’s symbolic vocabulary, Juliet’s preparations to imitate death on the very bed where her sexual maturation from girl- to womanhood occurred confirms ironically her earlier premonition about Romeo: “If he be marrièd, / My grave is like to be my wedding bed” ( 1.5.148 –49). Her brief journey contrasts sharply with those of Shakespeare’s comic heroines who move out from the social confinement of daughterhood into a freer, less socially defined space (the woods outside Athens in A Midsummer Night’s Dream , the Forest of Arden in As You Like It ). There they can exercise a sanctioned, limited freedom in the romantic experimentation of courtship. Juliet is punished for such experimentation in part because hers is more radical; secret marriage symbolically is as irreversible as “real” death. Her journey thus becomes an internal journey in which her commitment to union with Romeo must face the imaginative challenge of complete, claustrophobic isolation and finally death in the Capulet tomb.

It is possible to see the lovers’ story, as some critics have done, as Shakespeare’s dramatic realization of the ruling metaphors of Petrarchan love poetry—particularly its fascination with “death-marked love” ( Prologue. 9 ). 3 But, in pondering the implications of Shakespeare’s moving his audience to identify with this narrative of initiative, desire, and power, we also do well to remember the psychosocial dynamics of drama. By heightening their powers of identification, drama gives the members of an audience an embodied image of the possible scope and form of their fears and desires. Here we have seen how tragic form operates to contain the complex play of desire/identification. The metaphors of Petrarchan idealization work as part of a complex, ambivalent discourse of woman whose ultimate social function is to encode the felt differences between men and women on which a dominant male power structure is based. Romeo and Juliet find a new discourse of romantic individualism in which Petrarchan idealization conjoins with the mutual avowal of sexual desire. But their union, as we have seen, imperils the traditional relations between males that is founded upon the exchange of women, whether the violent exchange Gregory and Sampson crudely imagine or the normative exchange planned by Capulet and Paris. Juliet, as the daughter whose erotic willfulness activates her father’s transformation from concerned to tyrannical parent, is the greater rebel. Thus the secret marriage in which this new language of feeling is contained cannot here be granted the sanction of a comic outcome. When Romeo and Juliet reunite, it is only to see each other, dead, in the dim confines of the Capulet crypt. In this play the autonomy of romantic individualism remains “star-crossed.”

The story of these massive shifts in European sensibility is told in a five-volume study titled A History of Private Life , gen. eds. Philippe Ariès and Georges Duby (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1987–91). The study covers over three millennia in the history of western Europe. For the period most relevant to Romeo and Juliet, see vol. 3, Passions of the Renaissance (1989), ed. Roger Chartier, trans. Arthur Goldhammer, pp. 399–607.
The best extended discussion of the dynamic of the feud is Coppélia Kahn, Man’s Estate: Masculine Identity in Shakespeare (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1981), pp. 83ff.
Nicholas Brooke, Shakespeare’s Early Tragedies (London: Methuen, 1968), pp. 82ff.

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Romeo and Juliet

Why did Romeo and Juliet die? Who or what was to blame for their tragic death?

Why did Romeo and Juliet die?

Who or what was to blame for their tragic death?

William Shakespeare wrote the play Romeo and Juliet in 1595 and is based on a classical love story. Romeo and Juliet were from two different, powerful families who had a grudge against each other. Romeo is from the Montague family and Juliet is from the Capulet family. All through out the play the death of Romeo and Juliet is looming. Fate is thought to be one of the key factors in their deaths along with the feud between the two families. They both fall in love with each other at first sight, when they meet accidentally at a Capulet party when Romeo has sneaked in to it to see Rosaline who he was in love with at the time. At the start of the play when Romeo was in love with Rosaline he was hiding away from people and not telling any one what was on his mind.

Because Romeo was so badly in love with Rosaline it shows that it will not be easy for him to forget about Rosaline.

“And she steal love’s sweet bait from fearful hooks”

This quote is an extended metaphor. The words ‘hooks’ and ‘bait’ show that love could be linked to fishing as hooks are dangerous. Mercutio tries using sexual puns to try and provoke Romeo out of his hiding and tell him what he is thinking about, he then mocks Romeo’s feelings for in an obscene speech.

“insert an erect penis into his mistress’s vulva”

This type of language is typical of Mercutio, as he is very rude. But the situation between him and Rosaline changes quickly when Romeo meets Juliet at the Capulet party for the first time. As the family were feuding it would have been impossible for Romeo and Juliet to tell anyone about there relationship. Juliet only told the nurse who is her best friend and loyal carer and she helps couple to do the dirty work, in helping them stay together. They decide within a couple of days to get married. Romeo says to the friar Lawrence.

‘And all combined save what thou must combine

By holy marriage.’

Romeo is trying to persuade the friar to marry them. The friar however agrees with Romeo to marry them even though he has just said to Romeo you have just stopped loving Rosaline and now you want to marry someone who you have only known for a day. Friar Lawrence is shocked at this sudden shift from Rosaline to Juliet. He comments on the fickleness of young love, Romeo’s in particular.

“For this alliance may so happy prove

To turn your households’ rancour to pure love.”

The friar is trying to show us here that he only agreed to married them to bring peace between the families. Romeo then has a fight with Tybalt and kills him and gets banished from Verona.

This is a preview of the whole essay

Juliet makes a plan to fake her own death so she can go and live with Romeo but the plan goes wrong when the message telling Romeo what is going to happen doesn’t reach him. Friar Lawrence who was supposed to make sure the letter gets to Romeo cannot send it to him as his currier can not go out side because of the plague. But this is too late Romeo reaches Juliet and sees her there unconscious because she has taken some poison which slows your heart beat right down as part of the plan which was unknown to Romeo. Romeo didn’t know about the plan so he thinks she is dead and kills him self and then when she wakes up Romeo is dead so she kills herself as well.

The ancient (had been going on for a long time) feud between the Capulets and Montagues could also be said to be the reason for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. This feud lead to the on going grudge within the two very alike house holds.

‘From ancient grudge break new mutiny’

in this quote it is saying that the ancient grudge will carry on through new younger people such as romeo. in the prologue it also talks about the blood shed on both family sides..

‘Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean’

You can tell that the family arguing has been going on for years and is strong when the prince of Verona catches some of the two families fighting in the streets, neither family would back down because of their pride. When the prince arrives he commands the fighting stop or he will give them the penalty of torture. The Capulets and Montagues throw down their weapons. The Prince declares the violence between the two families has gone on for too long, and proclaims a death sentence upon anyone who disturbs the peace again.

Romeo’s fight with Tybalt with led to him killing him I think this was coursed by Romeo love, of when he went to see Rosaline when he shouldn’t have been there. This made Tybat very angry and Tybalt, a person who was always up for a fight, wouldn’t let this go away. Mercutio had some blame in Romeo killing Tybalt because he was also up for a fight and he would not leave like Benvolio was telling him to.

‘I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire:

The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,

And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl;

For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.’

In this quote Benvolio is saying to Mercutio lets go because the capulets are about and if we see them then there will defiantly be a fight because of the growing tension. When Mercutio was killed this made Romeo kill Tybalt and I think that if Mercutio had listened to the advice of Benvlio there would not of been any deaths at that time. In the first place Romeo did not want to fight and he said that he likes the Capulet family. He says this because he has just married Juliet there for Tybalt is his cousin, as he shown in this quote.

‘And so good Capulet,—which name I tender

‘As dearly as mine own,—be satisfied.’

Romeo has these feelings because unknown to Tybalt or Mercutio or anyone else he is married to Tybalt cousin Juliet. Romeo had to pay deeply for this murder as he was banished from Verona. I believe that if Mercutio and Tybalt hadn’t been fighting then Romeo wouldn’t of killed Tybalt. There for he wouldn’t have been banished. With Romeo banished from Verona the only way Juliet felt she could see him was to use her plan.

Juliet’s father had a part to play in the deaths of his daughter and Romeo. The arrangements for Juliet’s wedding are already being made without Juliet agreeing or willing to go forward and with her still currently married to Romeo. This shows that Juliet cannot make decisions herself, her father makes them for her and doesn’t want her making any input into the matter. If she had told him that she wanted to get married to Romeo then it defiantly would not been allowed. Fathers ruled their daughters at the time. Fact that her and Romeo could not to be together was because if they were known to be a couple it would bring disgrace and shame to both families. Juliet had to make her plan so that she could try and get out of the marriage with Paris and be with Romeo. So I think that if Juliet’s father had let her choose who to marry she wouldn’t have been pushed into her plan and therefore killed her self.

states that Romeo and Juliet have ‘death marked love’ and that they are “star-crossed”—that is to say that fate (a power often for told in the movements of the stars) controls them ,‘A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life’. ‘death marked’ is saying that they were approaching their untimely deaths .This sense of fate goes right through the whole play, and not just for the audience, the characters also are quite aware of it.

‘Amen, amen! but come what sorrow can,

It cannot countervail the exchange of joy’

In this quote Romeo states that he does not care what misfortune might come, as it will never be in comparison to the joy he feels right now. Romeo and Juliet constantly see omens. When Romeo believes that Juliet is dead, he cries out, “Then I defy you, stars,” completing the idea that the love between Romeo and Juliet is in opposition to the destiny of the ‘death marked love’.

If the friar Lawrence’s letter had reached Romeo telling him about Juliet not really being dead then I think that Romeo defiantly would not of killed him self and Juliet wouldn’t of neither. They would have then went away together and live peacefully.

Romeo and Juliet loved each other so much after not even knowing each other for very long. Like in the balcony scene, Romeo is so in love with her that he sneaks up to the balcony of her room to see her. He then talks to him self about how much he loves her. Juliet suddenly appears at a window above the spot where Romeo is standing. Romeo compares her to the morning sun, far more beautiful than the moon it banishes. He nearly speaks to her, but decides not to. Juliet, talking to her self and unaware that Romeo is in her garden, asks why Romeo must be “Romeo—a ”, and therefore an enemy to her family. She says that if he would refuse his Montague name, she would give herself to him; or if he would simply swear that he loved her, she would refuse her Capulet name.

“O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name;

Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,

And I'll no longer be a Capulet.”

Romeo responds to her appeal, surprising Juliet, as she thought she was alone. Juliet wonders how he found her and he tells her that love led him to her, this relates back to fate. But it is not just Romeo who feels so strongly about their relationship as shown by this quote

“Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.”

Juliet is saying here that she could kill Romeo by cuddling him too much, that shows how she loves him and that it would be extremely difficult for her and Juliet to part.

“Parting is such sweet sorrow”

This quote is an oxymoron as ‘sweet sorrow’ is contradicting its self as sorrow can not be sweet. In this scene Romeo makes lots of references to the sun, moon, light, the stars and angles and heaven about Juliet to show that he is inferior to her. He does this because she is his light and finds her so beautiful that he finks she could be an angle. They fell in love with each other at first sight and they were so curious about each other and wanted to find out so much about each other as soon as they met.

I think that they might have been too deeply in love and might have died because of this. Like when Romeo found Juliet and thought she was dead he killed himself and if he wasn’t in love with her so much then he might not have done is atrocity. This proves that their love for each other is so pure that they would even sacrifice their own lives then rather be with out each other. She so much wanted to see him again when he got banished that she decided to rush into a plan and not take time in planning in.

‘It cannot countervail the exchange of joy

That one short minute gives me in her sight’

In this quote from the marriage scene Romeo is saying that he gets so much joy out of one minute of seeing Juliet. In Act 3 Scene Five when Romeo has to leave Verona for Mantua early in the morning so that he doesn’t get caught, Juliet is begging him to stay there with her for longer. Juliet tries to convince Romeo that the birdcalls they hear are from the nightingale, a night bird, rather than from the lark, a morning bird.

“ Wilt thou be gone? it is not yet near day:

It was the nightingale, and not the lark,

That pierc'd the fearful hollow of thine ear;

Nightly she sings on yond pomegranate tree:

Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.”

Why did Romeo and Juliet die? And who or what was to blame for their tragic deaths? I think that there are several key factors which lead to their deaths. One being the feud between the families (this hatred is never explained so the reader must accept it as a certain aspect of the play) because if it was not hostile they would have been able to be together and they would not have to turn to faking Juliet’s death for them to be together.

Another very significant reason for the deaths I believe is that they loved each other too much. I believe that it was just an adolescence crush which went to far. And if they did really love each other as much as they fought, it was dangerous. As it leads to Romeo’s determination to spend eternity with Juliet resulting in his suicide. Of course you can also say the same about Juliet.

the main deciding factor in their deaths i believe is fate, and how all the events lead up to the tragedy. fate works in all of the events surrounding the lovers: the feud between their families, the series of accidents that ruin friar lawrence’s well-intentioned plans at the end of the play, and the tragic timing of romeo’s suicide and juliet’s awakening. these events are not coincidences, but fate helping to bring the unavoidable deaths of the young lovers..

Why did Romeo and Juliet die? Who or what was to blame for their tragic death?

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Many wonder why Romeo and Juliet must end with the title characters’ deaths. Considering the plot from a modern light, it is more than tragedy if a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy commit suicide. A newspaper reporting such news would likely call it horror, not tragedy. There are actually, several reasons why the characters must die, some integral to the plot, and others serving the nature of Elizabethan drama.

From a plot perspective, Romeo and Juliet don’t initially intend to commit suicide. In fact, the goal is to fake their deaths so they can run away and continue their married lives, since they have married in Act II.

Their respective families would not support their marriage because of the Montague/Capulet feud, so there is no possibility of their marriage being upheld or recognized by the families. Juliet does threaten to kill herself if the Friar can’t come up with a plausible solution.

It is true that Romeo and Juliet are quite young, but they would have been considered of marriageable age in Shakespeare’s time. However, the playwright likely had the good sense to realize that even a married 13 year old is still a 13 year old. The couple can only see things through their own perspective, and had neither wisdom nor forbearance. The death of either seems like the end of the world to both characters. Both believe they cannot possibly live if either character dies. Thus, technically they do not have to die to serve the plot, but choose to die, because they are young, foolish, and in love.

