the annotated shakespeare Romeo and Juliet (cid:1) William Shakespeare Fully annotated,with an Introduction,by Burton Raffel With an essay by Harold Bloom the annotated shakespeare Burton Raffel,General Editor Yale University Press • New Haven and London Copyright © 2004by Burton Raffel. All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced,in whole or in part,including illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107and108 of the U.S.Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers. “Romeo & Juliet,”from Shakespeare:Invention of the Human,by Harold Bloom, copyright © by Harold Bloom.Used by permission of Riverhead Books,an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Designed by Rebecca Gibb Set in Bembo type by The Composing Room of Michigan,Inc. Printed in the United States of America by R.R.Donnelley & Sons. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Shakespeare,William,1564‒1616. Romeo and Juliet /William Shakespeare ;fully annotated,with an introduction by Burton Raffel ; with an essay by Harold Bloom. p. cm.— (The annotated Shakespeare) Includes bibliographical references. isbn0-300-10453-7(paperbound) 1. Romeo (Fictitious character)—Drama. 2. Juliet (Fictitious character)— Drama. 3. Verona (Italy)—Drama. 4. Vendetta—Drama. 5. Youth— Drama. I. Raffel,Burton. II. Bloom,Harold. III. Title. pr2878.r6r34 2004 822.3(cid:1)3—dc22 2004002597 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. 10987654321 For my own Juliet:Elizabeth contents (cid:1) AboutThis Book ix Introduction xv Romeo and Juliet 1 An Essay by Harold Bloom 195 Further Reading 215 Finding List 221 about this book (cid:1) W ritten four centuries ago,in a fairly early form of Modern English, Romeo and Juliet is a gorgeously passionate, witty, and complex text. Many of the play’s social and historical underpinnings necessarily need,for the modern reader,the kinds of explanation offered in the Introduc- tion.But what needs even more,and far more detailed,explana- tion are the play’s very words.Toward the end of act 1,scene 1, Romeo and his loyal friend,Benvolio (the name means,in Italian, “well loved,”just as Romeo’s name,in Italian,means “pilgrim”), spar wittily about the nature of love: Benvolio Alas that love,so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof. Romeo Alas that love,whose view is muffled still, Should without eyes see pathways to his will. (lines78–81) For comprehension of these lines—completely typical of the play’s language—the modern reader needs help. In Benvolio’s two lines, ix