Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare – Free Reading and Listening Edition

Name: Romeo and Juliet
Author: William Shakespeare

By William Shakespeare · 1597

Two young lovers from rival Verona families defy inherited hatred in Shakespeare’s swift and enduring tragedy.

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Two young lovers from rival families in Verona find themselves caught between loyalty to their households and devotion to each other in Shakespeare's enduring tragedy. Written in 1597, Romeo and Juliet opens with a famous prologue that sets the scene: "Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene." This free edition in the Vocalini Open Library lets you read and listen at your own pace, with no account or checkout required. Whether you are coming to the play for the first time or returning to it, the text is available in full, supported by tools designed to make reading more comfortable and engaging.

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Source: Project Gutenberg illustrated HTML edition. Not restricted by U.S. copyright law; readers outside the United States should check their local laws.

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This edition includes several features intended to support a wider range of readers. Text-to-speech reads the visible text aloud while sentence and word highlighting stays synchronized with playback, which can help readers who benefit from following along visually. You can also select any passage to use built-in AI tools that offer key points, simplified wording, passage explanations, or answers to specific questions. These features may be particularly useful for readers with dyslexia, ADHD, visual-tracking needs, learning disabilities, or anyone reading Shakespeare in an additional language. No special setup is required to use them.

From the opening pages