William Shakespeare’sRomeo and Juliet

A Tragedy

The Life and Times ofWilliam Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Life• Little is known about his

early life• Born April 23, 1564 in

Stratford-on-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

1583-1592 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 levels1. Trapdoor2. Main stage3. Balcony4. Pulleys under roof5. 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 forbearTo dig the dust enclosed here;Blest be the man that spares these stones,And cursed be he that moves my bones.

Characters in Romeo & JulietHouse 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 JulietSetting:

• 1300’s• Verona, Italy• Mantua, Italy

Vocabulary Notes1. ACT: large division of a play.

Romeo & Juliet has 5 acts.2. SCENE: small division of a

play. Act I has 5 scenes3. EXEUNT: plural of exit;

several people leave the stage.

4. ANON: soon5. SOFT: wait6. ASIDE: comment to the

audience other actors can’t hear.

7. FRIAR: priest, monk

8. 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.

9. SHRIFT: confession; a regular part of the Catholic faith.

10. CELL: apartment; the priest’s living space.

11. EXILE: forced by law to live somewhere else.

12. BANISHMENT: the same as exile.

Vocabulary cont.13. 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

Good night, good

night! Parting is such

sweet sorrow,

That I shall say good

night til it be morrow.

O Romeo, Romeo!

Wherefore art thou

Romeo?

These violent delights have

violent end

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose,

By any other name would smell as sweet