Romeo and Juliet Exam
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Understand the plot and characters.
Understand the contextual significance of the quotations, especially
as they relate to themes and characterization.
Understand the literal meanings of the quotations (What is the
character saying?).
Fight Director
Shakespeare’s Life and Theater
Traits of Shakespearean Tragedy, especially as they apply to
Romeo and Juliet.
Themes and conflicts.
Fate vs. Free Will
Read “Literary Terms Review and Questions” and “Shakespearean
Tragedy”
Know the Elements of Drama
Format
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35 multiple choice
Quotation identification (speaker, meaning,
to whom is the speaker speaking?)
Chronology of Events: order, day, specific or
approximate times
Short Answer
Essay (see “Literary Terms Review and
Questions” and “Shakespearean Tragedy”)
You are allowed to use your quotation pages
only, whatever notes you can write on them,
front and back.
Stratford
Power Point
by Lax and Ritchie
Queen Elizabeth
A Portrait of
Shakespeare?
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Recent research suggests that the
Cobbe portrait has a strong claim (90%
likelihood) to be the only known image
of Shakespeare painted from life, but
we will never be certain. Without
evidence in the form of a written
commission, it will probably never be
definitively authenticated.
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The artist's subject is clearly wealthy
and successful, clad in gorgeous
embroidered doublet with decorative
braid and elaborate lace ruff — a
significant (and expensive) mark of
social standing.
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This portrait has been dated in or
around 1610: if that date is correct,
Shakespeare would have been 46
when he sat for it.
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William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564
(approximated date) at Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
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He was baptized April 26, 1564. The date of his birth is
determined through baptismal records. It was traditional to be
baptized three days after birth.
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He was the son of Mary Arden and John Shakespeare, a glovemaker. He was one of eight children, five of whom survived to
adulthood.
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He received his early education from a tutor and at seven
entered the Free School in Stratford where he learned a little
Latin and even less Greek. When he was about thirteen he was
removed from school and apprenticed to a butcher, for an
unknown period of time.
Family Life
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In November 1582, at age eighteen, he married
Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior. Their
first child, Susanna, was born six months later.
 A pair of twins, Hamnet and Judith, were born
February 21, 1585.
 His son Hamnet died at the age of eleven.
 Because he and Anne lived apart for twenty
years, and the fact that she is only briefly
mentioned in his will, historians have concluded
that the marriage was not a happy one.
Who was Shakespeare?
 Shakespeare’s
life is somewhat of a
mystery, and it is uncertain as to whether
or not he even wrote all the plays that are
attributed to him.
 Did Shakespeare really exist?
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Some research suggests that Sir Francis
Bacon, the Earl of Southampton, Christopher
Marlowe, or even Queen Elizabeth might
have been the authors of the works attributed
to Shakespeare. No conclusive evidence
exists to prove such theories.
“The Bard of Avon”
 Shakespeare
wrote 154 sonnets and over
thirty plays. Shakespeare wrote most of
his sonnets when the plague resulted in
the closing of theaters.
 Shakespeare wrote his sonnets for
patrons, people who paid him to write the
poetry,
 He also wrote Narrative Poems such as
“Venus and Adonis” (1593)
Shakespearean Sonnet Form
 Sonnets
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14 lines
Iambic pentameter… Sonnets and plays were
written in IAMBIC PENTAMETER
 Foot:
group of syllables that are measured
 Iambic: type of foot (unstressed,
stressed… two syllables :
 u - u- u- u- u- There are FIVE of
these… = PENTAmeter
 i.e. Five feet and each foot has two
syllables = 10 syllables per line!
Language……
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Sonnets follow a rhyme scheme:
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abab cdcd efef gg (each letter represents different
rhyme sound / same rhyme scheme if same letter. i.e.
alternating lines rhyme, ends w/ RHYMING
COUPLET)
abab = first quatrain, cdcd = second quatrain.
Together they make up the OCTAVE (first 8
lines)
 efef = third quatrain and gg = rhyming couplet.
Together they make up the SESTET (last 6
lines)
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The octave establishes the thought; the sestet
replies to the thought, and the rhyming couplet
sums up the thought.
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The first 126 sonnets were addressed to a
young man, and sonnets 127 – 154 were
addressed to a young lady.
 The sonnets are numbered and are identified by
the first line of the sonnet.
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“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
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“When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes”
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“Let me not to the marriage of true mind admit
impediments”
Shakespeare’s Theater
Circa 1588 – 92: Shakespeare went to London and
worked with an acting troupe known as Lord
Chamberlain’s Men. He served both as actor and
playwright. They later became known as The King’s
Men. Shakespeare eventually became a leading
shareholder in the company. Richard Burbage became
his lifelong friend from this acting troupe.
 1592 – 94: The Bubonic Plague (Black Death) was
haunting London and several theatres were shut down to
keep large groups of people from gathering in one place
and spreading the disease.
