Romeo and Juliet

Reviewed by Jeanette Tran, Associate Professor, Drake University on 12/31/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This is a comprehensive edition of Romeo and Juliet, which distinguishes itself from other open access online editions by including editorial notes. This edition also includes resources for teachers, like bibliography, and detailed lesson plans for each act of the play.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The text of Romeo and Juliet is accurate. My experience reading this text was no different than reading editions published by other major publishers of Shakespeare editions.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

I think concerns about misogyny, racism, ableism and classism are here to stay, and that the resources this edition offers students and teachers who are interested in these topics will remain relevant. Like all bibliography, it will become dated over time but could be updated as new scholarship emerges. The "sensitivity notes," which flag areas in the text that can be triggering or traumatizing for certain readers, is certainly a modern touch that does not distract from the experience of engaging with Shakespeare in any way, but that may be appreciated by sensitive readers.

Clarity rating: 5

The ease with which readers can access the editorial glosses (hover/click over the word and the gloss appears) is extremely impressive and convenient. By making it easy for readers to access editorial glosses, the experience of reading Shakespeare’s language is vastly improved for those who find his word choice and phrasing to be akin to reading a foreign language.

Consistency rating: 5

This text is consistent. There is nothing unusual about how the text is presented, and I find no errors.

Modularity rating: 5

The text of Romeo and Juliet is navigable by act and scene, which is to be expected. This edition also includes line numbers, which not all online editions do. It would be easy to direct students to act 2, scene 2, line 15, and the entire class should be able to find the moment in the text quickly.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The edition is structured traditionally. There is prefatory introductory material, the play itself, and then the supplemental materials and bibliography. The text is well organized.

Interface rating: 5

The side-bar menu allows the reader to see the content of the text and to navigate the text with ease. This would be a great text to read on a computer, tablet or phone. This is a very user-friendly text.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I found no grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This edition breathes new life into a play that can come across as tired and cliché, due to how frequently and superficially Romeo and Juliet are referred to in pop culture. This is not just a play about naïve teenagers or star-crossed lovers, but one that engages with sexism, classism, domestic violence, and the complex ways in which cultures shape identity and personal outcomes.

Comments

I never teach Romeo and Juliet in my college-level Shakespeare classes because students, based on their previous experience with the play, tend to hate it, or feel like they already know it too well. This edition makes me excited to teach the play, however. I love that it was edited by university students and that it reflects the pressing modern-day issues that many students engage passionately with in other classes, such as Women’s and Gender studies.

Reviewed by Maya Mathur, Professor of English, University of Mary Washington on 7/11/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This is a comprehensive edition of Romeo and Juliet. The text includes a detailed introduction to William Shakespeare, the historical period during which he was writing, and the nature of publication in the period. The editors have drawn judiciously from different source texts to create their edition of the play. All five acts are accompanied by relevant annotations and footnotes. The text is accompanied by a valuable set of educational resources and lesson plans that will help teachers enhance students’ engagement with the play.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is accurate and free from errors. The editors have produced a text that will make Shakespeare’s language and ideas accessible for a diverse group of readers.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content in this edition is relevant and up-to-date. The essays on racism and ableism in the section on educational resources, in particular, address gaps in current scholarship on the play. This edition of Romeo and Juliet and will be valuable for teachers who are looking for accessible essays on race, class, gender that they may teach in tandem with the play. The sensitivity footnotes are another relevant addition that is lacking in other editions of the text.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is written in accessible prose. The editors made judicious changes to help clarify the text for readers. These changes include modernizing archaic language, replacing words; and modernizing spelling and punctuation. The edition annotates words that clarifies words that are no longer in use and provides footnotes that contextualize more complex words and phrases in the text.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is written and formatted with consistency.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is divided into smaller sections that make it easier to read. These sections include a comprehensive introduction, individual acts of the play, educational resources, supplemental lesson plans, and a glossary. Each section can be accessed individually. These sections may be used individually or collectively in a variety of literature courses.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

This is a superbly organized edition of the play. It begins with a clear introduction, divides the play into individual acts and scenes, and ensures that scenes can be referenced on the basis of line numbers. Several approaches to the play are described and resources are carefully annotated for readers.

Interface rating: 5

The text is easy to navigate. I can see students being able to access the text on their phones, tablets, and other devices. The links to outside sources generally work and are informative.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text is free of grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is inclusive. It contains sections on racism, sexism, classism, and ableism in Romeo and Juliet. The edition also includes a series of “sensitivity notes” that create awareness of words and phrases that address racist, ableist, and sexist ideas.

Comments

This is a superb edition of Romeo and Juliet. It succeeds in making Shakespeare's language, themes, and content accessible for students and I can see it being taught in a variety of literature courses. The sections on educational resources and lesson plans will be useful for teachers who are interested in new methodologies and approaches for teaching the text. I look forward to assigning this text to my students!