William Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet
A Tragedy
The Life and Times of
William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s Life
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Little is known about his early
life
Born April 23, 1564 in Stratfordon-Avon
Died April 23, 1616 (on his
birthday)
Mother-Mary Arden
Father-John Shakespeare
Little formal education
Married Anne Hathaway (8
years older)
The “Lost Years”-between 15831592 there is little known about
Shakespeare
Life in London
By 1592 Shakespeare had
become recognized on the
London Stage
• Wrote 37 plays and numerous
sonnets
• Acted as part of the “King’s
Men” and “Chamberlain’s
Men” in the Globe Theatre
• Retired between 1611 and 1613
and returned to Stratford
•
Shakespeare’s Theatre
“The Globe”
•
5 levels
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
•
•
Trapdoor
Main stage
Balcony
Pulleys under roof
Musician’s room
No profanity used, little
scenery, no microphones, 1
actor had 4 or 5 parts
Plays often lasted 2
hours
•
Audience:
•
•
•
•
Loved to be entertained
Royalty sat up in balcony
Groundlings stood in
front of stage. Paid 1¢
Actors:
•
•
No females-female roles
played by young men
Actors were well trained
(speech, dance, fencing,
etc.)
Shakespeare’s Tomb Inscription
Good friend, for Jesus’
sake forbear
To dig the dust enclosed
here;
Blest be the man that
spares these stones,
And cursed be he that
moves my bones.
Characters in Romeo & Juliet
House of Montague
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lord Montague
Lady Montague
Romeo (son)
Benvolio (cousin & friend)
Balthasar (servant)
Abram (servant)
House of Capulet
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lord Capulet
Lady Capulet
Juliet (daughter)
Tybalt (cousin & nephew)
Nurse
Peter (servant)
Sampson & Gregory (servants)
The Others
•
•
•
•
•
•
Prince Escalus (Ruler of Verona)
Mercutio (Romeo’s best friend)
Friar Laurence
Friar John
Count Paris (wants to marry Juliet)
Apothecary (pharmacist)
Romeo and Juliet
Setting:
•
•
•
1300’s
Verona, Italy
Mantua, Italy
Vocabulary Notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
ACT: large division of a play.
Romeo & Juliet has 5 acts.
SCENE: small division of a
play.
Act I has 5 scenes
EXEUNT: plural of exit;
several people leave the stage.
ANON: soon
SOFT: wait
ASIDE: comment to the
audience other actors can’t
hear.
FRIAR: priest, monk
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
SOLILOQUY: speech a
character gives when he is
alone on stage; it is a way for
the audience to know what a
character is thinking.
SHRIFT: confession; a regular
part of the Catholic faith.
CELL: apartment; the priest’s
living space.
EXILE: forced by law to live
somewhere else.
BANISHMENT: the same as
exile.
Vocabulary cont.
BIER: platform where a
corpse or a coffin is placed
during a funeral.
14. ERE: before
Romeo will visit Juliet ere he
leaves for Mantua.
15. NE’ER: never; a contraction.
The apostrophe shows where
a letter has been left out.
16. VIAL: a small bottle
13.