William Shakespeare’s

Romeo and Juliet

An Introduction
April 14
 Background
 Born in 1564 in a small English town called Stratford-upon-
Avon.
 He grew up during the Elizabethan Era

2
 Background
 Shakespeare entered the world of theater as a principal actor,
playwright, and manager.
 He was part owner of the Globe Theater, one of the main
theaters in London during this time.

3
 Master of Vocabulary
 In less than 25 years Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets,
and several other poems.
 He used between 25,000 and 29,000 different words in his
works. The entire King James Bible used 6,000.

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 Sonnets

• Four parts: Three Quatrains, each having its own rhyme scheme and
a rhymed couplet

• Quatrains are four lines of poetry that rhyme

• Couplets are two-lined rhymes
• Rhyme Scheme is the pattern of end rhyme in a poem
• The typical rhyme scheme of a Shakespeare poem is abab cdcd
efef gg

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 Romeo and Juliet
 It’s a tragedy- but is it the most tragic love story ever told?

 Modeled after Aristotle’s Tragic Hero

• Person is of high status or importance

• Usually has a flaw

• Events that lead to a hero’s downfall are connected

• Hero realizes what has happened and quickly falls to their demise
• Hero’s fall destroys the hero and all those around them

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 Sonnet 116
So what does Shakespeare really think?
• True love:
• does not ask the other to change (Quatrain 1)
• remains even through the toughest of situations (Quatrain 2)
• looks at the inner beauty of a person and doesn’t go away with
age (Quatrain 3)
• Prove me wrong and I’ll never write again, and no man will
ever love again (Couplet)
 Songs
Inspired by Romeo & Juliet
Directions:

• Each partner will read through a song and answer the two
questions as you read.
• YOU WILL HAVE 4 MINUTES
• Next, you will share your responses with your partner using
evidence from the text to justify you answers
• You will each have 2 minutes to share...
• Finally, both of you will answer the Drawing Conclusion
Questions 1-3.
• You will have 4 minutes to complete
 The Prologue
• Homework tonight will be to read The Prologue and answer the
questions.

• The Prologue of every Shakespearean play basically tells the

audience the plot of the entire play. It is usually sung by the
Chorus.

• Let’s take a look...

Two households…
Both alike in dignity…
 In fair Verona,
where we lay our scene…
 From ancient grudge
break to new mutiny…
 Where civil blood
makes civil hands unclean.
 From forth the fatal
loins of these two foes,
A pair of star-cross’d
lovers take their life.
 Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

During the 1300s, in the northern Italian city of

Verona, two kids from families that hate each other fall
in love.
The families have been fighting for so long, they
don’t remember why the fighting started. This is called
a feud.
Romeo belongs to the House of Montague.
Juliet belongs to the House of Capulet.
Juliet’s family wants her to marry Count Paris, a
relative of the Prince of Verona.
Romeo and Juliet have other plans that get
destroyed because of their families’ feud.
The “star-cross’d lovers” would rather die then
live without each other.
 Romeo
Montague (Father)

Balthasar (Romeo’s Servant)

Benvolio (Romeo’s cousin)
Lady Capulet (Juliet’s Mother)

Nurse Juliet
(Raised Juliet)

Tybalt (Juliet’s cousin) Capulet (Juliet’s Father)

 Friar Lawrence

Paris (Most
preferred suitor of Mercutio (Cousin of
Prince Escalus (Prince Juliet, relative of Prince Escalus and
of Verona) the Prince) Romeo’s best friend)
 Romeo and Juliet = Drama
A story acted out in the form of a play
Includes the following elements:
• Acts, setting, characters, plot, conflict, & climax

Unlike a movie filmed in very realistic settings, a stage

play has to use artificial means to bring drama to life.
• All the action is spelled out in a script (the written form of
a play).
 Look For…
Dialogue
• The words that the characters speak
Stage directions
• Are the instructions and other information for
staging the play
• Usually in parentheses ( ) or brackets [ ] and
written in italics
 Staging
The act of putting on a play that includes all the elements
that bring drama to life:
• Scenery, props, costumes, makeup, lighting, visual
effects, music, sound effects, directing, and acting.
 Dialogue Vs. Stage Directions
Stage
Scene 1. [Verona. A public place.]
Directions

Enter Sampson and Gregory, with swords and Bucklers, of the house of
Capulet
Dialogue
Sampson. Gregory, on my word, we’ll not carry coals.
Gregory. No, for then we should be colliers.
 Community Circle
NORMS: Mutual Respect, Active Listening, No Put-Downs

Topic: To me love means…

Is this love you describe capable of changing?

10 pts. Answer both questions in complete sentences using textual evidence

5pts. Answer one question in complete sentences using textual evidence
 Why Shakespeare?
Illumination of the human experience
Great stories
Compelling characters
Ability to turn a phrase
Infinite and worldly influence
 Why Romeo And Juliet?
His most famous play
Considered greatest love story ever told
Complexity of the characters
Resonating tragedy
Relatable and timelessness