<P> 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 . </P> <P> In 2014, Simon & Schuster published Juliet's Nurse, a novel by historian and former college professor Lois M. Leveen imagining the fourteen years leading up to the events in the play from the point of view of the nurse . The nurse has the third largest number of lines in the original play; only the eponymous characters have more lines . </P> <P> The play was the subject of a 2017 GCSE question by the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations board that was administered to c. 14000 students . The board attracted widespread media criticism and derision after the question appeared to confuse the Capulets and the Montagues, with exams regulator Ofqual describing the error as unacceptable . </P> <P> Romeo and Juliet may be the most - filmed play of all time . The most notable theatrical releases were George Cukor's multi-Oscar - nominated 1936 production, Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 version, and Baz Luhrmann's 1996 MTV - inspired Romeo + Juliet . The latter two were both, in their time, the highest - grossing Shakespeare film ever . Romeo and Juliet was first filmed in the silent era, by Georges Méliès, although his film is now lost . The play was first heard on film in The Hollywood Revue of 1929, in which John Gilbert recited the balcony scene opposite Norma Shearer . </P>

What is the history of romeo and juliet