Another reason for the death of Romeo and Juliet is based on the expectations of Elizabethan drama. In general, such drama was split into two categories: comedy and tragedy. Comedy ends in marriage and tragedy in death. To write a tragedy that did not culminate in death would not fit into the genre . Therefore, Romeo and Juliet must die since Shakespeare was writing a tragedy. If he had been writing a comedy, they would have married and their families would have likely reconciled.

There remains some debate as to whether it is advisable to teach the play to middle school aged children. It is often the first Shakespeare play children read, but with many suicide pacts in modern times, some consider teaching the play to impressionable teens to be courting disaster. In response, many teachers now look to other plays that express Shakespeare’s genius but are less likely to be imitated by young teens.

What Are the Origins of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"?
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What is a Soliloquy?
Who is Hamlet?
What are Shakespeare's Tragedies?
What are Shakespeare's Romance Plays?
Who Was John Falstaff?

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Tricia Christensen

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Romeo and Juliet (The Illustrated Shakespeare, 1847)/Act 1

Scene I.— A Public Place.

Enter Sampson and Gregory , armed with Swords and Bucklers.

Sam. Gregory, on my word, we'll not carry coals.

Gre. No, for then we should be colliers.

Sam. I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw.

Gre. Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of the collar.

Sam. I strike quickly, being moved.

Gre. But thou art not quickly moved to strike.

Sam. A dog of the house of Montague moves me.

Gre. To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand: therefore, if thou art moved, thou run'st away.

Sam. A dog of that house shall move me to stand. I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's.

Gre. That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall.

Sam. 'Tis true; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels,are ever thrust to the wall:—therefore, I will push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall.

Gre. The quarrel is between our masters, and us their men.

Sam. 'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the men, I will be civil with the maids; I will cut off their heads.

Gre. The heads of the maids?

Sam. Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads; take it in what sense thou wilt.

Gre. They must take it in sense, that feel it.

Sam. Me they shall feel, while I am able to stand; and 'tis known, I am a pretty piece of flesh.

Gre. 'Tis well, thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou hadst been poor John. Draw thy tool; here comes two of the house of the Montagues.

Enter Abraham and Balthasar .

Sam. My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee.

Gre. How! turn thy back, and run?

Sam. Fear me not.

Gre. No marry: I fear thee!

Sam. Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.

Gre. I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they list.

Sam. Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.

Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?

Sam. I do bite my thumb, sir.

Sam. Is the law of our side, if I say—ay?

Sam. No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir; but I bite my thumb, sir.

Gre. Do you quarrel, sir?

Abr. Quarrel, sir? no, sir.

Sam. If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you.

Abr. No better.

Sam. Well, sir.

Enter Benvolio , at a distance.

Gre. Say—better: here comes one of my master's kinsmen.

Sam. Yes, better, sir.

Abr. You lie.

Enter Tybalt.

Tyb. What! art thou drawn among these heartless hinds? Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.

Ben. I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword, Or manage it to part these men with me.

Tyb. What! drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.

Enter several persons of both Houses, who join the fray; then enter Citizens, with clubs or partisans.

1 Cit. Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down! Down with the Capulets! down with the Montagues!

Enter Capulet in his gown; and Lady Capulet .

Cap. What noise is this?—Give me my long sword, ho!

La. Cap. A crutch, a crutch!—Why call you for a sword?

Cap. My sword, I say!—Old Montague is come, And flourishes his blade in spite of me.

Enter Montague and Lady Montague .

Mon. Thou villain Capulet!—Hold me not; let me go.

La. Mon. Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe.

Enter Prince, with his train.

Prin. Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel— Will they not hear?—what ho! you men, you beasts, That quench the fire of your pernicious rage With purple fountains issuing from your veins, On pain of torture, from those bloody hands Throw your mis–temper'd weapons to the ground, And hear the sentence of your moved prince.— Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets; And made Verona's ancient citizens Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments, To wield old partisans, in hands as old, Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate. If ever you disturb our streets again, Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace: For this time, all the rest depart away. You Capulet, shall go along with me; And, Montague, come you this afternoon, To know our further pleasure in this case, To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.

Mon. Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach? Speak, nephew, were you by when it began?

Ben. Here were the servants of your adversary, And yours, close fighting ere I did approach. I drew to part them: in the instant came The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepar'd; Which, as he breath'd defiance to my ears, He swung about his head, and cut the winds, Who, nothing hurt withal, hiss'd him in scorn. While we were interchanging thrusts and blows, Came more and more, and fought on part and part, Till the prince came, who parted either part.

La. Mon. O! where is Romeo?—saw you him to-day? Right glad I am he was not at this fray.

Ben. Madam, an hour before the worshipp'd sun Peer'd forth the golden window of the east, A troubled mind drave me to walk abroad; Where, underneath the grove of sycamore That westward rooteth from the city's side, So early walking did I see your son. Towards him I made; but he was 'ware of me, And stole into the covert of the wood: I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought, where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary self, Pursu'd my humour, not pursuing his, And gladly shunn'd who gladly fled from me.

Mon. Many a morning hath he there been seen, With tears augmenting the fresh morning's dew, Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs: But all so soon as the all-cheering sun Should in the furthest east begin to draw The shady curtains from Aurora's bed, Away from the light steals home my heavy son, And private in his chamber pens himself; Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out, And makes himself an artificial night. Black and portentous must this humour prove, Unless good counsel may the cause remove.

Ben. My noble uncle, do you know the cause?

Mon. I neither know it, nor can learn of him.

Ben. Have you importun'd him by any means?

Mon. Both by myself, and many other friends: But he, his own affections' counsellor, Is to himself—I will not say, how true— But to himself so secret and so close, So far from sounding and discovery, As is the bud bit with an envious worm. Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air, Or dedicate his beauty to the sun. Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow, We would as willingly give cure, as know.

Enter Romeo , at a distance.

Ben. See, where he comes: so please you, step aside; I'll know his grievance, or be much denied.

Mon. I would, thou wert so happy by thy stay,

Ben. Good morrow, cousin.

Ben. But new struck nine.

Was that my father that went hence so fast?

Ben. It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo's hours?

Rom. Not having that, which, having, makes them short.

Ben. In love?

Ben. Of love?

Rom. Out of her favour, where I am in love.

Ben. Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!

Rom. Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still, Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will! Where shall we dine?—O me!—What fray was here? Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all. Here's much to do with hate, but more with love: Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O any thing, of nothing first created! O heavy lightness! serious vanity! Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms! Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health! Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!— This love feel I, that feel no love in this. Dost thou not laugh?

Rom. Good heart, at what?

Rom. Why, such is love's transgression.- Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast; Which thou wilt propagate, to have it presse'd With more of thine: this love, that thou hast shown, Doth add more grief to too much of mine own. Love is a smoke, made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with lover's tears: What is it else? a madness most discreet, A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.

Ben. Soft, I will go along: And if you leave me so, you do me wrong.

Rom. Tut! I have lost myself: I am not here; This is not Romeo, he's some other where.

Ben. Tell me in sadness, who is it that you love.

Rom. What! shall I groan, and tell thee?

But sadly tell me, who.

Rom. Bid a sick man in sadness make his will; A word ill urg'd to one that is so ill.- In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.

Ben. I aim'd so near, when I suppos'd you lov'd.

Rom. A right good mark-man! And she's fair I love.

Ben. A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit.

Rom. Well, in that hit, you miss: she'll not be hit. With Cupid's arrow. She hath Dian's wit; And in strong proof of chastity well arm'd, From love's weak childish bow she lives unharm'd She will not stay the siege of loving terms, Nor bide th' encounter of assailing eyes, Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold: O! she is rich in beauty; only poor, That when she dies with beauty dies her store.

Ben. Then she hath sworn, that she will still live chaste?

Rom. She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste; For beauty, starv'd with her severity, Cuts beauty off from all posterity. She is too fair, too wise; wisely too fair, To merit bliss by making me despair: She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow Do I live dead, that live it to tell it now.

Ben. Be rul'd by me; forget to think of her.

Rom. O! teach me how I should forget to think.

Ben. By giving liberty unto thine eyes: Examine other beauties.

To call her's, exquisite, in question more. These happy masks, that kiss fair ladies' brows, Being black, put us in mind they hide the fair: He, that is stricken blind, cannot forget The precious treasure of his eyesight lost. Show me a mistress that is passing fair, What doth her beauty serve, but as a note Where I may read who pass'd that passing fair? Farewell: thou canst not teach me to forget.

Scene II.— A Street.

Enter Capulet , Paris , and Servant .

Cap. But Montague is bound as well as I, In penalty alike; and 'tis not hard, I think, For men so old as we to keep the peace.

Par. Of honourable reckoning are you both; And pity 'tis, you liv'd at odds so long. But now, my lord, what say you to my suit?

Cap. But saying o'er what I have said before; My child is yet a stranger in the world, 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 bride.

Par. Younger than she are happy mothers made.

Cap. And too soon marr'd are those so early made. Earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she, She is the hopeful lady of my earth: But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart, My will to her consent is but a part; An she agree, within her scope of choice Lies my consent and fair according voice. This night I hold an old accustom'd feast, Whereto I have invited many a guest, Such as I love; and you among the store, One more most welcome, makes my number more. At my poor house look to behold this night Earth-treading stars, that make dark heaven light: Such comfort, as do lusty young men feel, When well-apparel'd April on the heel Of limping winter treads, even such delight Among fresh female buds shall you see this night Inherit at my house: hear all, all see, And like her most, whose merit most shall be: Which, on more view of many, mine being one, May stand in number, though in reckoning none- Come, go with me—Go, sirrah, trudge about Through fair Verona; find those persons out,

Serv. Find them out, whose names are written here? It is written, that the shoemaker should meddle with his yard, and the tailor with his last, the fisher with his pencil, and the painter with his nets; but I am sent to find those persons, whose names are here writ, and can never find what names the writing person hath here writ. I must to the learned:—in good time.

Enter Benvolio and Romeo .

Ben . Tut, man! one fire burns out another's burning, One pain lessen'd by another's anguish; Turn giddy, and be holp by backward turning; One desperate grief cures with another's languish: Take thou some new infection to thy eye, And the rank poison of the old will die.

Rom. Your plantain leaf is excellent for that.

Ben. For what, I pray thee?

Ben. Why, Romeo, are thou mad?

Rom. Not mad, but bound more than a madman is: Shut up in prison, kept without my food, Whipp'd and tormented, and—Good-den, good fellow.

Serv. God gi' good den.—I pray, sir, can you read?

Rom. Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.

Serv. Perhaps you have learn'd it without book; but I pray, can you read anything you see?

Rom. Ay, if I know the letters, and the language.

Serv. Ye say honestly. Rest you merry.

"Signior Martino, and his wife, and daughters; County Anselme, and his beauteous sisters; the lady widow of Vitruvio; Signior Placentio, and his lovely nieces; Mercutio, and his brother Valentine; mine uncle Capulet, his wife, and daughters; my fair niece Rosaline; Livia; Signior Valentio, and his cousin Tybalt; Lucio, and the lively Helena."

A fair assembly; whither should they come?

Rom. Whither? to supper?

Serv. To our house.

Rom. Whose house?

Serv. My master's.

Rom. Indeed, I should have asked you that before.

Ben. At this same ancient feast of Capulet's Sups the fair Rosaline, whom thou so lov'st, With all the admired beauties of Verona: Go thither; and, with unattainted eye, Compare her face with some that I shall show, And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.

Rom. When the devout religion of mine eye Maintains such falsehood, then turns tears to fires; And these, who, often drown'd, could never die, Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars. One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun Ne'er saw her match, since first the world begun.

Ben. Tut! you saw her fair, none else being by, Herself pois'd with herself in either eye; But in those crystal scales, let there be weigh'd Your lady's love against some other maid, That I will show you shining at this feast, And she shall scant show well, that now shows best.

Rom. I'll go along, no such sight to be shown,

Scene III— A Room in Capulet's House.

Enter Lady Capulet and Nurse.

La. Cap. Nurse, where's my daughter? call her forth to me.

Nurse. Now, by my maiden-head at twelve year old, I bade her come—What, lamb! what, lady-bird!— God forbid!—where's this girl?—what, Juliet!

Enter Juliet .

Jul. How now! who calls?

What is your will?

La. Cap. This is the matter.—Nurse, give leave awhile, We must talk in secret.—Nurse, come back again: I have remember'd me, thou shalt hear our counsel. Thou know'st my daughter's of a pretty age.

Nurse. 'Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour.

La. Cap. She's not fourteen.

And yet to my teen be it spoken I have but four, She is not fourteen. How long is it now To Lammas-tide?

Nurse. Even or odd, of all days in the year, Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen. Susan and she,—God rest all Christian souls!— Were of an age.—Well, Susan is with God; She was too good for me. But, as I said, On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen; That shall she, marry: I remember it well. 'Tis since the earthquake now eleven years; And she was wean'd,—I never shall forget it,— Of all the days of the year, upon that day; For I had then laid wormwood to my dug, Sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall: My lord and you were then at Mantua.— Nay, I do bear a brain:—but, as I said, When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple Of my dug, and felt it bitter, pretty fool, To see it tetchy, and fall out with the dug! Shake, quoth the dove-house: 'twas no need, I trow, To bid me trudge. And since that time it is eleven years; For then she could stand alone; nay, by the rood, She could have run and waddled all about, For even the day before she broke her brow: And then my husband—God be with his soul! 'A was a merry man,—took up the child: "Yea," quoth he, "dost thou fall upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward, when thou hast more wit;

Wilt thou not, Jule?" and, by my holy-dam, The pretty wretch left crying, and said—"Ay." To see, now, how a jest shall come about! I warrant, an I should live a thousand years, I never should forget it: "Wilt thou not, Jule?" quoth he; And, pretty fool, it stinted, and said—"Ay."

