Evidence #1: there is no narrator in shakespearean plays. evidence #2: the stage directions in shakespearean plays are sparse. which option represents the best inference one could draw based upon the pieces of evidence?

The right answer is "#2: The stage directions in Shakespearean plays are sparse".

At the beginning of Rome and Juliet, we can observe that there is a direct narration, there is a narrator, which is the chorus.  While the Chorus opens several acts in the play, there is little use of direct narration. Instead, Shakespeare made use of a highly descriptive dialogue. It is through dialogue that the characters reveal most of the narrative.

The play also has a lot of indirect narrative where the audience does not know who the narrator is or who he is talking to. "Romeo and Juliet" contains little stage direction, and the narrative voice constantly changes between the characters. In most cases, the characters are talking to each other, but sometimes the characters turn into monologues, giving the audience a sense of the character's thoughts

the italian poet francesco petrarch did! (:

i would pick a. i think this is more of a personal question though.