The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet

The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet was a poem written by Arthur Brook.

According to a publication which published much of the Shakespeare Notebooks, it was "generally agreed" that William Shakespeare took the poem as his main inspiration for the play Romeo and Juliet. As it was reproduced in Quarto and Folio, the play closely followed the narrative of the poem, using the same character names and the same ending, with the death of Romeo (when he discovers Juliet in a state of apparent death after taking a sleeping draught) and the death of Juliet (after she awakes and discovers Romeo has died). (PROSE: The True and Most Excellent Comedie of Romeo and Juliet)