ROMEO AND JULIET NOTES
Background Information
Biographical information
Date of birth: April 23, 1564
City born in: Stratford-UponAvon
 Schooling:
Grammar school but no formal
education
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Marriage
Married
at 18 to Anne
Hathaway, age 26
Together had 3 children
Left family to move to London
Career
By
1592, Shakespeare had become an
actor and playwright.
By 1594, He was a member of a
company called the Lord Chamberlain’s
Men (renamed The King’s Men in 1603)
Romeo and Juliet was probably written
between 1594-1596.
He made his money as part owner of the
Globe theater, actor, and playwright.
Later in Life
1612
he returned to Stratford.
At retirement, 37 plays had been
written.
He died April 23, 1616
 Buried at Holy Trinity Church in
Stratford
Shakespeare’s Theater
James Burbage built the first
permanent theater in England in
1576 (called “The Theatre”)
 It was torn down in 1599 and used
to make The Globe

Shakespeare’s Theater: Recap

“wooden O”
 Large,
round building
 3 stories high
 Open to sky
 Held 2,500-3,000 people
 Groundings paid a penny and stood on the
floor, shoulder to shoulder
Shakespeare’s Theater: Recap
Plays were performed in the afternoon
 Very little scenery used
 Elaborate costumes used
 Boys played women’s parts
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Important info to know
Here’s where you take notes!
 Really important information is
noted in orange text
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Types of Speech Shakespeare used
Dialogue: a conversation
 Monologue
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Soliloquy:
talking to yourself
Aside: talking to audience
The “Zack Morris”
Terms to Know: Review
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Simile
 Comparison
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Metaphor
 Direct

comparison
Personification
 Giving

using “like” or “as”
human qualities to non-humans
Allusion
 Indirect reference to common knowledge
(history, religion, myth, fable, etc)
Terms to Know: New
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Apostrophe
 Talking directly to someone who is not actually
there
Dramatic Irony
 When the audience knows something that the
characters do not
Tragic Hero
 Shakespeare’s main character who meets an
unhappy end
 Tragic Flaw: what leads to his/her downfall
Stage Directions

Directions for the actor
Action
(entrance/exit/movement)
Emotion
setting
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Not read aloud
Why study Shakespeare?
Someone that would ask, “Why do you
study Shakespeare?” hasn’t really
taken the time to know him. Give
yourself the patience to get into the
language and see what all the hype is
about…

A study of drama MUST include Shakespeare, since he was THE
BEST playwright in the world. Did you know he is translated in
hundreds of languages? He is an international star. Think about
this- his work is still read hundreds of years after he wrote it…
Why study Shakespeare?
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Look at the sheer scope of his achievement. Over some
thirty-eight plays, Shakespeare addressed virtually every
aspect of human experience. His plays include comedies,
tragedies, and histories, romances, and problems plays: it is
difficult to think of a dramatic situation, a human
dilemma, or a major theme that his works do not touch
upon.
Shakespeare can be used as a pivot point for mythology
(Midsummer’s Night Dream), marriage, Greek Tragedy
(Titus Andronicus), Italian Comedy, Elizabethan culture
and history, Catholicism, and English history. Scottish
history (Macbeth), the world of fantasy (fairies, monsters,
ghosts, spirits, witches, as in The Tempest, Midsummer’s
Night Dream, Hamlet).
Why study Shakespeare?
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Shakespeare is a master of plot. If you do anything at all with
Shakespeare, study the stories. He ties up all his loose ends. He
is also a master of character. If I saw Mercutio on the street, I
would KNOW him.
Shakespeare is LOGICAL. He presents a knot and then unties it.
ALL kids should have logic in high school or at home during
these years. Logic keeps us from throwing our money away,
marrying a jerk, following after fools, and making intelligent life
choices.
Shakespeare is timeless. He writes about themes that never go
out of style. Traits such as greed, power, lust, compassion and
jealousy are indeed commonly found both now and in
Shakespeare’s time.
Why study Shakespeare?
If you can read and understand Shakespeare,
you can read and understand almost anything
(although you may have problems in quantum
physics).
 The language is challenging and well-crafted.
The sentences are tight and concise.
 The language, while “Elizabethan”, shows us
how language has changed…

In your
Notebook
Somewhere on this page,
please write this web site
down:
http://nfs.sparknotes.com/
romeojuliet
*this will be helpful if you
have to do any reading
on your own*
Reading ROMEO AND JULIET
Capulets
Montagues
Lord Capulet- Juliet’s dad
Lord Montague- Romeo’s dad
Lady Capulet- Juliet’s mom
Lady Montague- Romeo’s mom
Juliet
Romeo
Other Characters
Common Old English words/phrases
Common Old English words/phrases
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anon—right now, OR “I come right away”……. “Anon, good nurse! Speak!”
art—are, OR skill……“Thou art dead; no physician’s art can save you.”
dost or doth—does or do……“Dost thou know the time?”
ere—before……“We must leave ere daybreak.”
fain—gladly……“I fain would bake Mr. Love cookies if I could get an A.”
fie—an exclamation of dismay or disgust……“You cheated? Fie upon it!” OR “Fie! Are you mad?”
hark—listen……. “Hark to the owl,” OR “Hark! The herald angels sing!”
hence—away…..“Get thee hence, beggar!” OR “We must hence before the army arrives.”
hie—hurry……“Hie thee hence, or lose your life!”
hither—here…..“Come hither, young lad.”
thither—there……“Look to the east—thither doth the sun arise.”
hath—has……… “He hath killed many a man.” OR “He hath a horse.”
ho—hey (roughly equivalent). “Lucius, ho!” [Brutus calling his servant]
mark—pay attention to…….. “Mark my words.”
marry—indeed……“He says I should respond quickly; marry, I want to.”
pray/prithee—a polite way of asking something……“I prithee answer the question.”
saucy—cheeky; sassy……“Hence, thou saucy boy!”
sirrah—a term of address used for inferiors……“Sirrah, bring the letter over here.”
thee—you……“When will I see thee next?”
thou—you……“Thou art a villain.”
thy—your……“Thy name is more hateful than thy face.”
whence—from where…….. “Whence came that news?” OR “Return to whence you came.”
wherefore—why……“Wherefore dost thou leave?” OR “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”
The Notebook
Title the next page “Romeo
and Juliet timeline” and
glue in your timeline
paper.