The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet

poetry by Broke

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July 14, 2026

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Arthur Brooke's The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet (1562) is a narrative poem written in rhymed verse. It served as the primary source for William Shakespeare's famous play, Romeo and Juliet. Brooke based his poem on a French translation of a story by Matteo Bandello.

Brooke made significant alterations to the original story, including developing the character of the nurse and changing aspects of the final scene. He also introduced Fortune as a force controlling the lovers' lives. Shakespeare incorporated these changes into his play, indicating that Brooke's poem was his direct source. Brooke's work also contained a preface expressing his Protestant views on the Catholic church. Brooke died in a shipwreck in 1563.123

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Arthur Brooke
…English poet and author of The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet (1562), the poem on which Shakespeare based Romeo and Juliet. It is written in rhymed verse and was taken from the French translation of one of the stories in Matteo Bandello’s Novelle (1554–73; French trans., 1564–82). Brooke altered…
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…English poet and author of The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet (1562), the poem on which Shakespeare based Romeo and Juliet. It is written in rhymed verse and was taken from the French translation of one of the stories in Matteo Bandello’s Novelle (1554–73; French trans., 1564–82). Brooke altered…
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Romeo and Juliet
…source for the plot was The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet (1562), a long narrative poem by the English poet Arthur Brooke, who had based his poem on a French translation of a tale by the Italian Matteo Bandello.
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…source for the plot was The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet (1562), a long narrative poem by the English poet Arthur Brooke, who had based his poem on a French translation of a tale by the Italian Matteo Bandello.
Read More