La. Cap. Enough of this: I pray thee: hold thy peace.

Nurse. Yes, madam. Yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying, and say—"Ay:" And yet, I warrant, it had upon its brow A bump as big as a young cockerel's stone, A perilous knock; and it cried bitterly. "Yea," quoth my husband, "fall'st upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward, when thou com'st to age; Wilt thou not, Jule?" it stinted, and said—"Ay."

Jul. And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say I.

Nurse. Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace! Thou was the prettiest babe that e'er I nurs'd: An I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish.

La. Cap. Marry, that marry is the very theme I came to talk of:—tell me, daughter Juliet, How stands your disposition to be married?

Jul. It is an honour that I dream not of.

Nurse. An honour! were not I thine only nurse, I would say, thou hadst sucked wisdom from thy teat.

La. Cap. Well, think of marriage now; younger than you, Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Are made already mothers: by my count, I was your mother, much upon these years That you are now a maid. Thus, then, in brief;— The valiant Paris seeks you for his love.

Nurse. A man, young lady! lady, such a man, As all the world—Why, he's a man of wax.

La. Cap. Verona's summer hath not such a flower.

Nurse. Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower.

La. Cap. What say you? can you love the gentleman? This night you shall behold him at out' feast: Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face, And find delight writ there with beauty's pen. Examine every married lineament, And see how one another lends content; And what obscur'd in this fair volume lies, Find written in the margin of his eyes. This precious book of love, this unbound lover, To beautify him, only lacks a cover: The fish lives in the sea; and 'tis much pride, For fair without the fair within to hide. That book in many's eyes doth share the glory, That in gold clasps locks in the golden story; So shall you share all that he doth possess, By having him making yourself no less.

Nurse. No less? nay, bigger: women grow by men.

La. Cap. Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love?

Jul. I'll look to like, if looking liking move; But no more deep will I endart mine eye, Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you called, my young lady asked for, the nurse cursed in the pantry, and every thing in extremity. I must hence to wait; I beseech you, follow straight.

La. Cap. We follow thee. Juliet, the county stays.

Scene IV.— A Street.

Enter Romeo , Mercutio , Benvolio , with five or six Maskers, Torch-bearers, and others.

Rom. What, shall this speech be spoke for our excuse, Or shall we on without apology?

Ben. The date is out of such prolixity: We'll have no Cupid hood-wink'd with a scarf, Bearing a Tartar's painted bow of lath, Scaring the ladies like a crow-keeper; Nor no without-book prologue, faintly spoke After the prompter, for our entrance: But, let them measure us by what they will, We'll measure them a measure, and be gone.

Rom. Give me a torch; I am not for this ambling: Being but heavy, I will bear the light.

Mer. Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance.

Rom. Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes, With nimble soles; I have a soul of lead, So stakes me to the ground, I cannot move.

Mer. You are a lover: borrow Cupid's wings, And soar with them above a common bound.

Rom. I am too sore enpierced with his shaft, To soar with his light feathers; and so bound, I cannot bound a pitch above dull woe: Under love's heavy burden do I sink.

Mer. And, to sink in it, should you burden love; Too great oppression for a tender thing.

Rom. Is love a tender thing? it is too rough, Too rude, too boisterous; and it pricks like thorn.

Mer. If love be rough with you, be rough with love; Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.—

A visor for a visor!—what care I, What curious eye doth quote deformities? Here are the beetle-brows shall blush for me.

Ben. Come, knock, and enter; and no sooner in, But every man betake him to his legs.

Rom. A torch for me: let wantons, light of heart, Tickle the senseless rushes with their heels; For I am proverb'd with a grandsire phrase,— I'll be a candle-holder, and look on: The game was ne'er so fair, and I am done.

Mer. Tut! dun's the mouse, the constable's own word. If thou art dun, we'll draw thee from the mire Of this save-reverence love, wherein thou stick'st Up to the ears.—Come, we burn day-light, ho.

Rom. Nay, that's not so.

We waste our lights in vain, like lamps by day. Take our good meaning, for our judgment sits Five times in that, ere once in our five wits.

Rom. And we mean well in going to this mask, But 'tis no wit to go.

Rom. I dreamt a dream to-night?

Rom. Well, what was yours?

Rom. In bed asleep, while they do dream things true.

Mer. O! then, I see, queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife; and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate-stone On the fore-finger of an alderman, Drawn with a team of little atomies Over men's noses as they lie asleep: Her waggon-spokes made of long spinners' legs; The cover, of the wings of grasshoppers; The traces, of the smallest spider's web; The collars, of the moonshine's watery beams: Her whip, of cricket's bone; the lash, of film: Her waggoner, a small grey-coated gnat, Not half so big as a round little worm Prick'd from the lazy finger of a maid. Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut, Made by the joiner squirrel, or old grub, Time out of mind the fairies' coach-makers. And in this state she gallops night by night Through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love: On courtiers' knees, that dream on court'sies straight: O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream on fees: O'er ladies' lips, who straight on kisses dream; Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, Because their breaths with sweet-meats tainted are. Sometime she gallops o'er a courtier's nose, And then dreams he of smelling out a suit: And sometime comes she with a tithe-pig's tail, Tickling a parson's nose as 'a lies asleep; Then he dreams of another benefice. Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier's neck, And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, Of healths five fathom deep; and then anon Drums in his ear, at which he starts, and wakes; And, being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two, And sleeps again. This is that very Mab, That plats the manes of horses in the night; And bakes the elf-locks in foul sluttish hairs, Which, once untangled, much misfortune bodes. This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs, That presses them, and learns them first to bear, Making them women of good carriage. This, is she—

Thou talk'st of nothing.

Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy; Which is as thin of substance as the air; And more inconstant than the wind, who woos Even now the frozen bosom of the north, And, being anger'd, puffs away from thence, Turning his face to the dew-dropping south.

Ben. This wind, you talk of, blows us from ourselves; Supper is done, and we shall come too late.

Rom. I fear, too early; for my mind misgives, Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars, Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night's revels; and expire the term Of a despised life, clos'd in my breast, By some vile forfeit of untimely death: But He, that hath the steerage of my course, Direct my sail.—On, lusty gentlemen.

('Court-cupboard,' and Plate.)

Scene V.— A Hall in Capulet 's House.

Musicians waiting. Enter Servants.

1 Serv. Where's Potpan, that he helps not to take away? he shift a trencher! he scrape a trencher!

2 Serv. When good manners shall lie all in one or two men's hands, and they unwashed too, 'tis a foul thing.

1 Serv. Away with the joint-stools, remove the court-cupboard, look to the plate.—Good thou, save me a piece of marchpane; and, as thou lovest me, let the porter let in Susan Grindstone, and Nell.—Antony! and Potpan!

2 Serv. Ay, boy; ready.

1 Serv. You are looked for, and called for, asked for, and sought for, in the great chamber.

Enter Capulet , &c., with the Guests, and the Maskers.

Cap. Welcome, gentlemen! Ladies that have their toes Unplagu'd with corns, will have a bout with you:— Ah ha, my mistresses! which of you all Will now deny to dance? she that makes dainty, she, I'll swear, hath corns. Am I come near you now? You are welcome, gentlemen! I have seen the day, That I have worn a visor, and could tell A whispering tale in a fair lady's ear, Such as would please:—'tis gone, 'tis gone, 'tis gone. You are welcome, gentlemen!—Come, musicians, play.

More light, ye knaves! and turn the tables up, And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.— Ah! sirrah, this unlook'd-for sport comes well. Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet, For you and I are past our dancing days: How long is't now, since last yourself and I Were in a mask?

1 Cap. What, man! 'tis not so much, 'tis not so much: 'Tis since the nuptial of Lucentio, Come Pentecost as quickly as it will, Some five and twenty years; and then we mask'd.

2 Cap. 'Tis more, 'tis more: his son is elder, sir; His son is thirty.

His son was but a ward two years ago.

Rom. What lady is that, which doth enrich the hand Of yonder knight?

Serv. I know not, sir.

Rom. O! she doth teach the torches to burn bright. Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Æthiop's ear; Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows. The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! I never saw true beauty till this night.

Tyb. This, by his voice, should be a Montague.— Fetch me my rapier, boy.—What! dares the slave Come hither, cover'd with an antic face, To fleer and scorn at our solemnity? Now, by the stock and honour of my kin, To strike him dead I hold it not a sin.

1 Cap. Why, how now, kinsman! wherefore storm you so?

Tyb. Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe; A villain, that is hither come in spite, To scorn at our solemnity this night.

1 Cap. Young Romeo is it?

1 Cap. Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone, He bears him like a portly gentleman; And, to say truth, Verona brags of him, To be a virtuous and well-govern'd youth. I would not for the wealth of all this town, Here, in my house, do him disparagement; Therefore, be patient, take no note of him: It is my will; the which if thou respect, Show a fair presence, and put off these frowns, An ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.

Tyb. It fits, when such a villain is a guest. I'll not endure him.

1 Cap. He shall be endur'd: What! goodman boy!—I say, he shall;—go to;— Am I the master here, or you? go to. You'll not endure him! God shall mend my soul— You'll make a mutiny among my guests. You will set cock-a-hoop! you'll be the man!

Tyb. Why, uncle, 'tis a shame.

1 Cap. Go to, go to; You are a saucy boy.—Is't so, indeed?— This trick may chance to scath you;—I know what. You must contrary me! marry, 'tis time— Well said, my hearts!—You are a princox; go:— Be quiet, or—More light, more light!—for shame! I'll make you quiet;—What!—Cheerly, my hearts!

Tyb. Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting, Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting. I will withdraw: but this intrusion shall,

This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this,— My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.

Jul. Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.

Rom. Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?

Jul. Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.

Rom. O! then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.

Jul. Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.

Rom. Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.

Jul. Then have my lips the sin that they have took.

Rom. Sin from my lips? O, trespass sweetly urg'd! Give me my sin again.

Nurse. Madam, your mother craves a word with you.

Rom. What is her mother?

Her mother is the lady of the house, And a good lady, and a wise, and virtuous. I nurs'd her daughter, that you talk'd withal; I tell you—he that can lay hold of her Shall have the chinks.

O, dear account! my life is my foe's debt.

Ben. Away, begone: the sport is at the best.

Rom. Ay, so I fear; the more is my unrest.

1 Cap. Nay, gentlemen, prepare not to be gone; We have a trifling foolish banquet towards.— Is it e'en so? Why then, I thank you all; I thank you, honest gentlemen; good night:— More torches here!—Come on, then let's to bed. Ah, sirrah, by my fay, it waxes late;

Jul. Come hither, nurse. What is yond' gentleman?

Nurse. The son and heir of old Tiberio.

Jul. What's he, that now is going out of door?

Nurse. Marry, that, I think, be young Petruchio.

Jul. What's he, that follows here, that would not dance?

Nurse. I know not.

Jul. Go, ask his name.—If he be married, My grave is like to be my wedding bed.

Nurse. His name is Romeo, and a Montague; The only son of your great enemy.

Jul. My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathed enemy.

Nurse. What's this? what's this?

Enter Chorus .

Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie, And young affection gapes to be his heir: That fair, for which love groan'd for, and would die, With tender Juliet match'd is now not fair. Now Romeo is belov'd, and loves again, Alike bewitched by the charm of looks; But to his foe suppos'd he must complain, And she steal love's sweet bait from fearful hooks: Being held a foe, he may not have access To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear; And she as much in love, her means much less To meet her new-beloved anywhere: But passion lends them power, time, means, to meet,

Romeo and Juliet

Final performance: 03 August 2024

Did critics bite their thumbs at Romeo and Juliet with Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers?

Jamie Lloyd’s production had its opening night at the Duke of York’s Theatre

Sarah Crompton, WhatsOnStage

“In the balcony scene, where stars Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers sit side-by-side, not even touching, it’s hard not to be swept away by the rapture of the words, the way that they carry them along. When she talks about the inconstancy of the moon, she leans into the language, making it sound natural but full of meaning.

“Both are wonderfully convincing as young people struck by love; his cheeky grin when he first sees her and his little dance of triumph are touching. Nor does he shy away from Romeo’s tendency to overreact to every situation; he is a hero who lives life at full throttle, always blubbing, always fearing the worst. Amewudah-Rivers’ Juliet, on the other hand, has a boldness that seems to surprise her. As the action darkens, her feeling deepens.”

Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph

“Amewudah-Rivers, 26, is a huge find, by turns understated, coy, comically off-hand, and defiantly passionate. But eyes rivet, inevitably, to Holland – beefy of bicep, but pale, achingly tender, at times teary and then cheery, all hormonal vulnerability.

“We’re as far from Franco Zeffirelli’s lush Romeo and Juliet or Baz Luhrmann’s madcap Romeo + Juliet as possible. But although the urban aesthetic is monochrome, even dour – the lighting often harsh – it never feels drab. The street-wise, star-cross’d lovers hold us in their spell, stamp the play with a 2024 freshness, and earn their Shakespearean spurs. The West End hasn’t ever really seen an R&J like it, which was surely the point.”

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Nick Curtis, The Evening Standard

“ Lloyd’s production is characteristically stark and bracing. The action is sliced, diced and interspliced into a brisk two hours, laced with occasional anachronisms, blinding lights and jagged bursts of industrial music.

“There’s no set apart from a mesh wall, a video screen and a big sign saying ‘VERONA’. The actors wear monochrome jeans, jackets and hoodies and speak their lines with icy clarity through microphones on stands or taped to their cheeks.”

Andrzej Lukowski, Time Out

“This could all make for an unbearably dour couple of hours, but the supporting characters are a lot more fun: Freema Agyeman is a hoot as a cougar-y Nurse, Tomiwa Edun is inspired as a strict Nigerian dad Capulet; and Michael Balogun is superb as the Friar – he has a righteous, preacherly air that elegantly collapses into panic as he realises that the tragedy that unfurls is, in its way, largely his fault.

