The greatest love story in the English language, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, is a play about unhappy lovers who bravely fight against social conventions, with tragic consequences. This Penguin Shakespeare edition includes notes by T.J.B. Spencer and an introduction by Adrian Poole. "What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The city of Verona, torn apart by the violent feud between the Montague and Capulet families, is a powder keg waiting to explode; the Prince of Verona, who is trying to restore order, has declared that any breach of the peace will be punished by death. Yet for young Montague Romeo and his beloved, Capulet Juliet, their families' enmity is irrelevant. In secret meetings, the two lovers gradually find themselves in a catastrophe as their respective families move closer to open war. A play that has also inspired films.