《牡丹亭》《罗密欧与朱丽叶》都是诞生于16世纪末的巨著,一个代表了中国明代戏剧的高峰,一个代表了英国文艺复兴时期的戏剧高峰;但两部作品却有截然不同的结局,本文通过对两部作品的主题、艺术手法、创作背景、作家思想等方面的阐释来探究其结局不同的原因。 “Peony Pavilion” and “Romeo and Juliet” are both monuments that were born at the end of the 16th century. One represents the peak of the drama in the Ming Dynasty in China and the other represents the dramatic peak in the English Renaissance. However, the two works have quite different results. Through the interpretation of two works’ theme, artistic method, creative background and writer’s thought, this paper explores the different reasons of their ending.