 During this time, Shakespeare wrote his narrative
poems. They were dedicated to his patron, the Earl of
Southampton.
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Theater Interrupted:
The Black Death
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The Bubonic Plague
Headache
chills and fever
exhausted and prostrate
Nausea
Vomiting
back pain
soreness in his arms and legs
Perhaps bright light was too much to tolerate.
Within a day or two, the swelling appeared. They were hard,
painful, burning lumps on the neck, under the arms, on the inner
thighs. Soon swelling turned black, split open, and began to ooze
pus and blood. They may have grown to the size of an orange.
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It was possible to recover, but more than
likely, death would come quickly.
The victim suffered great pain before dying.
Life expectancy was less than one week
once symptoms manifested themselves.
The causes of plague were not discovered
until the late nineteenth century
.
More Plague Fun Facts
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Plague is carried by rodents like rats and squirrels, but it is
transmitted to humans by the fleas who live on them.
Pneumonic plague is airborne. It is contracted by breathing
the infected water droplets breathed (or coughed) out by a
victim of the disease. The pneumonic form was much more
virulent and spread much more quickly.
People died so swiftly and in such high numbers that burial
pits were dug, filled to overflowing and abandoned; bodies
(sometimes still living) were shut up in houses which were
then burned to the ground; and corpses were left where they
died in the streets
From 1592-1594, London theaters were closed to stop the
spread of the disease. Shakespeare wrote his narrative
poems during this time frame. The poems were dedicated to
the Earl of Southampton, his patron.
The Theater continued . . . .
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Shakespeare performed his plays at the Court
and in various theatres, including Black Friars,
The Theatre, and then The Globe.
THE GLOBE THEATRE
Could hold several thousand people
Was reputed to be used as a brothel and a
gambling house as well as a theatre
Was situated on the south bank of the River
Thames in Southwark
Inside pictures we have are of The Swan
(similar)
The GLOBE
Globe……..
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When a play was being performed, stalls would
be set up around the theatre selling
merchandise and people would throng to the
theatre.
 A tower with a flag pole advertised the plays
(black = tragedy, white = comedy, red = history)
 There were special effects (smoke, flying
trapezes, etc.) and trap doors.
 No actresses! Only male actors! Female parts
were played by young boys.
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The commoners (known as “groundlings”) paid 1
penny and stood in the “pit” of the Globe.
The gentry paid 2 pennies and sat in the
galleries.
The rich nobles paid 3 pennies and sat on chairs
at the side of the stage itself.
The Globe Theatre was only in use until 1613,
when the thatched roof caught on fire from a
smoke stage effect.
The Globe was rebuilt in 1614.
In 1642 the Puritans ended the performance of
all plays, and it wasn’t until 1660 when they
finally reopened.
Shakespeare’s Plays
Shakespeare’s profound understanding of
human nature, skill with language, and ability to
construct a story with immense dramatic and
poetic means is unparalleled!
 Shakespeare is credited with having introduced
over 3,000 words into the English language!
 He used a vocabulary of over 17,000 different
words in his plays.
 Although he used what is known as an
Elizabethan dialect, his language was EARLY
MODERN ENGLISH (not Old English, or Middle
English!!)
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 Shakespeare
wrote most of his plays as
“quarto texts” (sheets of paper folded four
ways)
 His
first collection of 36 plays is known as
the First Folio. This 900 page manuscript
took approx. 4 years to complete and was
printed in 1623.
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Shakespeare’s plays were written in unrhymed
iambic pentameter, known as BLANK VERSE.
Example:
I fear, too early: for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels and expire the term
Of a despised life closed in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
But He, that hath the steerage of my course,
Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen.
Blank Verse Example #2
 Hang thee, young baggage! disobedient wretch!
I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday,
Or never after look me in the face:
Speak not, reply not, do not answer me;
My fingers itch. Wife, we scarce thought us blest
That God had lent us but this only child;
But now I see this one is one too much,
And that we have a curse in having her:
Out on her, hilding!
Words Attributed to Shakespeare
(that we still use today)
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Critical
Leapfrog
Monumental
Majestic
Obscene
Frugal
Submerged
Excellent
Gust
Hint
Hurry
Cranny
Beautified
Homicide
Forefathers
Aggravate
Snow-white
Fragrant
Brittle
Summit
Lonely
Gloomy
Words Attributed to Shakespeare
(that did not last in English usage)
 Barky
 Brisky
 Conflux
 Vastidity
 Tortive
 Shakespeare
reportedly acted in a number
of roles himself:
 As the ghost in Hamlet
As Old Adam in As You Like it
 Not
an actual
photo of
Shakespeare
 And
King Duncan in Macbeth
 Tragedies some of which are re-works of
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previous stories based on English or Roman
history, include:
Titus Andronicus
Romeo and Juliet
Hamlet
Julius Caesar
Othello
Antony and Cleopatra
King Lear
Macbeth
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The Histories (1592 – 1598), based on the
English kings:
King Henry VI, Part I
King Henry VI, Part II
King Henry VI, Part III
King John
King Henry IV, Part I
King Henry IV, Part II
King Henry V
Richard II
Richard III
King Henry VIII
The Comedies (also Romances)
 The
Taming of the Shrew
 A Comedy of Errors
 Two Gentlemen of Verona
 A Midsummer Night’s Dream
 The Merchant of Venice
 Much Ado about Nothing
 As You Like it
 Twelfth Night
 All’s Well that Ends Well
 Measure for Measure
The Elizabethan World….
