Curing Tragedy: Reading Milton’s Markings of <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> with <i>Paradise Lost</i> Book 9

ABSTRACT The recent identification of Milton’s marginalia in a copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio in the Philadelphia Free Library allows for a reevaluation of the epic poet’s relationship with his dramatic predecessor. This article follows in the footsteps of recent scholarship undertaken in response to the finding. It focuses on Milton’s markings of Romeo and Juliet and traces two interrelated aspects that interested him: the theme of amorous infection, poison, and cure, and the play’s tension between tragic necessity and the possibility of a cure to avert a tragic ending. On the basis of these markings, the article highlights similarities between Romeo and Juliet and book 9 of Paradise Lost, ultimately suggesting that Adam and Eve owe a greater debt to Romeo and Juliet than previously recognized.