Romeo and Juliet are part of a long history of tragic romances dating back to antiquity. The storyline is based on an Italian story that Arthur Brooke translated into poetry as The Tragical History of Romeo and Juliet in 1562 and repeated in prose as The Palace of Pleasure in 1567. Like many other tales of love and death, it has been told over and over again in books and movies throughout time. In modern times, the term "tragedy" is used to describe a dramatic work with a serious theme and pessimistic outlook. In this case, the word "tragic" is used to describe the outcome of the story, not just the literary style of the work. A "tragedy" would be Hamlet or Othello, for example. It's also important to note that the term "romance" has different meanings depending on the context. In literature, a romance is usually a narrative poem describing one romantic lead meeting and falling in love with another romantic lead. However, when applied to a movie or TV show, the term "romance" can also refer to a genre of film or television program that features two people who are strongly attracted to each other but who may not meet until later in the story. Examples include Romancing the Stone and How I Met Your Mother. So, yes, Romeo and Juliet is a traditional tragedy.