Juliet].1
______
The fable of this admired tragedy, however romantic it may appear, is founded on
real events, which took place in Verona, at the beginning of the fourteenth
century.2
Mr. Malone says, that "Breval, in his travels, on a strict
inquiry into the histories of Verona, found, that Shakspeare had varied very
little from the truth, either in the names, characters, or other circumstances
of this play."3
Such an extraordinary and affecting story as that of Romeo and Juliet soon became
the subject of poems, novels, and other literary works, all over Italy, and from
thence found its way into other countries.
A poem, from this little Italian history, by Mr. Arthur Brooke, is supposed to
have been the production from whence Shakspeare formed the present
drama.
The following title, according to the fashion of those distant days, was affixed
to that poem:—
"The tragical History of Romeus and Juliet, containing a rare Example
of true Constancie: with the subtill Counsels and Practices of an old Fryer,
and their ill Event."4
b 2[Page 4]
Shakspeare has produced, from
this "Tragical History," one of his most admirable plays: Yet, had the
subject fallen to Otway's pen,
though he would have treated it less excellently, he would have rendered it more
affecting.
"Romeo and Juliet" is called a pathetic tragedy, but it
is not so in reality. It charms the understanding, and delights the imagination,
without melting, though it touches, the heart.
The reason that an auditor or reader cannot feel a powerful sympathy in the
sorrows of these fervent lovers is, because they have witnessed the growth of
their passion from its birth to its maturity, and do not honour it with that
warmth of sentiment as if they had conceived it to have been of a longer
duration; fixed by time, and rendered more tender by familiarity.
The ardour of the youthful pair, like the fervency of children, gives high
amusement, without much anxiety that their wishes should be
accomplished—they have been so suddenly enamoured of each other, that it
seems matter of doubt whether they would not as quickly have fallen in love a
second time, or as soon have become languid through satiety, if all obstacles
to
their bliss had been removed. Shakspeare has shown himself versed in the passion of love beyond
other dramatists, by giving it this wild, vehement, yet childish tendency.
The illustrious author of this drama well knew, that the passion of love, in the
young, is seldom constant, as the poets describe it, but fickle as violent. In
his just [Page 5]knowledge of the human heart, then, he has given, in the
original play, a less stable character to this soft passion than is even here
described; for, in the original, Romeo commences the tragedy with sighing for
Rosaline, and ends it by dying for Juliet. Such was Shakspeare's respect for
the consistency of a lover.
The play is certainly made much more interesting by the alteration, which omits
all mention of the beloved, and then forsaken, Rosaline;5 yet
surely, by the exclusion of that circumstance, an incident but too natural, is
lost.
As Shakspeare found those
hasty, inconsiderate, lovers, unable in themselves to protect his drama, he
provided ample means of support in the additional characters. In these he has
combined the most varied excellence;—the mirthful elegance of Mercutio,
the comic humour of the Nurse, the sage reasoning of the Friar, together with
a
whole group of no less natural, though less prominent, persons.
The events which he caused to arise from his plot, the numerous and important
occurrences that are perpetually diversifying the scene, and aiding the effect
of the characters and fable, united with them, have drawn from his great
commentator the declaration, that "this play is one of the most pleasing
of our author's performances."6
But, with all the genuine merit of this play, it seldom attracts an elegant
audience. The company, that frequent the side-boxes, will not come to a tragedy,
unless to weep in torrents—and "Romeo and
b 3[Page 6]Juliet" will not draw even a copious shower of tears.
Garrick altered the play to its
present state, and himself performed Romeo, but with no impressive talents. Mrs. Cibber's Juliet was held
superior. Love, in Garrick's
description, never seemed more than a fabulous sensation.
It is said, in the "Roscius Anglicanus,"7 that James Howard, Esq. made alterations
in this drama previous to Garrick's; and that, being of a compassionate disposition, he
preserved the lives of both Romeo and Juliet, and ended the play happily. It
is
also added, that when Sir William
Davenant was manager of the theatre, he had the original and the
altered play alternately performed for several nights together; thus consulting
the different tastes of the auditors for joy or for sorrow.
The Italian author, who first related the sad story on which this drama has been
founded, gives the following account of the punishment inflicted on those
persons, who acted as accomplices in the unfortunate death of these lovers.
Juliet's female attendant (Shakspear's Nurse)
was banished for concealing the marriage.
The apothecary, for selling the poison, was tortured, condemned, and
hanged.
Friar Lawrence was permitted to retire to a hermitage, near Verona, where he
ended his days in penitence; while Romeo's servant was set at liberty,
because he had only acted in obedience to his master's orders.8