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Secondary sourceBookWritten 1591–1595, first performed 1597

Romeo and Juliet, Act 1 Audio Reading

William Shakespeare · Written 1591–1595, first performed 1597

A modern volunteer audio reading of Act 1 of Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, written in the 1590s.

This is a modern reading of Shakespeare's own play text, useful for studying his work though not his voice.

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A modern volunteer reading of Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, published by LibriVox; not a period recording.

About this source

What it is

This is a recording of someone reading aloud Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet, a play written by William Shakespeare in the 1590s and first performed in 1597. The reading was made by a volunteer narrator and published through a public audiobook project, not recorded during Shakespeare's lifetime.

Why it matters

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies. Hearing the play read aloud helps show how it was meant to be performed and heard, rather than only read silently. However, this particular recording is a modern reading, not Shakespeare's own voice or an original performance.

Look closer

  • How might hearing the play aloud change your understanding of it compared to reading it silently?
  • Why is it important to know this is a modern reading and not a recording from Shakespeare's own time?
  • What choices might the reader make about tone and pacing, and how could that affect meaning?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of William Shakespeare on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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