heartbreak: sadness due to a broken or lost relationship
tomb: an underground vault where a person’s remains are buried
star-crossed: destined to fail; having bad luck
stationery: notepaper and envelopes
volunteer: a person who does work without receiving payment
Juliet Receives Heartbroken Letters
Comprehension Questions
Who is Juliet?
Why do people write to Juliet?
What is the Juliet Club?
Discussion Questions: In their letters, the heartbroken often tell Juliet that she is the only one who understands how they must feel. Do you think writing to Juliet can help cure a broken heart? Why or why not?
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Juliet Receives Heartbroken Letters Juliet, the heroine of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, receives thousands of letters of heartbreak each year. The tradition began hundreds of years ago. In the beginning, heartbroken people placed letters to Juliet by a landmark that was said to be her tomb. Eventually, people started addressing the letters to the city of Verona, Italy, the home of the star-crossed lovers. Today, letters addressed to Juliet arrive in Verona from all over the world. They are received by Juliet Club, where secretaries who can read many languages respond to every letter. The city pays for the stationery and stamps, but the secretaries are volunteers. Each letter is kept and made available to the public.
Juliet is the heroine from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
People write to Juliet because they are heartbroken.
The Juliet Club is an organization that receives and responds to letters written by heartbroken people and addressed to Juliet in the city of Verona, Italy.