“ For Lloyd, Romeo and Juliet is another step down his increasingly auteur-ish path. Exactly what’s in it for Holland is an intriguing question – it shows he’s versatile, can work in an ensemble, and rise to the challenge of leftfield director’s theatre (and is stacked), but it’s not the sort of BIG Shakespearean performance that necessarily wins a bunch of awards and shifts the dial on Spider-Man being the thing he’s known for. It’s a pretty weird night at the theatre, frankly. But adjust to its fugue state and it’s deeply compelling.”

Sarah Hemming, Financial Times

“ Lloyd telescopes the action so that scenes are overlaid or compressed down to just the dialogue: this is Shakespeare’s tragedy condensed to the elements, the language to the fore. It’s an approach that brings both gains and losses. It can be thrilling and revealing — Joshua-Alexander Williams’s eerie delivery of Mercutio’s Queen Mab speech, for instance. We notice how the word “death” haunts the lovers. But some directorial decisions are too opaque, and we lose the physical context for the big plot gear changes — the ball, the fight.

“Aside from Freema Agyeman’s wonderful, funny nurse, there’s little humour, so we lose the lightness that makes the darkness more terrible. Even so, this is a compelling production: vivid, sad, restless. It brings home forcefully — and perhaps this is its point in today’s world — that death is not romantic. We’re left with the empty senselessness of five young lives needlessly snuffed out.”

Arifa Akbar, The Guardian

“Francesca Amewudah-Rivers brings her own spiky charisma as Juliet, all the more heroic given the backdrop of social media racial abuse she has received. Holland and Amewudah-Rivers are perfectly cast, wired with an awkwardly cool teen energy, she a mix of innocence and streetwise steel, he jittering with sweaty-palmed earnestness.

“The chemistry is most definitely there, even if it feels deliberately restrained in Jamie Lloyd’s turbo-stylised production, which comes with all his theatrical signature marks: alluring visuals, dark glamour and a tonne of atmosphere.”

Clive Davis, The Times

“Did Tom Holland’s army of fans feel short-changed? The USP of this latest Jamie Lloyd production is, after all, the opportunity to see one of the biggest stars of multiplex cinema in the flesh. All credit to the Brit who plays Spider-Man on the big screen for taking on the challenge of performing modern-dress Shakespeare in the West End. But given how much Lloyd enjoys using digital technology, Holland’s admirers may wonder why they spend a fair amount of the evening watching their idol on a screen. He certainly doesn’t disgrace himself. This Romeo is quiet, fresh-faced and sensitive. In the opening scenes he really does convince you that he is an adolescent adrift, waiting to abandon himself to a doomed romance.”

Sam Marlowe, The Stage

“ We expect the unexpected from a Jamie Lloyd production, and true to form, the director’s take on Shakespeare’s tragedy of doomed teenage love disrupts and repossesses the familiar story. Some of the techniques that Lloyd employed in his recent, stunning staging of Sunset Boulevard are here: there’s a starry lead performance, in this case from Spider-Man ’s Tom Holland as Romeo; a dark, stark aesthetic; and extensive use of live video footage, some of it shot offstage. This time, though, the intention behind the concept is sometimes unclear, and while at its best it heightens the rush of hormonal emotion that drives the drama, elsewhere it has a distancing effect, jolting us out of the narrative and leaving us puzzled as to what exactly this most ingenious of theatremakers is up to. Still – and this is a fundamental on which far too many Shakespearean productions fall down – it’s certainly never boring.”

Fiona Mountford, The i

“This radically stripped-back production is directed by auteur-director Jamie Lloyd, who enjoyed a huge hit last year with his Nicole Scherzinger-starring Sunset Boulevard . Much of the aesthetic for that is replayed here, to markedly diminishing returns: the black costumes, bare playing space and omnipresence of onstage videographers to film the action, which is relayed on a giant screen.

“Once more, there is abundant use of the theatre’s backstage and outside spaces and what seemed exciting for Sunset loses lustre when repeated so soon and so similarly.”

Tim Bano, The Independent

“There are no blow-away performances here, nothing for the ages. How can there be when the actors are so constricted by the production that’s been built around them? As much as it’s meant to be a stripping back, soon those cameras, the constant murmuring, the grinding sounds, the need to be cool ALL THE TIME gets in the way of performances. It imposes too much on them rather than liberating them.

“If it had ended at the interval, it would have been brilliant. Instead, it becomes a thing of diminishing returns. Second-half scenes are too effortful, some have no emotional impact. As for the ending, well, it’s a bit of a letdown. They die, but theatrically: earpieces out, eyes closed, sitting on the front of the stage like bouncers having a nap after a long shift at a warehouse rave.”

Hugh Montgomery, BBC

“With his black-box set, constant, sinisterly humming sound design, and stark lighting, Lloyd seems to also want to make Romeo and Juliet into some kind of nihilistic horror – draining the love story of the light and shade that it should have before it draws to its tragic ending. Holland’s performance particularly suffers, you sense, from being in hock to this determinedly downbeat aesthetic. He has definite stage presence, but a habit of acting out one mood at a time, rather than making his Romeo convincingly psychologically rounded, and towards the end he is reduced to snarling disaffection, Romeo’s emotional tenderness all but forgotten.”

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Hundreds of Readers Told Us Their Favorite Soundtracks. Which Came Out on Top?

Music that accompanied movies from the 1980s and ’90s dominated the recommendations, though sometimes the films themselves were beside the point.

Four album covers for, clockwise from top left, “The Big Chill,” “Pretty in Pink,” “Rushmore” and “The Harder They Come” are shown in a grid.

By Stephanie Goodman

Stephanie Goodman is the film editor overseeing coverage of movies, pop culture and soundtracks.

Are soundtracks making a comeback ? The idea of a movie-related compilation of choice tunes that add up to a distinct vibe seemed to go out of fashion after the early 2000s, when the music for “Garden State” was such an event.

But films like “Barbie” and “I Saw the TV Glow” may indicate that some directors are thinking in terms of the soundtrack again. That prompted me to ask Times readers about their favorite film albums , and hundreds responded with heartfelt stories, funny memories and recollections of life-changing moments.

Movies from the 1980s and ’90s tended to dominate, with the Motown sounds of “The Big Chill” and the ’90s grunge of “Singles” among the most popular submissions, along with the reggae stars of “The Harder They Come” from 1972. Movies from the 1950s and ’60s had fans, too, with the music more likely to be scores (orchestral compositions made specifically for the film) or Broadway imports.

The Coppola family made a strong showing, with Francis Ford, Sofia and her cousin Nicolas Cage all name-checked repeatedly. But other genres and artists we expected to hear about, like hip-hop and the Beatles (and “Garden State” for that matter), weren’t mentioned much.

Some readers confessed to never having seen the film whose soundtrack they love; others even reported disliking it. No matter what they thought about the movie, however — including nothing — they were passionate about the music.

Finally, a shout-out to Carole Barrowman of Wauwatosa, Wis., for introducing me to “Bellbottoms” by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, from “Baby Driver.” It’s playing as I write this.

Here’s a sampling of reader submissions:

It Started Early

Fran Cameron of Longmeadow, Mass., on “ The Harder They Come ” (1972):

I was 12, my brother 14. We walked past the theater poster for “The Harder They Come.” The choice to use lunch money for an R-rated movie about gangsters in Jamaica was simple. It was the first elaborate lie I told my parents. The songs opened the door to world music. Fifty years on, I don’t tire of this soundtrack.

Ferris Kerr of Halifax, Nova Scotia, on “ The Aristocats ” (1970):

I watched this movie feverishly as a kid, memorizing every catchphrase and tune. My favorite track as a child was “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat,” a classic. Now, as a grown adult, I regularly play “Cat’s Love Theme,” a gentle romantic leitmotif for the two main characters. Each year, Spotify reminds me of my slightly odd obsession by bumping it into my top-played songs of the year.

Lauren Rankin of Longmont, Colo., on “ That Thing You Do! ” (1996):

I was completely obsessed with the Beatles and ’60s pop culture, which was weird for a 10-year-old. I begged my mom to get me the CD. I listened to it obsessively over the years and still do to this day. The music is so catchy, so warm, so nostalgic, so good, that it has stayed with me for nearly 30 years.

Spencer Glesby of Santa Barbara, Calif., on “ Marie Antoinette ” (2006):

I was a fourth grader, green and eager to learn more about music. A family friend (who to me seemed to be the coolest person in the world) gifted me the soundtrack, and I spent the next year listening to it on repeat on my portable CD player, confused and excited about the seemingly anachronistic mix of new wave, post-punk, ambient and baroque songs. How on earth could this movie work? When I finally got my hands on a DVD, I was floored.

Michael Adams of New York on “ Ben-Hur ” (1959):

Saw it in the first run of the film as a child while my family was visiting Cincinnati. Had never been so overwhelmed by the narrative sweep and visual splendor of a film. And the music! The soundtrack was issued in two separate LPs, and I wore the vinyl of both to dust. Even now, a digital version of each note lives happily on my phone.

The Soundtrack of My Life

Susan Campbell of Rockford, Ill., on “ Valley Girl ” (1983):

I mostly remember watching it on VHS over and over with high school girlfriends during the mid-80s. I love the performance by the Plimsouls, especially, but all the songs take me back to being a new waver and wishing a young Nicolas Cage was my boyfriend.

Debi Bass of Bridgewater, N.J., on “ The Big Chill ” (1983):

I saw “The Big Chill” in 1983 in Boston when I was young and single and looking for love. Today, when I hear any of the songs, so many memories come flooding back about old boyfriends, dating, going on girls’ vacations and many more.

Lori Rhodes of Lisbon, Portugal, on “ Pretty in Pink ” (1986):

Loved the soundtrack more than the film — and was pleasantly surprised when I met my husband-to-be several years later and he played this cassette on our first road trip together.

Grace Bosley of New York on “ William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet ” (1996):

This soundtrack holds a special place in many still-brooding, angsty and lovelorn Xennial hearts.

Mary Beth Reece of Boulder, Colo., on “ Doctor Zhivago ” (1965):

This was my mom’s favorite movie; released the year I was born. She died in 1973 when I was only 7 years old. I love the movie too, but it’s really the soundtrack that can bring me to tears (in a good way, I think, and fairly quickly). Sometimes, it’s good to remember in this manner. Maurice Jarre’s score is beautiful, jarring, exotic and scary all at once.

Emily Chang of Los Angeles on “ Chungking Express ” (1996):

I was 19, it was my first spring at U.C.L.A., and I was a lonely person in a new city. The “Chungking Express” soundtrack will always bring me back to that campus and that spring. To being young enough to romanticize anything, even loneliness, with a song. To sketching up new dreams, and sharing them with new friends, friends with unique dreams of their own.

Heather Mead of Seattle on “ Singles ” (1992):

I was a freshman in college, a baby riot girl with purple hair, floral dresses, flannel and army surplus boots — obsessed with everything musical from Seattle. I wore out the cassette, dreaming of the day I’d move to Seattle and get to see those clubs and bands and the whole Seattle scene. Which I did four years later.

Christina Crowley of Georgia on “ The Lego Movie ” (2014) and its sequel:

Saw both movies in theaters with my son. We listened to the soundtracks all the time . In the car, at home, playing outside, playing inside, on walks, at bedtime, on birthdays, after school, before bed, while getting ready for school. All the time.

Hooked on a Feeling

Dana Still of Parksville, British Columbia, on “ Local Hero ” (1983):

A Mark Knopfler masterpiece. The first time I ever played the whole album, I listened to it alone while lying on the floor. Right up until the 2 minute and 28 second mark of the final track, “Going Home,” when I was driven to my feet and impelled to dance around the room with joyous tears streaming until the end, after which I just started the album again.

Kevin Fox of Nashville on “ Until the End of the World ” (1991):

The continuity of vibe, not a skipper on the whole CD. So, great to have on when making out :-)

Carole Barrowman of Wauwatosa, Wis., on “ Baby Driver ” (2017):

This is my go-to soundtrack when I’m in a mood. Doesn’t matter what kind. It’s a “kitchen sink” compilation. It’s got everything. Rock, blues, jazz, plus T. Rex and the best opening song ever: “Bellbottoms” by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Try to stay under the speed limit.

Laurie Lynn Berger of Clarkston, Wash., on “ 8 Mile ” (2002):

I remember driving around in my Miata with the top down, jamming to that CD and marveling at a white guy who could rap with such originality and passion. The tracks contain so much pathos, humor and freshness. To this day I enjoy these tracks and gleefully rap alongside (badly!).

Kelly O’Brien of Seattle on “ Into the Wild ” (2007):

Eddie Vedder’s voice is a gift. I listen to it regularly when hiking. The music feels like being in the mountains, like being immersed in nature. To me, it’s 30 minutes of joy.

Virginia Lawro of Hilton Head Island, S.C., on “ The Book Thief ” (2013):

When the book became a movie, I went to see it in Orlando, Fla., in 2013. Afterwards I often played the soundtrack in my classroom when the students were doing quiet work. The soundtrack captures the joys of youth, and the pain and suffering death brings to the village during WWII. The soundtrack takes me back into my classroom, a place where I so enjoyed my students and seeing them fall in love with literature.

Donna Verteramo of Rosendale, N.Y., on “Rushmore” (1999):

I loved the movie, but I loved the music more.

Film? What Film?

Alex Abrams of Winston-Salem, N.C., on “ If Beale Street Could Talk ” (2018):

Having never seen the film hasn’t stopped me from loving the soundtrack. It’s my go-to when I need some relaxing music. I’m listening to it now while a baby is crying on my flight to Chicago.

