Which tragedy is about the star-crossed lovers from Verona?

The tragedy about the star-crossed lovers from Verona is Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeare’s play follows Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, two young people whose families are locked in a violent feud.

Verona, in northern Italy, is the main setting, while some scenes occur in nearby Mantua after Romeo is banished. Their secret marriage, the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt, and a failed message contribute to the lovers’ tragic end.

The phrase “star-crossed lovers” comes from the play’s opening Prologue, which presents Romeo and Juliet as lovers whose fate is opposed by the stars. The story was not invented entirely by Shakespeare: it developed from Italian tales, including Matteo Bandello’s version and Arthur Brooke’s 1562 narrative poem.

A common mix-up is confusing the play’s setting with its author’s birthplace or performance history. The story is set in Italy, but Shakespeare wrote it in English, probably in the mid-1590s.