1. Brief Biography

2. Social and Historical Context

3. The Globe theatre

4. Themes, Motifs, and Symbols in Romeo and Juliet

5. Dramatic Terms

Shakespeare: A Brief Biography

⦿ Born in April 1564 at Stratford-on-Avon

⦿ John Shakespeare (father)● tanner, glover, dealer in

grain● town official (alderman,

and later mayor)⦿ Mary (mother)

● daughter of Robert Arden, a prosperous gentleman-farmer.

Shakespeare: A Brief Biography

⦿Married Anne Hathaway in 1582⦿ Three children born: Susanna, Judith,

and Hamnet

Shakespeare: A Brief Biography

⦿ By 1590, he was an actor and playwright⦿ Leader of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and

the King’s Men⦿ died April 23, 1616

Shakespeare: A Brief Biography

⦿ He was buried in Stratford; the inscription on his tombstone reads. . .

Shakespeare: A Brief Biography

“Good Friend, for Jesus’ sake, forbear

To dig the dust enclosed here;

Blest be the man that spares these stones

And curst be he that moves my bones.”

Shakespeare: A Brief Biography⦿ Author of 37 plays and 154

sonnets⦿ Robert Greene, a critic,

attacked Shakespeare, a mere actor, for writing plays.

⦿ He acted before Queen Elizabeth in 1594.

⦿ The exact year in which William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet is unknown, but it is definitely one of his earlier works, and one of only two tragedies written in the period from 1590 to 1595.

Historical Context⦿Written during the Elizabethan era, also

known as “The Renaissance.”⦿ This was a time of significant change in:

●Religion●Politics●Science●Language●Arts

Historical Context⦿ Set during a very religious period⦿ “Catholic” society with a strong belief in

damnation for mortal sin⦿ Shakespeare wrote this play following

The Reformation; when England became a protestant nation, breaking away from papal control by Henry VIII

⦿ Society become more open and less oppressed

When in a play⦿ Only men were

permitted to perform⦿ Boys or effeminate

men were used to play women

⦿ Costumes were often the company’s most valuable asset

The Globe Theatre⦿ He wrote his plays to

be performed in the Globe theatre.

⦿ The only account we have of the Globe is from a diary of a Swiss doctor who visited London and crossed the Thames River to see a play in a theatre with a thatched roof.

The Globe Theatre⦿ It was built in

1599 and burned down 14 years later in 1613.

⦿ It was an 8 sided building with a central yard.

Dramatis PersonaeESCALUS prince of Verona.

(PRINCE)PARIS a young nobleman, kinsman

to the prince.MONTAGUE ,CAPULET , heads of

two houses at variance with each other.

An old man, cousin to Capulet. (Second Capulet)

ROMEO son to Montague.MERCUTIO kinsman to the prince,

and friend to Romeo.BENVOLIO nephew to Montague,

and friend to Romeo.TYBALT nephew to Lady Capulet.FRIAR LAURENCE ,FRIAR JOHN ,

Franciscans. BALTHASAR servant to Romeo.SAMPSON ,GREGORY , servants to

Capulet. PETER servant to Juliet's nurse.ABRAHAM servant to Montague.

An Apothecary. (Apothecary)Three Musicians. (First Musician)

(Second Musician) (Third Musician)

Page to Paris; (PAGE) another Page; an officer.

LADY MONTAGUE wife to Montague.LADY CAPULET wife to Capulet.JULIET daughter to Capulet.Nurse to Juliet. (Nurse)Citizens of Verona; several Men and

Women, relations to both houses; Maskers, Guards, Watchmen, and Attendants. (First Citizen) (Servant) (First Servant) (Second Servant) (First Watchman) (Second Watchman) (Third Watchman) Chorus.

SCENE Verona Mantua.

The Globe Theatre⦿ Spectators’ price of

admissions was● one shilling - to stand

in yard around stage (these were called the groundlings)

● two shillings - to sit in 2nd and 3rd floor galleries

● three shillings - to sit in the first floor galleries

• 1 shilling was 10% of their weekly income

• Broadway Shows today:

• $85 Orchestra• $60 Balcolny• 10% of a teachers’

weekly salary??

The Globe’s Spectators⦿Wealthy sat in benches⦿ “Groundlings” (poorer people) stood and

watched from the courtyard (pit)⦿Much more interaction ⦿ (with audience, each other) than today⦿ All but the wealthy were uneducated and/or illiterate

Romeo and Juliet⦿ Romeo and Juliet is as

much about hate as love ●Although Romeo and

Juliet is considered one of the worlds greatest love stories, it can be argued that the love story is only a vehicle for the resolution of the story about hate, that is, the feud between the two families.

Romeo and Juliet⦿ Oldest known connection is to Pyramus and Thisbe

⦿ However, the plot for R&J was based on a fourteenth-century Italian short story, or novella, written by Matteo Bandello, that included elements of history, tradition, romance, and fable. ● A boy and a girl, from families who hate each other bitterly, fall in love,

but everything goes wrong for them.⦿ Most of the play takes place in 'fair Verona' an attractive little

city in the north of Italy. The action moves quickly from the city streets to the hall of old Capulet's house, then to the orchard below Juliet's balcony, to Friar Lawrences' lonely cell and finally to the vault.