Brigid Riley of Minneapolis on “ One From the Heart ” (1982):

I’ve never actually seen the film by Francis Ford Coppola, but a friend introduced me to the soundtrack in the mid-80s and it’s been on my go-to list ever since. My friend and I both had kiddos at the time, so our excursions were auditory while in her living room in south Minneapolis with the little ones sleeping nearby. The combination of Tom Waits’s and Crystal Gayle’s voices is so unexpectedly right.

Stephen Kitts of Galveston, Ind., on “ The Rose ” (1979):

The soundtrack contains complete performances that only appeared in the film as snippets. I gleaned nothing from the album about the film’s contents other than its ending, but I was mesmerized. Of course I eventually saw the film, which is also mesmerizing, but I’m still, to this day, always a little disappointed when I watch the film, because the album is so burned into my brain.

Daniel Evans of Brooklyn on “Tron: Legacy” (2010):

The movie is memorable only for being somewhat bad, a derivative stab into the uncanny valley that didn’t satisfy anyone. The soundtrack though, arguably one of Daft Punk’s finest albums, is all beautiful lines of digital music that combines a couple of bangers that will get your blood thumping with some lovely atmospheric pieces that bring to mind a movie that could have been but never was.

Brian Beer of Dalton, Ga., on “ Judgment Night ” (1993):

I’ve never seen the movie! The soundtrack’s brilliant pairings of punk rock-metal and rap stars stands so well on its own.

Allyson Martel of Rochester, N.Y., on “ Chelsea Walls ” (2002):

I have yet to see this movie, but I still want to. It is Ethan Hawke’s directorial debut. I found the soundtrack at a record store and bought it without previewing it. The songs still pepper my life. It is Wilco-filled, atmospheric and includes a cover of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy.” The opening and end instrumentals were covered at my wedding.

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Sophia Bush SHUTS DOWN engagement rumors with girlfriend Ashlyn Harris following romantic Paris trip: 'I have no news for you'

By Sameer Suri For Dailymail.com

Published: 23:03 EDT, 25 May 2024 | Updated: 23:03 EDT, 25 May 2024

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Sophia Bush has firmly shut down the rumors that she is engaged to her girlfriend, former soccer player Ashlyn Harris .

The 41-year-old actress had posted a romantic snap with Ashlyn from Paris in which she slipped one arm under her ladylove's jacket.

Because her left hand was hidden from view, some social media users apparently began speculating that she was concealing a ring.

However Sophia put paid to the conjecture with a follow-up picture, holding up her left hand to assure the public her fourth finger was bare.

'I hear the internet is being wild? Y’all,' she wrote with crying laughing and coffin emojis. 'I have no ‘news’ for you. But wouldn't you put your hands all up in her jacket if you could?? (To be clear you can't because boundaries, but I'll continue to do it for you because I’m just generous like that.)'

Sophia Bush has firmly shut down the rumors that she is engaged to her girlfriend, former soccer player Ashlyn Harris

The 41-year-old actress had posted a romantic snap with Ashlyn from Paris in which she slipped one arm under her ladylove's jacket

When she posted the original loved-up Paris snapshot with Ashlyn, Sophia gushed: 'I just wanna squeeeeeeeeeze her.'

She added: 'I get that it's new for y'all to see me so happy and so embodied. It's new for me too. How lucky am I,' closing the message with a teary-eyed emoji.

Ashlyn fired up her own Insta Stories and posted a selfie in which Sophia planted a kiss on her cheek as they toasted with white wine.

Sophia and Ashlyn made their red carpet debut at the end of last month at the star-studded White House Correspondents Dinner hosted by Colin Jost.

Shortly beforehand, Sophia had announced their relationship by penning an essay in Glamour magazine in which she also came out as 'queer.'

She wrote that she and Ashlyn first became acquainted in 2019 but did not become a couple until October 2023 - after their respective marriages fell apart.

Sophia filed for divorce from her husband of 13 months Grant Hughes in August 2023, while Ashlyn filed for divorce from her wife Ali Krieger that September.

In her coming out essay, Sophia - who was previously married to her One Tree Hill co-star Chad Michael Murray - revealed that multiple men she was involved with in the past were aware that she was also attracted to women.

Ashlyn fired up her own Insta Stories and posted a selfie in which Sophia planted a kiss on her cheek as they toasted with white wine

Sophia and Ashlyn made their red carpet debut at the end of last month at the star-studded White House Correspondents Dinner hosted by Colin Jost

Sophia has written that she and Ashlyn became a couple in October 2023, two months after she filed for divorce from Grant Hughes, whom she is pictured with in 2022

Ashlyn shares two children with her former wife Ali Krieger (left), whom she filed for divorce from in September 2023; they are pictured that May

She took aim at social media users 'who said I'd left my ex because I suddenly realized I wanted to be with women - my partners have known what I'm into for as long as I have (so that's not it, y'all, sorry!).'

When romance rumors started swirling about her and Ashlyn, Sophia was accused of being a 'home-wrecker,' inasmuch as Ashlyn shares two children with her ex-wife.

Sophia firmly denied that she broke up Ashlyn's marriage, writing that she found herself on the business end of 'blatant lies and violent threats' over the conjecture.

'People looking in from the outside weren't privy to just how much time it took, how many painful conversations were had,' she insisted.

'A lot of effort was made to be graceful with other people's processing, their time and obligations, and their feelings,' added the Chicago P.D. actress.

Along with Ashlyn and her husbands, Sophia has also previously dated her co-stars Jon Foster, James Lafferty, Austin Nichols and Jesse Lee Soffer.

Share or comment on this article: Sophia Bush SHUTS DOWN engagement rumors with girlfriend Ashlyn Harris following romantic Paris trip: 'I have no news for you'

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50 Best ‘American Idol’ Alumni of All Time

After 22 seasons of the show, who are the most successful entertainers to emerge from the reality singing competition?

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A new American Idol winner was crowned on Sunday night… so now what?

As we’ve seen over 22 seasons of the reality singing competition — 15 on Fox starting in 2002, and the seventh just wrapping up on ABC — there are mixed results when it comes to who is most likely to succeed after their time on the show. Winning Idol is no guarantee of a future career, and finishing in 10th place doesn’t mean someone won’t make it big.

Watch the Performances That Got 11 Memorable 'American Idol' Contestants Voted Off the Show

Following the end of another season, the Billboard staff wanted to take a closer look at all the top 10 finalists from the first 21 seasons to see not how well they did as contestants on the show, but how well they’ve done since. We’ve ranked the 50 Best American Idol Alumni — and we’re not just judging this by selling a lot of music or dominating our charts (though those are definitely factors). We’re looking at who has carved out the most impressive careers in the public eye, whether that’s staying in music or branching out into acting — in films and TV or on stage — or maybe hosting, taking part in more reality competitions, writing books or even pursuing politics.

The staff voted on the greatest careers to emerge from this decades-long pop-star boot camp. Who has transcended their time on Idol to become a legendary entertainer that has defined pop culture in the past quarter-century? Who has gotten off to a great start but still has to make strides to reach superstar status? ( Note: We only considered top 10 finalists from each Idol season, which rules out some notable alumni like “Fingers Crossed” singer Lauren Spencer Smith or Dani Noriega, aka RuPaul’s Drag Race standout Adore Delano, who both were eliminated in the top 20, or any now-famous artists who didn’t make it past the audition or Hollywood Week rounds. )

Basically: Who has became an actual pop-culture idol beyond their time competing on Idol ? Below, find Billboard ‘s 50 Best American Idol Alumni of all time, ranked.

Casey Abrams (season 10, 6th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Two top five Jazz Albums debuts

Much of Abrams’ post- Idol career has been linked with his fellow season 10 alum Haley Reinhart. The pair recorded a cover of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” that peaked at No. 3 on the Holiday Digital Song Sales chart in 2011; they co-produced Reinhart’s AC-hit version of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” in 2015; and they’ve both collaborated with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox since 2015, with Abrams and his upright bass taking center stage in jazzy covers of Fountains of Wayne’s “Stacey’s Mom” (11 million views) and the very fitting take on Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass,” which also features Reinhart and has more than 105 million views on YouTube. On the solo front, Abrams’ latest album, 2019’s Jazz , peaked at No. 2 on the Jazz Albums chart — one of his two top five debuts on the chart. – KATIE ATKINSON

Maddie Poppe (season 16, winner)

Greatest post- Idol achievement : Landing two Adult Pop Airplay hits

In a vote of confidence for Idol ’s move from Fox to ABC the season that Poppe won, she was voted the Competition Contestant of 2018 at that year’s People’s Choice Awards. Her 2019 debut studio album Whirlwind launched the single “Made You Miss,” which spent 16 weeks on Billboard ’s Adult Pop Airplay chart, peaking at No. 21. A second single from the project, “Not Losing You,” spent 17 weeks on the chart and peaked at No. 26. – GIL KAUFMAN

Trent Harmon (season 15, winner)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Top 20 Country Airplay hit “There’s a Girl”

Harmon released a self-titled EP in 2016 that included the upbeat love song “There’s a Girl” (co-written by Harmon), which climbed to No. 18 on the Country Airplay chart. His full-length 2018 debut You Got ’Em All – whose track list included “Girl,” as well as his Keith Urban-co-written Idol coronation song “Falling” and the Country Airplay top 40 title track – was released via Big Machine Records and debuted at No. 2 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. – K.A.

Iam Tongi (season 21, winner)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Topping the Rock Digital Song Sales chart with his original track “I’ll Be Seeing You”

Along with Mick Fleetwood, Ziggy Marley and Sarah McLachlan, the native Hawaiian participated in the #MauiStrong livestream event to raise money following the August 2023 Maui wildfires. Since winning Idol , he’s delivered a studio duet with James Blunt of “Monsters” (the song he initially auditioned for the show with) and released an EP of Christmas music. – JOE LYNCH

Thia Megia (season 10, tied for 10th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Joining the cast of Days of Our Lives

Since tying for 10th place on Idol as a 16-year-old back in 2011, Megia has turned her attention to acting, most notably as the character Haley Chen in the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives . The Filipino-American performer starred in 88 episodes of the long-running daytime series from 2018 to 2020. – K.A.

Michael J Woodard (season 16, tied for 4th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Voicing the title character in the Netflix film Arlo the Alligator Boy and TV series I Heart Arlo

After seeing Woodard’s Idol audition, director Ryan Crego cast the Philadelphia performer as the voice of the title character in the 2021 Netflix animated musical Arlo the Alligator Boy – alongside fellow voice actors Jennifer Coolidge, Mary Lambert and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea – and in a follow-up TV series on the streamer called I Heart Arlo . Also in 2021, Woodard became the third-ever signee to Idol judge Katy Perry’s Unsub Records, releasing his debut EP MJW1 via the Capitol Records imprint in January. – K.A.

Heejun Han (season 11, 9th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Hosting South Korean music talk show After School Club

Heejun enlisted Pusha T for a verse on his dubstep-inspired debut single “Bring the Love Back” in 2013. That same year, the Korean-born, American-raised singer competed on the third season of the South Korean reality contest K-pop Star , reaching the top six. After a string of new music (including “Q&A” with Tiffany from Girls’ Generation) and acting roles (2015’s Seoul Searching ), Heejun replaced Jae of Day6 as the co-host of the South Korean music talk show After School Club in 2018 alongside Seungmin of Stray Kids and then Kim Woosung of The Rose, staying on as an emcee until 2021. – K.A.

Blake Lewis (season 6, runner-up)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: No. 1 Dance Clubs Songs and Dance/Mix Show Airplay hit “Heartbreak on Vinyl”

Known as the first Idol beatboxing contestant, Lewis signed to Arista and then Tommy Boy to release four studio albums between 2007 and 2020. His first, A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream ), peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200. In 2009, Lewis performed for first lady Michelle Obama at the Congressional Club’s luncheon in her honor, singing three songs — including what might have been the first beatbox interpretation of “America the Beautiful.” Lewis has two Billboard No. 1s to his credit: His 2010 single “Heartbreak on Vinyl,” an ode to vanishing brick-and-mortar record stores, topped the Hot Dance Club Songs and Dance/Mix Show Airplay charts. – FRED BRONSON

Jessica Sanchez (season 11, runner-up)

Greatest post- Idol Achievement: Her song “Stronger Together,” written for Hillary Clinton, was spotlighted at the 2016 Democratic National Convention

In 2013, the Cali-bred vocal powerhouse reached No. 26 on the Billboard 200 with her debut studio album Me, You & the Music , which she paired with a two-episode stint on Glee that allowed her to flex her acting chops as the character Frida Romero. In the years since, she’s shifted her musical output to focus on impactful topics, including recording the unifying song “Stronger Together” for the 2016 Democratic National Convention and targeting xenophobia and racism with 2021’s “Us.” She kept the music with a message coming on 2022’s “Baddie,” a self-penned song about women’s empowerment. – KYLE DENIS

Catie Turner (season 16, 7th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Making her Billboard chart debut with “God Must Hate Me”

Turner earned praise from the judges when she auditioned with her original song “21st Century Machine,” which foreshadowed a career of brilliant and prolific songwriting for the pop performer. She’s released 20 singles since her Idol run, including 2023’s “God Must Hate Me,” which landed on the LyricFind U.S. chart at No. 20, marking her Billboard chart debut. In 2019, she opened for Meghan Trainor in Atlantic City, and in 2020, she signed to Atlantic Records, for whom she’s released three EPs. – F.B.

Kris Allen (season 8, winner)

Greatest post- Idol achievement : Top five Adult Pop Airplay hit “Live Like We’re Dying”

Allen introduced his 2009 self-titled debut album with the lead single “Live Like We’re Dying,” which was written by The Script and recorded as a bonus track for the Irish rock band’s 2008 album before soaring to new heights with Allen, peaking at No. 3 on the Adult Pop Airplay chart and hitting the top 20 of the Hot 100 (No. 18). The Arkansas native has since released four more studio albums and collaborated on songs with Train singer Pat Monahan and Toby Gad (John Legend, Fergie). The former mission worker has also dedicated his time to a pair of charity organizations that promote music education for children: Music Empowers Foundation and Little Kids Rock . – G.K.

