who created the character of romeo?
William Shakespeare
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 Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to antiquity . The plot is based on an Italian tale translated into verse as The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur Brooke in 1562 , and retold in prose in Palace of Pleasure by William Painter in 1567 . Shakespeare borrowed heavily from both , but expanded the plot by developing a number of supporting characters , particularly Mercutio and Paris . Believed to have been written between 1591 and 1595 , the play was first published in a quarto version in 1597 . The text of the first quarto version was of poor quality , however , and later editions corrected the text to conform more closely with Shakespeare 's original . 

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 Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young star @-@ crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families . It was among Shakespeare 's most popular plays during his lifetime and , along with Hamlet , is one of his most frequently performed plays . Today , the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers . 

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 Romeo and Juliet was parodied in Shakespeare 's own lifetime : Henry Porter 's Two Angry Women of Abingdon ( 1598 ) and Thomas Dekker 's Blurt , Master Constable ( 1607 ) both contain balcony scenes in which a virginal heroine engages in bawdy wordplay . The play directly influenced later literary works . For example , the preparations for a performance form a major plot arc in Charles Dickens ' Nicholas Nickleby . 

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 Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare 's most @-@ illustrated works . The first known illustration was a woodcut of the tomb scene , thought to be by Elisha Kirkall , which appeared in Nicholas Rowe 's 1709 edition of Shakespeare 's plays . Five paintings of the play were commissioned for the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery in the late 18th century , one representing each of the five acts of the play . The 19th century fashion for " pictorial " performances led to directors drawing on paintings for their inspiration , which in turn influenced painters to depict actors and scenes from the theatre . In the 20th century , the play 's most iconic visual images have derived from its popular film versions . 

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 Romeo and Juliet had a profound influence on subsequent literature . Before then , romance had not even been viewed as a worthy topic for tragedy . In Harold Bloom 's words , Shakespeare " invented the formula that the sexual becomes the erotic when crossed by the shadow of death " . Of Shakespeare 's works , Romeo and Juliet has generated the most — and the most varied — adaptations , including prose and verse narratives , drama , opera , orchestral and choral music , ballet , film , television and painting . The word " Romeo " has even become synonymous with " male lover " in English . 