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Elizabeth I was 25 years old when she became
Queen of England in 1558. Her 45-year reign,
which ended with her death in 1603, saw
England's emergence as a nation of tremendous
political power and unparalleled cultural
achievement.
 Because so much of this English renaissance is
directly attributable to Elizabeth's personal
character and influence (as well as to the
unprecedented length of her reign), it is
appropriate that the last half of the sixteenth
century in England is identified as the
Elizabethan Period.
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Anne Hathaway continued to live in Stratford
while Shakespeare traveled between Stratford
and London.
 He died on April 23rd, 1616 and lies buried in
Holy Trinity Church in Stratford Upon Avon.
 The epitaph on his tombstone reads:
“Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare
To digg the dust encloased heare
Blessed be y man y spares his stones
And curst be he y moves my bones”
The Elements of Drama
The focus of drama is on dialogue between two
or more characters. The situation / conflict is
revealed
through dialogue and character
interactions.
 Drama is intended to be performed (rather than
just being read from a book) in front of and
observed by an audience.
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The goal of a drama is to move the
audience to respond to the thoughts and
emotions that are expressed by the
characters in the story.
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The content of a play often serves as a
comment upon some aspect of the human
condition (theme).
Physical Structure of Drama
Plays are divided into ACTS.
Acts are divided into SCENES.
Scenes are composed of LINES (spoken by
individual characters)
Stage Directions
(unspoken part of the script)
Stage directions indicate the physical
actions, emotional state, and expressive
behavior of the characters.
Stage directions most commonly are typeset
in italics to separate them from dialogue.
They may also be separated with brackets
or parenthesis.
Setting Descriptions
(unspoken part of the script)
Indicate the time period, the
environment, all of the contents of the
environment.
Scene changes require a description of
the new scenery.
Characterization
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Self-revelation through dialogue
Realistic human behavior, development of
personality, background information regarding
personal history
Accurate speech patterns reflect the regional
dialect of the setting
Establishment of characters’ motivation for
actions and decisions
Characters’ personalities contrast with each
other, thus causing conflict
Plot
Conflict (usually emotional in nature, as
opposed to physical)
 Rising Action (progression of events;
revelation of information about the
characters and their situation)
 Climax
 Falling Action
 Conclusion
 Resolution (maybe)
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The Traits of
Shakespearean
Tragedy
Note: Much of the information in the next
nine slides is in the handout that I have
already given you. Use the handout as
your information basis. Add other notes
as needed.
What is a tragedy?
 Today, people commonly use the word
“tragedy” to refer to an unfortunate event
that befalls someone, not necessarily
because of their own decisions or choices.
 Traditionally, tragedy is defined as a drama
or literary work in which the main character
is brought to ruin or suffers extreme
sorrow, especially as a consequence of a
tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to
cope with unfavorable circumstances.
Shakespearean Tragedy
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Shakespearean tragedy is much more
specific in its form and meaning than just
a story in which bad things happen to
people.
Shakespearean tragedy finds its genesis in
Greek drama. You’ll get more on this
starting in the unit on Antigone by
Sophocles.
Definition of Shakespearean
Tragedy
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There are several definitions of tragedy, but
Shakespearean tragedy (like Greek tragedy),
differs from modern tragedy in that the
protagonist must have a potential for greatness,
there must be a plot which imitates the action.
Traditionally defined as: A drama or literary work
in which the main character is brought to ruin or
suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a
consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or
inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.
The Traits of Shakespearean
Tragedy
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Shakespearean tragedy tends to
demonstrate a deep understanding of
human nature.
Shakespearean Tragedy focuses on a
central protagonist. This protagonist
is a tragic hero who causes suffering
and calamity for himself, as well as
for those around him. Such calamity
results in the death of the hero.
The Shakespearean Tragic Hero
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He is a person of high moral and philosophical
values; the protagonist must have a potential for
greatness.
His actions affect the fates of other people.
Although chance or fate may play a role in the
outcome of the action, the hero and his actions
play a more significant role than fate.
At some point in the action, the hero makes a
moral decision. Once this decision has been
made, the course of the tragedy is set and the
outcome is inevitable.
