Background Notes
William Shakespeare and Romeo and
Juliet
Shakespeare: A brief biography
• Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564 in
Stratford-on-Avon, England to an
upper/middle class family.
Shakespeare: A brief biography
• He learned Latin and Greek history in his
grammar school as a child. This would explain
the Latin and Greek references in his works.
• There is not evidence that Shakespeare
continued his schooling after elementary
school.
Shakespeare: A Brief Biography
In 1582 at the age of 18, he married Anne
Hathaway who was 26.
She was pregnant before they were married.
Shakespeare: A Brief Biography
• After a few years of marriage, Shakespeare left
Stratford-on-Avon and his family for London to
pursue his career in acting and writing.
Shakespeare: A Brief Biography
• Shakespeare wrote and acted with The Lord
Chamberlain’s Men. This was an acting troupe
that would perform during Shakespeare’s
time.
Shakespeare: A Brief Biography
• It is believed that Shakespeare died on April
23, 1616.
• In his will, Shakespeare left his daughters the
majority of his wealth and possessions. He
left his wife his “second best bed”.
Shakespeare: A Brief Biography
• The inscription on his tomb states:
"Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare, To dig the
dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that
spares these stones, And cursed be he that
moves my bones.”
Shakespeare wrote this because in his time,
old bodies were dug up and burned to make
room for new burials. Shakespeare
despised this treatment of bodies, so he
wrote this.
Romeo and Juliet and Elizabethan
Theater
• Shakespeare did not create the story of Romeo
and Juliet. In fact, it was done at least twice
before.
• The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet was
written by Arthur Brooke in 1562. This is
considered Shakespeare’s chief source for Romeo
and Juliet.
• However, the Roman myth, Thisbe and Pyramus,
is also a story with the same plot as Romeo and
Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet and Elizabethan
Theater
• Much of Shakespeare’s wealth came from his
investment in The Globe Theater.
• The Globe Theater was the primary home of
Shakespeare’s acting company beginning in
late 1599.
Romeo and Juliet and Elizabethan
Theater
• Anyone could attend a performance at The Globe.
However, where the person watched it from
depended on how much he or she could afford.
• Groundlings, or poor people, stood closest to the
stage, which cost a penny.
• People could pay a $.02 to sit in a seat and another
penny for a cushion.
• Queen Elizabeth also frequently attended the
theater. This time was called The Elizabethan Era.
Romeo and Juliet and Elizabethan
Theater
• Because of the lack of special effects in the
Elizabethan Era, the scenery, costumes, and
language were used to set the mood for the
play.
• During the Elizabethan Era, all
parts were played by males
(even female parts).
Romeo and Juliet
By William Shakespeare
Setting
The story is set in the late
1500s mostly in the town
of Verona, Italy. However,
there are a few acts set in
Mantua, Italy a smaller
town just a few miles away.
Timeline
Sunday – Act One
Monday – Act Two
Tuesday – Act Three
Wednesday – Act Four
Thursday – Act Five
The Feud
Romeo’s family, the
Montagues, have a long
standing feud with
Juliet’s
family,
the
Capulets.
While the
audience never learns
about the source of the
ancient quarrel, we do
learn that it has recently
grown stronger.
Comedy and Tragedy
Romeo and Juliet begins as a comedy but ends
as a tragedy.
Elements of a comedy
Elements of a tragedy
•Must have a tragic hero/heroine
•A struggle of young lovers to
overcome difficulty that is often
presented by elders
•Ends in the death of many of the main
characters
•Separation and unification
•Heightened tensions, often
within a family
The shift from comedy to tragedy is what
sets Romeo and Juliet apart from the rest of
Shakespeare’s plays.
Themes
Love
•The power of love
•Love as a cause for
violence
Hate
•Hate as a forced emotion
Fate
•The inevitability of fate
Interesting…
“Star-crossed lovers” refers to two
people who are in love but have
conflicting astrological signs. In
Shakespeare’s times, people believed
the course of their lives was
determined by the exact second they
were born.
Verona Today
The Italian city of Verona,
where Romeo and Juliet lived,
receives about 1,000 letters
addressed to Juliet every
Valentine's Day.
Verona has an incredible
amount of graffiti, which is
legal, provided that you are
writing about your love for
someone.
Romeo
- Is a Montague
- 16 years old
- Cute, smart,
sensitive and
romantic
Lady Montague
• Romeo’s Mom
Lord Montague
• Romeo’s dad
• Worries about
Romeo’s sadness
Balthasar
• Romeo’s servant
Abram
• Montague’s servant
• Fights Sampson and
Gregory in the
beginning
Benvolio
• Romeo’s cousin & friend
• Tries to break-up fights and
keep the peace.
Juliet
• is a Capulet, 13 yrs old
• Juliet is very close with
the nurse.
Lord Capulet
• Juliet’s dad
Lady Capulet
• Juliet’s mom
• Ineffectual motherrelies on the nurse to
“mother” Juliet
Nurse
• Has cared for Juliet
since she was born
• Vulgar, long-winded,
loyal and a confidante
to Juliet
Gregory & Sampson
• Servants to the
Capulets
• Start a fight w/
Montagues at the
beginning of the play
Tybalt
• Juliet’s cousin
• Quick tempered
Mercutio
• Related to the prince
• Good friends W/ Romeo
• Believes love is about the physical
contact and nothing else.
Prince Escalus
• Prince of Verona
• Related to Mercutio
and Paris
Count Paris
• Related to the prince
• Preferred by the
Capulets to marry
Juliet
Rosaline
• The woman who
Romeo is obsessed
with at the beginning
of the play.
The Apothecary
• Like a pharmacist
• He sells the poison to
Romeo.
• Values money more
than morals
Friar Lawrence
• Friend to Romeo and Juliet
• Kind, civic-minded
• Secretly marries R & J in
hopes that their marriage
will end the feud.
• He is a Catholic holy man
and also familiar with
potions and herbs.
Friar John
• A Catholic holy man