LaToya London (season 3, 4th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Starring in Tyler Perry’s Madea on the Run film

In 2004, London was signed to Concord Records’ Peak imprint and released her debut album Love & Life the next year, which debuted at No. 27 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. London went on to star as Nettie and Shug Avery in separate productions of the stage musical The Color Purple , winning an Ovation Award for featured actress in a musical in 2012 for her role as Avery. Her stage work also includes the musical adaptation of The Bodyguard film, and she starred in both the 2017 film version and national tour of Tyler Perry’s Madea on the Run . – F.B.

David Cook (season 7, winner)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Hitting No. 3 on the Hot 100 with his debut single

When the dust settled on season 7’s Battle of the Davids, Cook emerged victorious. With his debut single “The Time of My Life,” Cook secured a No. 3 debut on the Hot 100, while consistently placing other singles in the top 40 of the chart for the next year. Even after he parted ways with RCA in 2012, Cook kept his career going, whether it was through his independently released rock songs or a starring role in the hit Broadway musical Kinky Boots in 2018. – STEPHEN DAW

Haley Reinhart (season 10, 3rd place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Top 20 Adult Contemporary cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love”

Reinhart’s 2012 debut album Listen Up! landed at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the Adult Pop Airplay hit “Free” (No. 26), leading to her gig as the first Idol alum to play Lollapalooza that same year. In 2015, she began recording and touring with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, performing jazzy covers for their popular YouTube channel. Her cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” is the group’s most-watched video ever (currently at 120 million-plus views), and she sings on their four most popular videos of all time. Her second album, Better , was released in 2016 and includes a cover of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” that went viral after its inclusion in a touching commercial for Extra Gum , peaking at No. 17 on the Adult Contemporary chart. – K.A.

Colton Dixon (season 11, 7th place)

Colton Dixon and Ryan Seacrest onstage at FOX's "American Idol" Season 11 Top 10 Live Performance Show on March 21, 2012 in Hollywood, California.

Greatest post- Idol achievement: No. 1 Hot Christian Songs and Christian AC Airplay hit “Build a Boat”

Dixon has scored three No. 1 albums on the Top Christian Albums chart, all of which also impacted the Billboard 200. The singer-songwriter has toured with TobyMac and Third Day and has twice won the GMA Dove Award for best rock/contemporary album of the year (for A Messenger and Anchor in 2013 and 2015, respectively). In 2022, his single “Build a Boat” spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart and 10 weeks atop Christian AC Airplay. – J.Lynch

Kimberley Locke (season 2, 3rd place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Top 40 Pop Airplay hit “8th World Wonder”

Thanks to her deal with Nashville-based Curb Records, Locke made Idol history as the first finalist to be signed to a major record label other than RCA, the company that had an agreement to release music by all the show’s winners. Her debut single “8th World Wonder” was a top 10 Adult Contemporary hit and top 40 Pop Airplay hit, and it peaked at No. 49 on the Hot 100. Locke was queen of the Adult Contemporary chart for three Decembers in a row when she had No. 1 hits with her Christmas covers of “Up on the Housetop” (2005), “Frosty the Snowman” (2006) and “Jingle Bells” (2007). Her television work incudes guest-hosting The View and competing on a celebrity edition of Don’t Forget the Lyrics! , as well as Family Feud and Celebrity Fit Club . In 2011, Locke founded her own company, I AM Entertainment. – F.B.

Diana DeGarmo (season 3, runner-up)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: DeGarmo was one of the first Idol alumni to star on Broadway, with roles in Hairspray and Hair

DeGarmo’s first post- Idol single “Dreams” peaked at No. 14 on the Hot 100. She has continued to record, releasing the vinyl double-LP Gemini in 2019, which includes many of her own compositions. In addition to her work on Broadway in Hairspray and Hair , as well as an off-Broadway production of The Toxic Avenger, DeGarmo has appeared in productions of West Side Story , starring as Maria, and Brooklyn: The Musical in the title role. After her wedding to fellow Idol alum Ace Young (see No. 33) on June 1, 2013, she starred as the Narrator in a national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat , with Young in the title role. Her other stage work includes a Hollywood production of Back to Bacharach and David , and she had a story arc as a singer on the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless . – F.B.

Ace Young (season 5, 7th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Co-writing Daughtry’s top five Hot 100 hit “It’s Not Over”

During the 2006 summer Idol tour, Young wrote a song with fellow contestant Chris Daughtry that would become Daughtry’s breakout hit “It’s Not Over,” which earned Grammy nominations for best rock song and best rock performance and peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100. Young made his Broadway debut in Grease in 2008 and then starred in Hair in 2010, where he met and fell in love with his co-star Diana DeGarmo (see No. 34). In one of the most memorable moments of any Idol season finale, Young arranged to surprise DeGarmo on the 2012 live broadcast by dropping to one knee and proposing marriage. The couple have been married since 2013 and have frequently worked together, including on a national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat , where Young took the title role to DeGarmo’s Narrator. – F.B.

Bucky Covington (season 5, 8th place)

Bucky Covington performs on 'American Idol' on March 14, 2006

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Self-titled debut hitting No. 1 on Top Country Albums

Covington’s 2007 self-titled debut flew straight to No. 1 on Top Country Albums, selling 61,000 copies and scoring the best opening week for a debut album by a man on the chart since Billy Ray Cyrus’ Some Gave All in 1992. The project spun off three top 20 hits on the Hot Country Songs chart – “A Different World” (No. 6), “I’ll Walk” (No. 10) and “It’s Good to Be Us” (No. 11), all of which also landed on the Hot 100 – and included a pair of deep cuts co-written by future country superstar Chris Stapleton. – K.A.

Bo Bice (season 4, runner-up)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Joining Blood, Sweat & Tears as their lead singer

Bice’s debut album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 4, one of the highest new entries for an Idol alum’s album at that time. In 2006, the Huntsville, Ala., native was one of the “friends” (alongside Hank Williams Jr. and Three Doors Down) on the TV special Decades Rock Live: Lynyrd Skynyrd & Friends. Two years later, Bice joined Todd Rundgren, Denny Laine, Lou Gramm and Christopher Cross on a tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Beatles album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band . After memorably performing Blood, Sweat & Tears’ song “Spinning Wheel” on Idol , Bice took over lead vocal duties for the ’60s rock band in 2013, performing with the group through 2018.– F.B.

Elliott Yamin (season 5, 3rd place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Top five Pop Airplay hit “Wait for You”

Yamin went the indie route after his top three Idol finish, releasing his self-titled debut through Nashville’s Hickory Records in March 2007 and debuting atop the Independent Albums chart and at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The project’s breakout single “Wait for You” climbed as high as No. 13 on the Hot 100, thanks in part to its steady popularity at radio. The song peaked at No. 4 on Pop Airplay and landed at No. 15 on the 2007 year-end Adult Contemporary chart. – K.A.

Josh Gracin (season 2, 4th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement : Kicking off his career with three top 5 Hot Country Songs hits, including the No. 1 “Nothin’ to Lose”

Gracin was on active military duty while on Idol and completed his service after his season. Following his discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps, he released a string of 24 singles, right up to his new 2024 song “Blame It on a Girl,” plus three studio albums (the first two went top five on Top Country Albums). He kicked off his career with three top five hits on the Hot Country Songs chart, including the 2005 No. 1 “Nothin’ to Lose.” Gracin has also toured consistently, with dates scheduled this year. – F.B.

Anoop Desai (season 8, 6th place)

Anoop Desai performs live at American Idol March 10, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Recurring role in the FX comedy/horror series What We Do in the Shadows

After finding online acclaim for eight EPs of R&B-leaning pop music under the pseudonym TOTEM between 2015 and 2017 – playing Lollapalooza under the alias and penning an essay for Billboard about then-President Trump’s immigration ban – Desai switched gears to acting, guest-starring on the Paul Giamatti-starring HBO series Billions (2020) and two episodes of Natasha Lyonne’s Netflix show Russian Doll (2022). He currently has a recurring role as The Djinn on the FX comedy/horror series What We Do in the Shadows and made his film debut last year alongside Michael Cera in The Adults . – K.A.

Justin Guarini (season 1, runner-up)

Greatest post- Idol achievement : Originating the role of Carlos in the Broadway musical Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Guarini made his Broadway debut in 2010, starring in the musical adaptation of Pedro Almodóvar’s film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown , alongside Patti Lupone and Laura Benanti. Once he was embraced by the Broadway community, Guarini continued to star on the Great White Way, including replacing one of the leads in the Green Day musical American Idiot in 2011, as the title role in a contemporary production of Romeo and Juliet in 2013, and a run as Fiyero in Wicked in 2014. Guarini has been most visible starring in the role of Lil’ Sweet in a series of commercials for Dr. Pepper. He’s also had many hosting duties, including backstage at the 2016 Tony Awards for BroadwayHD.com as well as Idol Wrap and Idol Tonight for the TV Guide Network. He is the author of Audition Secrets , a guide to nailing casting calls. – F.B.

Danny Gokey (season 8, 3rd place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Top 10 albums in three different genres on the Billboard charts

Since his time on Idol , Gokey has landed top 10 projects on Top Christian Albums (including three No. 1s), Top Country Albums and even Latin Pop Albums (2016’s La Esperanza Frente A Mi ) – and don’t forget Top Holiday Albums too, with 2015’s Christmas Is Here landing at No. 1. The three-time Grammy nominee and two-time GMA Dove Award winner’s soulful drawl has helped him grow into one of Idol’s brightest stars, and his most recent LP, 2021’s Jesus People, saw yet another expansion of Gokey’s sound, as he dabbled in classical music and dance-pop. – K.D.

Tamyra Gray (season 1, 4th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Co-writing Fantasia’s Hot 100-topping Idol coronation song

Gray has been acting regularly since the show, landing a recurring role on season 3 of the Emmy-winning David E. Kelley series Boston Public in 2003; as a singer in the 2008 Anne Hathaway-starring indie film Rachel Getting Married ; and with three stints on Broadway, including as a replacement for Mimi in Rent (2007) and Papa Ge in the Tony-winning revival of Once on This Island (2018). She also had a pair of high-profile songwriting gigs connected to Idol : co-writing Fantasia’s powerhouse Hot 100-topping season 3 coronation song “I Believe” as well as the Kelly Clarkson duet “You Thought Wrong” from her fellow season 1 alum’s debut album Thankful . – K.A.

Alejandro Aranda (season 17, runner-up)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Two top 20 songs on Alternative Digital Song Sales chart under the moniker scarypoolparty

Since his Idol days, Aranda has been recording under the name scarypoolparty, often creating music that’s a far cry from typical Idol fare. He’s branched out into everything from vibey R&B to industrial metal, landing two top 20 hits on the Alternative Digital Song Sales chart in 2019: “Tonight” (No. 6) and “Cholo Love” (No. 16). The Twin Shadow mentee has performed at festivals from Lollapalooza to Austin City Limits, toured as support for X Ambassadors and collaborated with deathcore outfit Left to Suffer. – J.Lynch

Majesty Rose (season 13, 9th place)

Majesty Rose performs onstage on FOX's "American Idol" Season 13 Ladies Perform Live Show on February 18, 2014 in Hollywood, California.

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Recording three releases with Maverick City Music

After releasing the EP Bloom in 2016 and the non-album single “Plunge” the following year, Rose joined Maverick City Music for a few releases, starting with the 2019 EP Maverick City Vol. 2 . Rose returned for the 2020 albums Maverick City, Vol. 3: Part 1 and Maverick City Christmas, both of which made the top five on Billboard ’s Top Gospel Albums chart. The former was a fixture on that chart for nearly 200 weeks and won a Billboard Music Award for Top Gospel Album. – PAUL GREIN

Daniel Seavey (season 14, 9th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Two Billboard 200 top 10 albums with boy band Why Don’t We

One year after his time on Idol, Daniel Seavey formed the American boy band Why Don’t We alongside Jack Avery, Corbyn Besson, Zach Heron and Jonah Marais. The group released its Billboard 200 top 10 debut album 8 Letters in 2018. Why Don’t We earned its first Hot 100 top 40 hit with “Fallin’ (Adrenaline)” from the band’s 2021 sophomore album The Good Times and the Bad Ones , which became their highest-charting project after debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. After the group announced it was going on hiatus in 2022, Seavey embarked on his first solo headlining tour, titled Introducing Daniel Seavey, in January 2023 and dropped his debut solo EP Dancing in the Dark last year. – HERAN MAMO

Mandisa (season 5, 9th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Winning the Grammy for best contemporary Christian music album

In 2014, Mandisa became the first woman to win the Grammy for best contemporary Christian music album, triumphing for 2013’s Top Christian Albums No. 1 Overcomer . The project’s title track – whose music video featured inspirational footage of Robin Roberts, Gabby Giffords and more – hit No. 1 on both the Hot Christian Songs and Christian Airplay charts. Since her time on Idol , the singer – who died in April at age 47 – placed all six of her studio albums on the Billboard 200, starting with 2007’s True Beauty . A cherished member of the Christian music family, Mandisa’s gorgeous voice will live on through her music and fans. – K.D.

Ruben Studdard (season 2, winner)

Greatest post- Idol achievement : His Billboard 200-topping debut album Soulful and its Hot 100 top 10 lead single “Sorry 2004”

Studdard scored right out of the gate with his Hot 100 No. 2 cover of Westlife’s “Flying Without Wings” followed by a No. 1 debut album ( Soulful ) and a Grammy nomination for his recording of “Superstar,” first made famous by The Carpenters. Soulful lead single “Sorry 2004” was a Hot 100 top 10 hit, peaking at No. 9 in, you guessed it, 2004. His follow-up gospel album I Need an Angel debuted at No. 1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart in ’04 as well. The enduring friendship between Studdard and his Idol runner-up Clay Aiken (whom he edged out by fewer than 134,000 votes out of 24 million) is also inspiring, including a series of joint tours and the 2018 Broadway holiday musical Ruben & Clay’s Christmas Show , as well as their recent adorable appearance on The Masked Singer in a dual costume as The Beets . – G.K.

