When discussing the great writers of the world, one name that invariably appears is William Shakespeare. Shakespeare will always be known as arguably the greatest playwright to have ever lived, his writings always studied by classrooms of children around the world. Of all Shakespeare's plays and writings, perhaps his best-known work is the tragic love story Romeo and Juliet. Very few pieces of English literature have been reproduced, parodied and modernized like Romeo and Juliet. Despite the fact that many people have never actually read the play or seen it performed, most could give a fairly accurate plot summary, and almost every adult could tell you where the phrase 'A rose by any other name' comes from. Not only is Romeo and Juliet a moving and poignant love story, it is also a perfect example of Shakespeare's incredible skill with words and poetic form. In the play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses sonnets to provide key insights into the character's state of mind.

The most famous sonnet in Romeo and Juliet occurs in act 1 scene 4 when the young lovers meet for the first time. Shakespeare very subtly melds the dialog of Romeo and Juliet into a perfect sonnet.

This is my daughter's jointure, for no more

The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo. (5.3.296-310)

Take thou some new infection to thy eye,

When studying the sonnets and sonnet fragments of Romeo and Juliet, a clear pattern can be seen that allows us further insight into the characters than the dialogue alone. This one example, hardly unique, serves to demonstrate the timeless quality of Shakespeare's work. The man was a genius, who regularly worked into his plays details that are only uncovered be hours of patient study. Not only has he provided English critics with enough material to analyze for centuries, he has also managed to consistently entertain audiences, despite our ever-changing technology and paradigms. For all these reasons and more, Shakespeare will always be known as one of the greatest geniuses of the world.

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Approximate Word count = 1647
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)