The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

1. A modern version of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet was created in 1996. The film starred Leonardo Dicaprio as Romeo Montague and Claire Danes as Juliet Capulet. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

2. 1968 Movie Poster

3. William Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Period

4. Elizabeth I was 25 when she became Queen of England in 1558 and reigned until 1603 when she died. England emerged as a political power and a cultural center Elizabeth was a strong supporter of theater and the arts. Queen Elizabeth I

5. Elizabeth was a popular monarch who set a tone for fashion, literature, music and thought. The era was characterized by great pageantry. England’s cultural renaissance opened a door to writers like William Shakespeare. Elizabethan England

6. The Shakespeare Basics • Born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon • Married to Anne Hathaway in 1582 • Anne was 26 and pregnant at the time • After the 1585 birth of his twins, Hamnet and Judith, he disappeared from all records for 7 years • Resurfaced in London in 1592 • Shakespeare retired in 1610 • Shakespeare died in 1616

7. The Rumors • Shakespeare had to flee Stratford for illegally hunting on another man’s property • Shakespeare worked in a nearby town as an assistant schoolmaster • Shakespeare traveled to London and began to establish himself as an actor and playwright

8. The Lord Chamberlain’s Men • A theater company • Patronized by royalty • Made popular by the theater-going public • 1594: Shakespeare is writing, performing, and managing the acting troupe • In 1608, the group became The King’s Men when King James I became their supportive patron. • Other Major Players: • Will Kempe – master comedian • Richard Burbage – leading tragic actor

9. The Plague • An infectious disease that produced neurological disorders, a foul odor and black and blue marks all over the body • Severe epidemic from 1603-1604 • London lost ¼ of its population to the plague • The Lord Chamberlain’s Men closed down as a result

10. Shakespeare’s Style • Creativity over originality • He used already known plots • The plot for Romeo and Juliet comes from Arthur Brooke’s The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Iuliet • Scholars believe only 3 of his 38 plays were originally his idea • He wrote comedies, tragedies, and histories

11. Shakespeare wrote plays mainly for the Globe Theater Built in 1599 by the Chamberlain’s Company Built on the Thames River in London The Globe Theater

12. The most important structure to Shakespeare’s drama Most of Shakespeare’s plays were written to be performed on the stage of the Globe Some of those plays include: Julius Caesar Hamlet Othello Macbeth King Lear Anthony and Cleopatra Twelfth Night The Globe Theater

13. The original Globe burned down in 1613 due to a cannon shot used as a prop during a production of Henry VIII. The Globe was soon rebuilt, but was closed by the Puritans in 1642. The Globe II was torn down in 1644 to make room for housing. The Globe foundation remained buried until 1989 when a faithful reconstruction was built. The Tragedy of the Globe

14. Appearance of the Globe and its Performers • The stage was a platform that extended into a pit. • Actors entered and left the stage from doors located behind the platform. • There was no scenery in the theater. • Settings were indicated by references in the dialogue • The actors wore elaborate Elizabethan clothing. • Usually a play lasted two hours. • The acting companies were made up of only men and boys.

15. Unlike other theaters in England, the Globe opened its doors to virtually all classes of people. The poorest people were known as groundlings; they paid a penny to stand up in front of the stage. A person could pay 2 pennies and sit on a bench with a cover over their head. Richer people paid as many as 12 pennies to sit right above and beside the stage. Plays were important to the people of London because they entertained and delivered messages. Who was seen at the Globe?

16. The New Globe

17. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet • The play was written between 1593 and 1596. • The plot is not an original Shakespearean plot. • The play tells the story of the tragic family feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. • The leading characters, Romeo and Juliet, are teenagers like you; the long-standing feud forbids them from being together. • Shakespeare’s story of star-crossed lovers has become the most famous love story of all time.

18. West Side Story • Romeo and Juliet inspired the modern musical West Side Story. • The musical is set in a tough New York neighborhood. • The two young people who fall in love are members of different ethnic groups. • The warring families of Romeo and Juliet are replaced by street gangs: the Sharks and the Jets.

19. West Side Photos

20. Back to Romeo and Juliet…

21. Iambic Pentameter • Shakespeare wrote most of his plays in poetry, specifically blank verse • Blank verse consists of lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter • Iambic refers to the stress patterns of a line • The first syllable is unstressed (da) and the second syllable is stressed (DA) • “To be or not to be” • Pentameter refers to the meter or number of stressed syllables in a line • “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?”

22. Questions to Ask Yourself: • What begins feuds? • Why are long-standing feuds so difficult to end? • Can love flourish amid hatred? • What does star-crossed lover mean? • Are Romeo and Juliet merely victims of fate? • What universal concepts are present within the play?

23. Lady Montague Lord Montague ROMEO Abram Servant to Montague Benvolio Nephew to Montague Friend to Romeo Mercutio Kinsman to Prince Friend to Romeo Balthasar Servant to Romeo Capulet Household Lady Capulet Lord Capulet Paris A young count Kinsman to the Prince JULIET Tybalt Nephew to Capulet Juliet’s cousin Nurse Servant to Juliet Montague Household Peter Servant to Nurse Paris - a young count - kinsman to the Prince Escalus - Prince of Verona Friar Lawrence - Priest Friar John - Priest

24. Crisis/Turning Point (reversals of fortune) Rising Action/Complications Falling Action Dramatic Question Narrative Hook Climax Exposition or Introduction Resolution

25. Shakespearean Dramatic Plot Act III Act IV Act II Act V Act I

26. Literary Terms to Define for Homework(Define these in your literary terms chart) • Direct Metaphor • Monologue • Oxymoron • Pun • Simile • Shakespearean dramatic plot • Sonnet • Tragedy • Stage directions • Soliloquy • Aside • Chorus • Comedy • Comic relief • Couplet • Drama • Dramatic irony • Prologue