Jax (season 14, 3rd place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Debuting on the Hot 100 seven years after her time on the show

Pop-rock singer/songwriter Jax took her time garnering an audience, growing her fanbase through viral videos on TikTok (where she boasts more than 14 million followers) in which she updated lyrics of songs like Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8r Boi” and Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” Jax hit a cultural nerve with the release of her bombastic single “Victoria’s Secret” in 2022. Taking the underwear brand to task for the creation of unrealistic body standards, Jax’s song blew up overnight, earning her a top 40 spot on the Hot 100, with her song peaking at No. 35 and making her a name to watch. – S.D.

Kellie Pickler (season 5, 6th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: A top 10 country hit that she co-wrote with Taylor Swift

Pickler has released four albums, all of which made the top five on Billboard ’s Top Country Albums chart. The first two, Small Town Girl and Kellie Pickler , reached No. 1. Pickler teamed with Taylor Swift to write “Best Days of Your Life,” which reached the top 10 on Hot Country Songs in 2009. Pickler also served as the opening act on Swift’s Fearless Tour in 2009-10. In 2013, Pickler won season 16 of Dancing With the Stars . From 2017 to 2019, she and comedian Ben Aaron co-hosted the daytime TV talk show Pickler & Ben . – P.G.

David Archuleta (season 7, runner-up)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: “Crush” peaking at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and topping Digital Song Sales

It’s been 16 years since Archuleta stole America’s hearts as the sweet, teenage runner-up of season 7. Since then, he’s continued to win music lovers over with enduring hits like 2008’s “Crush” – which peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and topped the Digital Song Sales chart – and “A Little Too Not Over You.” While the star, who grew up as a devout Mormon, briefly put his career on pause to complete a mission trip to Chile, he has since returned to music and came out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in 2021. Currently, Archuleta is fresh off the release of a new song “Hell Together” and working on a memoir to tell his story on his own terms. – RANIA ANIFTOS

Chayce Beckham (season 19, winner)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Landing his first Country Airplay No. 1 with the self-penned “23”

Beckham hit the ground running after winning season 19 in 2021, immediately making waves on the Country Airplay chart with his Lindsay Ell duet “Can’t Do Without Me.” He’s now a veteran on the chart, with his 2024 solo-written hit “23” marking his first leader on the tally, and marking his Hot 100 debut with a No. 45 peak. He followed up on the stream of success with his debut album, Bad for Me , which was released via 19 Recordings/Wheelhouse Records/BMG in April 2024 – when Billboard also named him our Country Rookie of the Month . – R.A.

Katie Stevens (season 9, 8th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Starring on five seasons of Freeform’s The Bold Type

Following her exit from season 9, Stevens starred in two musicals – Bare: A Pop Opera and Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical – but found her biggest successes on television. She starred as Karma Ashcroft on MTV’s romantic comedy series Faking It , which won breakout show at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards. One year after the show ended, Stevens scored the lead role as Jane Sloan on Freeform’s comedy drama series The Bold Type about three women who work at the fictional global women’s magazine Scarlet in NYC. The Bold Type , which was on air for five seasons, won Choice Summer TV Show at the TCAs from 2017-2019, while Stevens earned individual nominations for Choice Summer TV Star at the Teen Choice Awards and best television actress at the Imagen Awards in 2018. – H.M.

Constantine Maroulis (season 4, 6th place)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Only Idol alum to be Tony-nominated for both acting and producing

The hirsute Greek-American stallion of season 4 put his rock bona fides and flair for drama (plus that BFA in musical theater from the Boston Conservatory) to work in various theater productions both on and off-Broadway, playing roles ranging from Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar to Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde in Jekyll/Hyde. He scored Broadway’s biggest accolade, Tony nominations, both on and offstage: for his acting in Rock of Ages – also making a cameo in the 2012 film remake as a record exec – and as a producer on the Deaf West revival of Spring Awakening . – REBECCA MILZOFF

Phillip Phillips (season 11, winner)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: “Home” topped the Adult Contemporary chart for 12 weeks in 2013

From the beginning of season 11, Phillip Phillips was the guy next door, staying true to himself in a T-shirt, jeans and a guitar no matter the circumstances (OG Idol fans remember when he refused Tommy Hilfiger’s makeover during an episode). That authenticity stretched beyond his win, as he made fans feel right at “Home” with his debut track – which spent 12 weeks atop the Adult Contemporary chart in 2013 and was a top 10 Hot 100 hit too, peaking at No. 6 – as well as follow-up hits including “Gone Gone Gone.” Phillips dropped his latest album, Drift Back , in 2023 and continues to tour. – R.A.

Lauren Alaina (season 10, runner-up)

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Simultaneously topping five Billboard charts with the Kane Brown duet “What Ifs”

While she got off to a hot start with the top 20 Hot 100 debut of her Idol coronation song “Like My Mother Does,” Alaina wouldn’t find her way back to the chart until 2017 with “Road Less Traveled,” which heralded her mainstream breakthrough following years of toiling in the country scene. But it was the seismic success of her Kane Brown duet “What Ifs” — which ranked as the sixth-biggest Hot Country Songs hit of the 2010s – that made her a bona fide star. More smash collaborations with fellow country stars HARDY (“One Beer”) and Dustin Lynch (“Thinking ’Bout You”) followed, as did scores of massive tour looks, including opening stints on treks with Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton and Pentatonix. In 2022, Alaina was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, the kind of 10-year full-circle moment every girl dreams of. – K.D.

Clay Aiken (season 2, runner-up)

Greatest post- Idol achievement : Running for Congress as the Democratic candidate in his home state of North Carolina

Clay Aiken became so ubiquitous in pop culture in the years following his 2003 Idol run that it’s easy to forget that he didn’t actually win the show’s second season – instead finishing as runner-up to Ruben Studdard (see No. 20). Still, it was his ballad debut single “This Is the Night” that won the post-show battle on the charts, debuting atop the Hot 100, while his No. 4-peaking “The Way”/”Solitaire” double-A-side fared the best of any of that season’s post- Idol singles and his “Invisible” became an indelibly creepy pop-rock radio banger. His first five albums would all reach the Billboard 200’s top 10, led by his 2003 debut Measure of a Man , which topped the listing and was certified two-times platinum by the RIAA. But his greatest post- Idol achievement is one nothing to do with music or even entertainment: A career-long activist, Aiken got into politics in the 2010s and was even selected as the Democratic candidate for North Carolina’s second congressional district in 2014 – though he again lost in the finals, as Republican incumbent Renee Elmers was ultimately re-elected. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Katharine McPhee (season 5, runner-up)

Katharine McPhee performs on 'American Idol' on March 7, 2006

Greatest post- Idol achievement : Starring in NBC’s cult-classic musical series Smash

The season 5 runner-up has had assorted TV, movie and Broadway roles (including as a replacement in the Sara Bareilles-penned Waitress musical), a big branding deal (Neutrogena), and a pair of Christmas albums that both hit Billboard ’s Top Holiday Albums chart. But her most lasting win came in 2011, when she won the role of Karen Cartwright in NBC’s musical drama Smash. While it was on air for just two seasons, the show and McPhee’s starring performance as the lead ingenue have become cult classics. In a very meta moment, more than a decade after it wrapped on NBC, Smash is set to become a Broadway musical. In 2019, McPhee married legendary producer David Foster, with whom she has a young son (who may well be a drum prodigy ). – R.M.

Gabby Barrett (season 16, 3rd place)

Gabby Barrett performs on 'American Idol' on April 21, 2018

Greatest post- Idol achievement: The 27-week No. 1 country hit “I Hope”

Barrett’s debut single “I Hope” logged 27 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard ’s Hot Country Songs chart, while a remix featuring Charlie Puth reached No. 3 on the Hot 100. Her follow-up, “The Good Ones,” also topped Hot Country Songs and cracked the top 20 of the Hot 100. Barrett has won three Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards, two ACM Awards and two CMT Music Awards. She is set to make her acting debut in an upcoming film written and directed by Trey Edward Shults, which will also feature The Weeknd, Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. In another Idol love story, Barrett married fellow season 16 finalist Cade Foehner in 2019. – P.G.

Jordin Sparks (season 6, winner)

"American Idol" Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks, 17, performing "This Is My Now"

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Kicking off her career with five top 20 Hot 100 hits

After triumphing in season 6 of Idol , Sparks became an immediate rhythmic-pop mainstay in the late 2000s, hitting the top 20 of the Hot 100 with her coronation song “This is My Now” as well as her next four releases: “Tattoo,” her Chris Brown duet “No Air” (a career-high No. 3), “One Step at a Time” and “Battlefield.” Sparks has continued a prolific recording career in the years since and has gone on to star in feature film and Broadway productions, and that opening run of hits continues to accrue millions of streams and radio spins more than a decade later. – JASON LIPSHUTZ

Scotty McCreery (season 10, winner)

Scotty McCreery is announced the American Idol for 2011 onstage performs onstage during Fox's "American Idol 2011" finale results show held at Nokia Theatre LA Live on May 25, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.

Greatest post- Idol achievement : Five Country Airplay No. 1 hits

The season 10 champ was the second-youngest winner at the time of his crowning, at just 17 years old – though he already possessed the baritone and demeanor of a much-more-seasoned vet. Perhaps that’s why it’s seemed like Scotty McCreery has only grown into his stardom in the 13 years since, as he shook off a spotty start to his post- Idol career by going independent in 2017, leaving Mercury Nashville and immediately landing his first Country Airplay No. 1 with the ballad “Five More Minutes,” inspired by the death of his grandfather. McCreery scored his fifth consecutive Country Airplay No. 1 in 2022 with “Damn Strait,” a tribute to his hero George Strait, whose “Check Yes or No” he delivered a memorable performance of – by the country icon’s own request – during his winning Idol run. McCreery’s status as one of country radio’s most reliable hitmakers has lasted him through 2024, as he scored a No. 2 Country Airplay hit just this May with the heartbreaker “Cab in a Solo.” – A.U.

Chris Daughtry (season 5, 4th place)

Chris Daughtry performs on 'American Idol' in 2006

Greatest post- Idol achievement: His self-titled debut was the then- fastest-selling debut rock album in SoundScan history

With his band Daughtry, the season 5 standout found immediate and sustained success on the Hot 100 and Billboard rock charts, including a self-titled 2006 debut album that sold more than 6 million copies and spent two weeks atop the Billboard 200. The project’s lead single, “It’s Not Over,” peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 and topped both the Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay charts, while earning a Grammy nomination for best rock song and best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals (two of four nods earned for the album). Daughtry was the first of two No. 1 albums in a row for the grunge-inspired hard rock act, followed by a pair of top 10 debuts and now the 2023 single “Artificial,” which ran up to No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in February.– G.K.

Fantasia (season 3, winner)

Fantasia Barrino performs on 'American Idol' on May 25, 2004

Greatest post- Idol Achievement: Her Golden Globe-nominated starring role in The Color Purple

In 2004, Fantasia’s voice rallied the nation thanks to its idiosyncratic grit and incomparable emotion. Twenty years later, that voice drove the film adaptation of The Color Purple musical – which she also starred in on Broadway from 2007-08 – to the top of the domestic box office and into the awards conversation. Whether she’s cementing herself in the R&B history books with timeless cuts like “When I See U” and “Free Yourself” or earning Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for her portrayal of Celie in The Color Purple , Fantasia is simply captivating. Each time life throws her an obstacle, she seems to bounce back 10 times stronger. After all, who else could star in their own biopic, which was based on their own New York Times best-selling memoir that only covered the first third of her music career? After being named one of Time magazine’s most influential people of 2024 and with a new gospel album on the horizon to follow up yet another career peak, Fantasia is drawing up the post- Idol longevity blueprint right before our eyes. – K.D.

Adam Lambert (season 8, runner-up)

Adam Lambert performs live at American Idol March 10, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Touring as the lead vocalist of Queen

He may have finished second on Idol , but there’s no doubt that in the years since his debut on the show, Lambert has become nothing short of a capital-W winner. In the decade-and-a-half since he stunned the Idol audience with his glam-rock vocal stylings, Lambert has scored a top 10 hit on the Hot 100 with “Whataya Want From Me” and three top five debuts on the Billboard 200, with Trespassing ‘s No. 1 start making him the first openly gay man to top the chart. That’s not even to mention how the singer became the touring frontman of Queen + Adam Lambert, embarking on multiple globe-spanning treks with Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor. Whether in his solo career, his collaborations, or his advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, Lambert has made it abundantly clear that he’s a superstar from day one. – S.D.

Jennifer Hudson (season 3, 7th place)

Jennifer Hudson competes on stage during a taping of "American Idol" Season 3

Greatest post- Idol achievement: The only Idol alum to win the EGOT

Hudson established herself as a versatile powerhouse after rising to fame during season 3 and leaving in a shocking seventh-place finish . After signing with Arista/J Records and RCA two years after that Idol exit, Hudson released her Billboard 200 No. 2 eponymous debut album in 2008, leading to her first Grammy win, for best R&B album. J-Hud made her film debut as Effie White in the 2006 musical drama Dreamgirls and won an Oscar for best supporting actress. She expanded her acting résumé with roles in The Secret Life of Bees and the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect , with the late Queen of Soul personally selecting Hudson to portray her. Hudson released two more Billboard 200 top 10 albums, with I Remember Me (2011) and JHUD (2014), and she won her second Grammy in 2017 for best musical theater album with The Color Purple, two years after she made her Broadway debut in the musical. In 2022, she collected a Tony Award for producing the Broadway musical A Strange Loop — making her the only Idol alum to win the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony). – H.M.

