“He had no age, but always!”, Ben Jonson described about Shakespeare (qtd. in Chrisp 62). As research shows, there is no doubt about the truth of this statement. In addition to Jonson's words regarding Shakespeare's timelessness, Peter Chrisp explains that "there have been more than 500 film and television adaptations of Shakespeare's plays" (Chrisp 65; Mabillard). Furthermore, in the introduction to Gnomeo & Juliet, a Good Red Gnome says, "The story we are about to tell has been told before... a long time" (Asbury, "Gnomeo & Juliet"). While probably intended simply as another comedic line in the film, there is significant truth to this statement. In this regard, in the theater and film industry Romeo and Juliet is very recognizable. As a timeless love story passed down from generation to generation, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet has been retold many times in film, from how it was originally depicted, to the films in which it was directly adapted, to the films in which it is been artistically adapted. has inspired many films, Shakespeare's original Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy written to be performed (Chrisp 62). Shakespeare's love story was one of his first tragedies with a long history. It is widely believed that Romeo and Juliet first appeared around 1595 (Chrisp 65). From the beginning it was truly a love story written for the stage. As a play, one of the most important aspects of the story was its performance. Shakespeare's story, “set historically in 14th-century Verona,” was far from home (Johnson). Another fun fact is that during the late 1500s women were played by men, and Romeo and Juliet was no exception (Chrisp 42). Given the evidence, however, it wasn't the performance that made Rom... the center of the paper... from classical to contemporary: from Shakespeare to modern cinematic retellings. TheHub. Yalsa, 11 July 2012. Web. 18 April 2014. Corliss, Richard. “Gnomeo and Juliet: Garden Variety Shakespeare.” Fun. NOW, February 10, 2011. Network. April 20, 2014. Chrisp, Peter. Shakespeare. New York: DK Publishing, 2004. Print.Rosenthal, Daniel. Shakespeare on the screen. London: Hamlyn, 2000. Print.Gnomeo and Juliet. Director Kelly Asbury. Perf. James McAvoy, Emily Blunt. Buena Vista, 2011.DVD.Zeffirelli, Franco, dir. Romeo and Juliet. Perf. Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey. Paramount, 1968. VHS.West Side Story. Directors Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. Perf. Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris. MGM, 1961. DVD.mayagabrielle. "The Lion King II: Shakespeare's Pride." House. WordPress, April 2, 2012.Web. April 20th 2014.