"Romeo and Juliet" derives its story from a number of sources accessible throughout the sixteenth century. Shakespeare's main source for this infamous play is Arthur Brooke's 'Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet', a long, dense poem. This poem in turn was adapted from a French prose account written by Pierre Boiastuau, who had used an Italian version by Bandello proposed in 1554. Bandello's poem was further imitated from Luigi da Porto's version in 1525 of a story by Masuccio Salernitano. Though 'Romeo and Juliet' is displayed as a romantic love story, this play is classified as a tragedy. 'Romeo and Juliet' can be considered as a tragedy because the protagonists of the play - the two star-crossed lovers - are faced with a triggering obstacle between their households that concludes in a fatal conclusion and the triumph of man's spirit and will over life's cruelty. .
As William Shakespeare was involved in the Elizabethan era, women were raised to believe that they were inferior to men, therefore it was forbidden for women to be allowed to act on stage as it was believed to be immoral. Elizabethan audiences liked watching this play because they enjoyed the elaborate sword-play, and a stage directions such as 'they fight' inform little of what might have been very continual and complex stage action. The comedy of Act 1 Scene 1 makes us fail to remember about the seriousness of the fight; and therefore holds the awareness of the audience before the actual action begins. Also, the Elizabethans were very religious and this play included lots of religious references to capture the interest of the viewers. .
In Act 1 Scene Five, the language of Romeo abruptly changes as he first meets Juliet during lines 91-105. These fourteen lines in question fit together to form a perfect Shakespearean sonnet. The sonnet is most often associated with love therefore is used to present the emotion of their first meeting.
