Vera or The Nihilists

This melodramatic tragedy is set in Russia and was the first play that Wilde ever wrote. This rewriting of Romeo and Juliet (with a bit of Macbeth) has flashes of brilliance - the hallmarks of the play are the wit of the Tsar Senior's Prime Minister Paul, and Vera's Lady Macbethesque speech where she steels herself to assassinate Alexis the new Tsar, before turning from Lady Macbeth into Juliet. What follows is an ending, which mirrors Romeo and Juliet as Vera takes her own life to `save Russia'. Vera is great start to understand how Wilde matured with his future plays - and it's often missed by those looking for light hearted romp - Vera has some wonderful elements and needs to be read. (Prof. Muggins)