⦿ The play starts on a Sunday morning in the middle of July; less than five days later - just before dawn on the following Thursday - it is all over.

The Globe’s Stage● 1/3 of yard was filled with

6ft high platform● no curtain● no artificial lighting● back wall had at least two

doors● balcony was used for

hilltops, walls of cities, or second story scenes (famous balcony scene in R&J)

● trapdoors were used to raise or lower actors and props (ghosts)

• Performed in outdoor theatres

• During the day – illumination by natural light

• No “sets” – all props and dialogue

Themes in Romeo and Juliet

Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.

Themes in Romeo and Juliet

1. The Forcefulness of Love ⦿ The most famous love story

in the English literary tradition

⦿ Focus on romantic love⦿ Love as overpowering force

●Family●Friends

Themes in Romeo and Juliet

2. What is love?●Religious ●Magical●Madness●Chemicals in the Brain

Themes in Romeo and Juliet

3. Love as a Cause of Violence⦿Hate, Violence, Death, Love?⦿ Love is blinding. . .

Themes in Romeo and Juliet

4. The Individual Versus Society⦿Romeo and Juliet against. . .

●Family●Law●Religion●Honor

Themes in Romeo and Juliet5. The Inevitability of

Fate⦿ Straight path or

series of crossroads?

⦿ “Star-crossed Lovers”

⦿ Feud⦿ Series of

Unfortunate Events⦿ Bad Timing

Other Themes:Family ConflictCivil Disorder and ViolenceParenthood and the Generation GapYouth and Old AgeReligionPolitical AuthorityDeath and TimeGender RolesAppearance vs. Reality

Motifs in Romeo and Juliet

Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

Motifs in Romeo and Juliet

Light/Dark Imagery⦿Night/Day

●Night = Good/Evil?●Day =Evil/Good?

⦿Provides contrast, hints at alternatives

Motifs in Romeo and Juliet

Opposite Points of View

⦿Mercutio’s POV⦿Servants’ POV

●Nurse●Peter●Musicians

Other Motifs:Death and Life ImageryLove and Hate ImageryBird ImagerySun / Moon / Stars ImageryHot (fire) and ColdIllness and HealthHeaviness and LightnessSight and BlindnessHearing and DeafnessSeverity and VanityWeddingbed and Deathbed

Symbols in Romeo and Juliet

Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

Symbols in Romeo and Juliet

Poison⦿ “Virtue itself turns vice, being

misapplied, And vice, sometimes by action dignified.”

⦿ Tendency to “poison” things

Symbols in Romeo and Juliet

Thumb-biting⦿An insulting gesture⦿A juvenile, vulgar display⦿Meaningless

●Foolishness of entire

Montague/Capulet feud●Stupidity of violence

in general

Symbols in Romeo and Juliet

Queen Mab ⦿ Brings dreams

●Confirms vices: greed, lust, violence.

⦿ Is total nonsense●Fairy pulled by “grey-coated gnat”

⦿ Tiny, Insubstantial●Just like the

dreams/desires/fantasies of people

Shakespearian Drama

Tragedy: A drama that ends in catastrophe—most often death—for the main character and often for several other important characters as well

Tragic Hero: The main character, someone who is nobly born and has great influence in his or her society. This character has weakness or errors in judgment (Tragic Flaws) that lead to his or her downfall. Fate may play a role in the course that events take.

Shakespearian Drama

Comic Relief: A humorous scene, incident, or speech that relieves the overall emotional intensity in the play. Comic relief helps the audience absorb the tragic events in the plot of a play.

Shakespearian Drama

Allusion: A brief reference, within a work, to something outside the work that the reader or audience is expected to know. Many of Shakespeare’s allusions are to mythology or the Bible.

Shakespearian Drama

Foil: A character whose personality or attitudes are in sharp contrast to those of another character in the same work. This highlights the other character’s traits

Shakespearian DramaSoliloquy and Aside:

A Soliloquy is a speech made by an actor alone on stage to let the audience know what is on that character’s mind.An Aside is a character’s remark to the audience or to another character that others on stage aren’t supposed to hear. The purpose of an aside is to reveal that character’s thoughts.

Shakespearian Drama

Blank Verse: Unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter. Shakespeare wrote all of his plays in blank verse.

Shakespearian Drama

Example of Blank Verse ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /

But soft.|What light| through yon|der win|dow breaks?

~ / ~ / ~ / ~~ / ~ /

It is| the east|, and Jul|iet is |the sun!

Opening Discussion…1. Do you believe in love at first sight?2. What is true love?3. What role should parents play in the relationships

of their children?4. What qualities do you look for in the opposite sex?5. Are females more romantic than males, or is that a

stereotype?6. What are some advantages and disadvantages of

being young?7. What role does marriage play in society today?8. Who or what controls what happens to people in

life – destiny? fate? our own characters?