It was in 1984 when Dr. Seuss won the Pulitzer Prize. The award was given to him in recognition of his lifetime contribution to literature. Long before he was bestowed the honor, he was already well known and loved by children.

Birth and Early Life

The man was born Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springsfield, Massachusetts on March 2, 1904. His educational and formative years were spent there. It was during his collegiate days at Darmouth he became involved in writing. In 1921 he became the editor in chief of the Jack o’ Lantern, the school paper.

One day he was caught drinking and ordered to stop all his writing activities. Geisel did not, but used the pseudonym “Dr. Seuss” instead. Prior to the time when Dr. Seuss won the Pulitzer Prize, he had already shown talent in writing stories. Among his early works was Birdsies and Beasties.

Early Career

After his marriage in 1927, he began writing and submitting humorous tales and drawings to various magazines. His stories would gain widespread notice. He first gained nationwide attention with his work for Flit. Even during the 1930s he was able to find work as an illustrator and cartoonist for various companies like General Electric. It was also during this period that he began writing books.

1940s and Beyond

During World War II, Geisel started working for the newspaper PM. His cartoon illustrations were against Hitler and the fascists. When Dr. Seuss won the Pulitzer Prize, it was also for the stand he took against the dictators.

The period following the war saw Geisel produce some of his finest works. These included “Scrambled Eggs Super”, “On Beyond Zebra” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” in 1957. It was also in 1954 that he wrote “Cat in the Hat”, one of his most popular books. Although he wrote mostly children’s books, he also published some works intended for adults. These included the “7 Lady Godivas and “You’re Only Old Once”.

Death and Awards

He passed away on the 24th of September in 1991 while in California (San Diego). When Dr. Seuss won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984, it was only one of several awards that he would receive. After his death several more posthumous honors came his way. Among them was the renaming of the UCSD Library to the Geisel Library. A sculpture garden was also inaugurated in Springfield in 2002. He has also been included in the Hall of Fame for the Arts in California.

Style

Geisel produced most of his works in the anapestic tetrameter. It was a popular writing style at the time. But the difference with Geisel was that he also wrote in an engaging manner that children and adults found attractive. Although he had many imitators, no one was able to match his style.

When Dr. Seuss won the Pulitzer Prize it was in recognition of how much his work had encouraged children to read. Although he did not win the Cadelcott medal, the Pulitzer was and is considered as one of the highest honors that can be given to a writer or journalist.

The date when Romeo and Juliet was written is placed between 1591 and 1595. The earliest known published text dates from 1597. As with Shakespeare’s other plays, there are theories as to its source.

Determining the Correct Date

There are several reasons why 1591-95 is thought by scholars to have been the period when Shakespeare wrote it. One source is the play itself. In Act 1 / Scene III / 23, the nurse spoke of an earthquake. This quake supposedly took place 11 years earlier. According to records there was an earthquake in England in 1580.

Another reason is the style. Critical and textual studies show that the style is very similar to his other plays dating from the 1590s. This is also used as evidence for 1591-1595 as the date when Romeo and Juliet was written.

Publication of Q1

As stated the earliest manuscript of the play dates from 1597. This copy is known as Q1 or Quarto. While the basic play is the same, textual differences are glaring. This has led to the Q1 being labeled a bad or pirated copy. It’s been suggested that Shakespeare’s company had nothing to do with it and it was published without their permission. But what it does prove is that the play was made no later than 1596.

Publication of Q2

This edition came out in 1599. It is more than a hundred lines lengthier than the one published in 1597. Its publication is credited to Cuthbert Burby. Its clarity led it to being republished several times. These dates included 1609, 1622 and 1637. When considering when Romeo and Juliet was written, the Q2 edition is often cited as the first legitimate one.

Publication of the Folios and Modern Versions

The Folio editions of the play were first published in 1623. Its contents were derived from the Q2 and its subsequent editions. These Folios were then published several times. By the 1700s beginning with Nicholas Rowe, annotated versions began appearing. These versions would form the basis for the modern books.

Sources

Scholars have discovered several works where Shakespeare derived the basic plot. The earliest possible source is Masucio Salernitano’s II Novelino. Dating from 1476, it contains the basic elements of the play. This includes the young lovers, the rival suitor, the friendly friar and sleeping potion. There are no suicides however.

When studying the times when Romeo and Juliet was written, the name of Arthur Brooke will also come up. He was the one who published an old tale called The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet. Based on studies it appears Shakespeare took most of his material here. Shakespeare also relied on William Painter’s Palace of Pleasure.

Adaptation

The play became a hit during Shakespeare’s day and was performed regularly on stage. As popular with young lovers then, it remains so now. Aside from theater, the play has also been adapted in movies and television.

There may come a time documents will surface that will show exactly when Romeo and Juliet was written. Until that time comes, most scholars are still of the opinion that Shakespeare probably wrote a draft in 1591 and came out with the final version in 1595.