Moral Regeneration
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Shakespearean Tragedy includes the
concept of moral regeneration.
Although the hero suffers, he learns from
his agony. The hero recognizes the flaw
in his nature, as well as the evil in his
deeds. As the hero approaches his death,
he possesses a finer spirit than was his at
the onset of the play.
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Shakespearean tragedy is pre-eminently
the story of one person, the hero (and on
occasion the heroine).
The story leads up to and includes the
death of the hero (a person of high
degree); it is in fact essentially a tale of
suffering and calamity leading to death.
The suffering and calamity are, moreover,
exceptional. They befall a conspicuous
person and contrast with previous
happiness or glory.
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However, the calamities of tragedy do not
simply happen, nor are they sent by the
gods; they proceed mainly from actions,
and those are the actions of men.
Consequently, the hero always contributes
to the disaster in which he perishes; at the
same time, the center of tragedy may be
said to lie in action issuing from character
or in character issuing in action. That is,
the calamities and catastrophe follow
inevitably from the deeds of men, and the
main source of the deeds is character.
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The idea that some kind of fate controls the
dramatic world of Shakespearean tragedy is
crucial.
We feel at times that the hero is, in some sense, a
doomed man.
The power from which they cannot escape is
relentless and immovable.
They act freely, and yet their actions bind them to
their fates. And it makes no difference whether
they meant well or ill. In the tragic world what
characters intend is translated into the opposite
of what was intended. Whatever they dream of
doing, they achieve just the opposite and
typically end in destroying themselves.
Free Will vs. Fate
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Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed lovers.”
How much of their fate can be attributed to their own
decisions?
Are they totally helpless and at the mercy of the
stars, and therefore not responsible for their own
downfall? Or do we excuse them from responsibility
because they are young, inexperienced, and acting
solely from passion?
What are the forces which are beyond their control?
Can their decisions be separated from the events
that are occurring around them?
How much control does an individual really have in
determining one’s destiny?
The Plot of Romeo and Juliet
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Shakespeare most likely didn't make up the
story of Romeo and Juliet. Stories with similar
plots existed prior to Shakespeare’s writing of
the play (circa 1595)
 The plot of Romeo and Juliet is based on the
tale translated into verse by Arthur Brooke in
The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet
(1562) and retold in prose in the Palace of
Pleasure by William Painter in 1582.
 Shakespeare wrote the play in
approximately 1595.
 The
story goes back to the Greek
mythology myth of Pyramus and Thisbe.
 Pyramus
and Thisbe fall in love,but their
love is prohibited. They run away, but
Pyramus thinks Thisbe has been killed by
a lion and so stabs himself in despair.
When Thisbe discovers him, she also kills
herself. A number of writers over the
centuries have adapted the story.
Themes in Romeo and Juliet
 Are
the concepts in Romeo and Juliet
universal?
 Does
the play transcend time? That is,
are the ideas of they play as relevant
today as they were in Shakespeare’s
time?
 Why
do we still read the play today?
The Forces of Love
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Unrequited (unreturned) Love (Rosaline)
Infatuation (Rosaline; Juliet?)
Platonic Love (Mercutio and Romeo)
Conventional Love (Capulet’s arranged marriage of
Juliet to Paris)
Parental Love (Montague’s concern for Romeo;
Capulet for Juliet. Are the decisions of the parents
in the best interest of their children?)
Romantic or Ideal Love (Romeo’s idealized vision of
being in love. Is he in love with being in love?)
Sensual Love or Passion (The mutual
physical/sexual attraction that Romeo and Juliet feel
for each other.)
Moderate Love (Allowing time for love to takes its
course)
Friar Lawrence’s Advice
“Young men’s love then lies
Not truly in their hearts, but in their
eyes.”
“Therefore love moderately. Long love
doth so.”
The Consequences of Hatred
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Civil Disorder
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Impulsive Decisions based on Anger: Desire for
Revenge
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By the end of the play, four “civil brawls bred of an airy
word”
Tybalt as the antagonist
Mercutio’s dislike of Tybalt and defense of Romeo’s honor
Romeo’s revenge against Tybalt
Paris’s attempt to kill Romeo
Deception
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Romeo and Juliet
Friar Lawrence
The Nurse
All Consequences Lead to Suffering
Six Deaths
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By the end of the play, six characters are dead:
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Mercutio
Tybalt
Paris
Lady Montague
Romeo
Juliet
The feud ends, but at great expense to all
involved. The enemies are united though grief
and learn of their mistakes through mutual
misfortune created by themselves.
The Intention to Do Good
What role does each character play in the
fate of Romeo and Juliet?
 Prince
Escalus
 The Nurse
 Friar Lawrence
 Capulet
The Tragic Acting
of Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes
End
 Be
ready for the exam!