Romeo and Juliet

William ShakespeareProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.6

Word count: 143K words
Chapters: 15

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Romeo i Julia by William ShakespeareAuthor: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616,Language: Polish, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Oct 27, 2008

Editor's review

This is the Polish translation of Shakespeare's classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet, published by Project Gutenberg. The translation presents the play's dialogue and verse passages in Polish, preserving the tension of the dramatic conflict and the layers of the characters' emotions. Through this version, readers can encounter how Shakespeare's plays have been received in Polish and compare how different languages handle verse lines and puns. The play's structure is clear and the scenes are well defined, making it suitable for reading act by act and for reading aloud, so as to appreciate the shifts between colloquial speech and verse. For readers learning Polish or studying translated literature, it offers a practical text for observing how a classic is retold across languages. It is best to first understand the plot outline, then read key scenes closely, paying attention to the translator's choices in rhyme, rhythm, and tone, and thus feel how the tragedy's emotions carry over into another language.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Intermediate to advanced Polish learners who want to expand vocabulary and language sense through dramatic texts
Readers interested in Shakespeare's plays and translated literature
Literature lovers who enjoy reading plays aloud and taking part in role-reading
Beginning readers studying cross-language adaptation of classics

Not a good fit for

Polish beginners, for whom verse dialogue and archaic expressions may be difficult to understand
Readers expecting a Chinese parallel text or a heavily annotated edition
Readers who only want a quick grasp of the plot and do not wish to read the dialogue closely

Reading tips

Read the plot summary first, then go through the play act by act, avoiding getting lost in dense dialogue
Choose key scenes such as the balcony meeting and read them aloud to feel the rhythm of the verse
Read alongside the English original or a Chinese translation to observe differences in the translator's handling
Note recurring images and keywords, and organize the thematic threads after finishing

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this edition in Polish or English?

This edition is a Polish translation. The language field is marked as Polish, and the text presents the play's dialogue in Polish; it does not include the English original.

Can I read it without knowing Polish?

It is not suitable for readers with no knowledge of Polish. The play consists mainly of dialogue and verse and requires some Polish reading ability; if you only want to know the story, you can first read a Chinese or English version.

Is this the complete play or an adapted story?

This is a Polish translation of the play Romeo and Juliet, retaining the dramatic scenes and dialogue structure; it is not a prose adaptation or a simplified story.

Is it suitable for theater rehearsal?

It can be used as a text for Polish reading aloud or role-playing practice, but for formal performance you need to verify the translation's copyright and edition information and consider the cuts and changes required for staging.

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About the author

William Shakespeare Author · English · 1564–1616

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was the greatest playwright, poet and actor of the English Renaissance. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, he is known as the "Bard of Avon." He wrote roughly thirty-seven to thirty-nine plays, one hundred and fifty-four sonnets and narrative poems. His representative works include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. His works span tragedy, comedy and history play, distinguished by rich, poetic language and profound characterization. His explorations of human nature, power, love and fate have had a lasting influence, and his works have been translated into many languages and circulated widely around the world.