Carrie Underwood (season 4, winner)

Carrie Underwood sings at the "American Idol" final performance show at the Kodak Theatre on May 21, 2005 in Los Angeles, California.

Greatest post- Idol achievement: Becoming the best-selling artist ever to come from Idol

You have to hand it to Simon Cowell. Way back when Underwood appeared on Idol in 2005, he confidently told the vocal powerhouse: “Not only will you win this show, you will sell more records than any other previous Idol winner.” Nearly 20 years later, one of the most vocally gifted singers Idol has produced remains its top record seller, with 85 million albums sold worldwide, according to her label Capitol Records Nashville. Her coronation single, “Inside Your Heaven,” debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and her popularity has never waned. Her 2007 Hot 100 top 10 “Before He Cheats” spent more than a year on the chart. But it’s on the country charts where she has truly left her mark: Eight of her nine studio albums have debuted at No. 1 on Top Country Albums and she’s taken 18 singles to the top of the country charts. She also leads all Idol alumni with the most Grammy wins at eight and is the only woman to win the ACM Award for entertainer of the year three times. – MELINDA NEWMAN

Kelly Clarkson (season 1, winner)

American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson sings after winning the contest at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Ca. on September 4, 2002.

Greatest post- Idol achievement: A tie for her three No. 1 Hot 100 hits & her 19-time Daytime Emmy-winning talk show

Two decades after becoming a star, the original Idol champ’s list of accomplishments continues to grow year after year, as Clarkson has hosted a TV talk show (which has earned 19 Daytime Emmys along the way, with eight new nominations pending) for five seasons, spent multiple seasons as a coach on The Voice , toured the world before scoring a Las Vegas residency, won three Grammys from 17 nominations, and released one of the most successful new holiday hits of the 21st century (“Underneath the Tree”). Yet when we think of Clarkson’s career since becoming an Idol star all those years ago, we can’t help but think of the hits first and foremost — the heartfelt joy of “A Moment Like This,” the fluttering hope of “Breakaway,” the unshakeable command of “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” and, of course, the pop perfection of “Since U Been Gone.” With three Hot 100 chart-toppers (more than any other Idol alum) and 11 top 10 hits, Clarkson has become one of the most reliable hitmakers of a pop generation — the crown jewel in a sparkling career that is still going strong today. – J.Lipshutz

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Inside the Legal Battle to Recut Trump Movie ‘The Apprentice’: Why Billionaire Investor Dan Snyder Is Furious With Ex-President’s Portrayal (EXCLUSIVE)

By Tatiana Siegel

Tatiana Siegel

Screening of Graphic Oct. 7 Hamas Attack Movie Canceled in Cannes Amid ‘Serious Security Risk’ 5 days ago
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On Monday night, all eyes in Cannes will be on the launch of “ The Apprentice ,” the high-profile drama that stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump . The filmmakers and stars haven’t done any press on the ground at Cannes ahead of the film’s world premiere, and few have seen it, with plot details shrouded in mystery.

But one person who has seen it is Dan Snyder, the billionaire former owner of the Washington Commanders who is an investor in “The Apprentice.” And he isn’t happy.

Popular on Variety

Snyder’s attorneys John Brownlee and Stuart Nash, partners at Florida-based firm Holland & Knight, did not respond to a request for comment. A representative for the filmmakers declined comment.

Snyder isn’t the only investor in “The Apprentice.” Justin Trudeau’s Canadian government also put in money, as did the Irish and Danish governments. Kinematics doesn’t own the copyright on the Ali Abbasi-directed film and cannot kill it. (Abbasi is represented by CAA, which was aware of the legal back and forth over the film. The agency and Abbasi declined comment.)

Heading into Cannes, there was intense interest from potential buyers for the film, which is seeking U.S. distribution ahead of the election in November. International sales outfit Rocket Science is shopping the title at the Marche alongside CAA and WME. Complicating matters, Snyder’s Kinematics has a voice in sales negotiations.

The filmmakers have intentionally eschewed any press, wanting the movie to speak for itself. After all, they’ve endured a long haul to the finish line. In fact, it took seven years for “The Apprentice” to make it to the big screen. One financier dropped out after the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol following his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. Another opted not to get involved after Ivana Trump’s death.

Despite its title, “The Apprentice” doesn’t chronicle Trump’s years as the star of the hit NBC reality show that catapulted him into the Oval Office. The logline provided to press calls the film “a story about the origins of a system … featuring larger-than-life characters and set in a world of power and ambition.” It adds, “The film delves into a profound exploration of the ascent of an American dynasty. It meticulously charts the genesis of a ‘zero-sum’ culture, one that accentuates the dichotomy between winners and losers, the dynamics between the mighty and the vulnerable, and the intricate psychology of persona.”

It is unclear if Snyder, who is a fixture at the festival where he socializes with other billionaires on his yacht, plans to attend tonight’s premiere alongside the Kinematics team, who will be on hand. He is no stranger to controversy. For years, he ignored calls to change the name of his NFL team, formerly called the Redskins, a term that was offensive to Native Americans. “We’ll never change the name. It’s that simple. NEVER—you can use caps,” he told USA Today in 2013. After initially refusing to meet with Native American advocates about a name change, he relented in 2020, and the team was eventually rebranded the Washington Commanders.

One thing is for certain, the post-premiere celebrations for “The Apprentice” will be decidedly awkward.

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The "Romeo and Juliet" Death Scene: Analysis, Summary, and Quotes
The "Romeo and Juliet" Death Scene: Analysis, Summary, and Quotes
Why did Romeo and Juliet Die? Free Essay Example
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (300 Words)
How Do Romeo And Juliet Die Free Essay Example
The 6 Deaths in Romeo and Juliet and What They Mean

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Where did Romeo take Juliet had they eloped? 😂yes to Switzerland.Maybe. #taylorswift #swiftie #yolo
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Part 1 Romeo and Juliet by William #Shakespeare (adapted by Andrew Matthews & Tony Ross) #readaloud
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Achieving an A* in a GCSE Shakespearean essay

COMMENTS

How did Romeo and Juliet die?
Juliet Capulet, one of the protagonists of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, dies a tragic death by suicide, stabbing herself with Romeo's dagger when she wakes up to find him dead. Juliet has ...
Why did Romeo and Juliet die?
Romeo and Juliet die because fate (or divine power) controls their lives. Their sacred love is destroyed by the hatred spewed by their families. In the end, through their deaths, the feud between ...
A Summary and Analysis of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Romeo goes to see a churchman, Friar Laurence, who agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet. After the wedding, the feud between the two families becomes violent again: Tybalt kills Mercutio in a fight, and Romeo kills Tybalt in retaliation. The Prince banishes Romeo from Verona for his crime. Juliet is told by her father that she will marry Paris, so ...
The "Romeo and Juliet" Death Scene: Analysis, Summary, and Quotes
Romeo drinks poison to kill himself because he believes that Juliet is truly dead. Romeo Kills Paris, Then Enters the Capulet Tomb. Count Paris, the gentleman Juliet's father intended to force her to marry, visits the Capulet tomb to grieve over Juliet's body. Paris has a strong love for Juliet, although he is completely unaware of her secret ...
Why Did Romeo and Juliet Die Essay
This lack of communication ultimately leads Romeo to take his life, followed shortly by Juliet. In conclusion, the deaths of Romeo and Juliet can be attributed to a combination of fate, poor decision-making, societal pressures, and a lack of communication. While fate may have set the stage for their tragic end, it was ultimately their own ...
The Role of Fate in 'Romeo and Juliet'
The idea of fate permeates through many of the events and speeches in the play. Romeo and Juliet see omens throughout, continually reminding the audience that the outcome will not be a happy one. Their deaths are also a catalyst for change in Verona, as the dueling families become united in their mutual grief and create a political shift in the ...
A Modern Perspective: Romeo and Juliet
Rather Romeo and Juliet's love is a social problem, unresolvable except by their deaths, because they dare to marry secretly in an age when legal, consummated marriage was irreversible. Secret marriage is the narrative device by which Shakespeare brings into conflict the new privilege claimed by individual desire and the traditional authority ...
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet, play by William Shakespeare, written about 1594-96 and first published in an unauthorized quarto in 1597.An authorized quarto appeared in 1599, substantially longer and more reliable. A third quarto, based on the second, was used by the editors of the First Folio of 1623. The characters of Romeo and Juliet have been depicted in literature, music, dance, and theatre.
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed.Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers.. Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of ...
The 6 Deaths in Romeo and Juliet and What They Mean
The Six Deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet, a couple fated by the stars to join in sweet matrimony, but whose romance was tragically cut short and, as we all know, who both died. The play is often taught to junior high students as an introduction to Shakespeare. There have been countless reproductions of the famous play, as well as ...
Why did Romeo and Juliet die? Who or what was to blame for their tragic
William Shakespeare wrote the play Romeo and Juliet in 1595 and is based on a classical love story. Romeo and Juliet were from two different, powerful families who had a grudge against each other. Romeo is from the Montague family and Juliet is from the Capulet family. All through out the play the death of Romeo and Juliet is looming.
Why did Romeo and Juliet Have to Die?
Thus, technically they do not have to die to serve the plot, but choose to die, because they are young, foolish, and in love. Another reason for the death of Romeo and Juliet is based on the expectations of Elizabethan drama. In general, such drama was split into two categories: comedy and tragedy. Comedy ends in marriage and tragedy in death.
Why Did Romeo And Juliet Die Essay
The feud caused the families to lose their children and other family members that got caught in the middle of all the fighting. The death of Romeo and Juliet was caused but the Family feud because the two of them feel in love with each other before they found out their parents hated each other. "His name is Romeo, and a Montague, / The only ...
Romeo and Juliet (The Illustrated Shakespeare, 1847)/Act 1
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets; And made Verona's ancient citizens. Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments, To wield old partisans, in hands as old, Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate.
Please help with my Romeo and Juliet essay.... Reference for
The Juliet of the early scenes who was so hopeful and passionate for life is gone, replaced by a shell of a girl who only wants to die. The tomb reflects the hollowing effects of her trauma and loss. Juliet's end shows how completely her sense of self has been merged with Romeo.
KS2 / KS3 English Literature: A retelling of Romeo and Juliet by ...
Video summary. An animated version of William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' in a retelling of the classic play set to modern music. Two powerful families in Verona, the Montagues and the ...
Tom Holland wows crowds more than critics in Romeo and Juliet
Tom Holland's Romeo wows crowds more than critics. The "unprecedented" excitement among fans outside the London theatre where Spider-Man star Tom Holland is appearing in Romeo and Juliet hasn't ...
Tom Holland is supported by his girlfriend Zendaya at Romeo & Juliet
Yes, this new production of Romeo & Juliet is a typical example of Lloyd celebrity minimalism ... Super Size Me star died at age 53 after battle with cancer and had been undergoing chemotherapy
FIRST LOOK: Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor in Broadway's Romeo + Juliet
A new trailer for Broadway's Romeo + Juliet shows actors Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor as the iconic star-crossed lovers for the first time.. It was revealed last month that Zegler, 22, and Connor ...
Did critics bite their thumbs at Romeo and Juliet with ...
But eyes rivet, inevitably, to Holland - beefy of bicep, but pale, achingly tender, at times teary and then cheery, all hormonal vulnerability. "We're as far from Franco Zeffirelli's lush Romeo and Juliet or Baz Luhrmann's madcap Romeo + Juliet as possible. But although the urban aesthetic is monochrome, even dour - the lighting ...
OK Computer
OK Computer is the third studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 21 May 1997.With their producer, Nigel Godrich, Radiohead recorded most of OK Computer in their rehearsal space in Oxfordshire and the historic mansion of St Catherine's Court in Bath in 1996 and early 1997. They distanced themselves from the guitar-centred, lyrically introspective style of their previous ...
Beaming Tom Holland arrives at theatre for Romeo and Juliet
Tom Holland was in high spirits arrived at the Duke Of York's Theatre ahead of his latest Romeo and Juliet performance on Saturday.. The Marvel alum, 27, flashed a happy smile to the huge waiting ...
Addressing Immigration
May 23, 2024. President Biden and his aides describe this year's election as crucial — existential, even — because of Donald Trump's hostility to democracy. Many outside experts agree. Yet ...
Why do Romeo and Juliet commit suicide?
Juliet kills herself because the play is a tragedy . These two teenagers are very melodramatic. We are told in the beginning of the play, in the first prologue, that Romeo and Juliet are going to ...
Why Tracy Spiridakos Is Leaving 'Chicago P.D. After Season 11 ...
Ahead of the May 22 finale, the " Chicago P.D. " actor is opening up for the first time about her decision to leave the procedural at the end of Season 11. In an exclusive interview with ...
Hundreds of Readers Told Us Their Favorite ...
Grace Bosley of New York on " William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet " (1996): This soundtrack holds a special place in many still-brooding, angsty and lovelorn Xennial hearts. Mary Beth Reece ...
Sophia Bush SHUTS DOWN engagement rumors with Ashlyn Harris
Sophia Bush has firmly shut down the rumors that she is engaged to her girlfriend, former soccer player Ashlyn Harris.. The 41-year-old actress had posted a romantic snap with Ashlyn from Paris in ...
Best 'American Idol' Contestants Ever
Since her time on Idol, the singer - who died in April at age 47 - placed all six of her studio albums on the Billboard 200, starting with 2007's True Beauty. A cherished member of the ...
Donald Trump Movie 'The Apprentice' Angers Billionaire Investor
But one person who has seen it is Dan Snyder, the billionaire former owner of the Washington Commanders who is an investor in "The Apprentice.". And he isn't happy. Behind the scenes, a ...

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