Vera or The Nihilists Author:Oscar Wilde 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... more » 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.« less