Transcript Background of William Shakespeare and Romeo & Juliet

Background of
William Shakespeare and
Romeo & Juliet
William Shakespeare
• Widely regarded as the
greatest writer in the English
language
• Surviving works include: 38
plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long
narrative poems and other
shorter poems
• His plays are translated in
every living language and
have been performed more
often than any other
playwright
William Shakespeare
• Most known work written from 1589-1613
• Early plays are comedies and histories, but later on
in his career he wrote mainly tragedies (like Romeo
& Juliet)
• Although he was a respected poet and playwright in
his day, his reputation did not reach its present
height until 19th century (1800’s) with the
Romantics and Victorians.
William Shakespeare
• Shakespeare never went
to university (college)
because anyone who was
married was banned from
attending university.
• London was the most
profitable place to be for
plays during his time
How were Shakespearean plays
performed?
• Performances without microphones
• Audiences ranged from wealthy to illiterate
• How could these actors perform their parts
effectively with such a wide range of literacy in the
audience?
• Theatres were typically built of wood = vulnerable of
burning down
Globe Theatre
• “House with thatched
roof”
• Prospered for 14 years
• Today’s replica is the
same size and shape as
Shakespeare’s time and
holds 1,600 people. It is
one of London’s largest
theatres (It held 3,000
people during
Shakespeare’s time with
only 2 exits!)
Globe Theatre
• Original theatre burned
down during a
performance of Henry VIII
where a piece of stage
cannon caught the roof on
fire.
o Sir Henry Wotton:
“…had his breeches set
on fire that would
perhaps have broiled
him, if he had not, by
the benefit of a
provident wit, put it out
with bottle ale.”
Globe Theatre
• Today’s Globe was rebuilt
in 1997 and is true to the
craftsmanship of
Shakespeare’s time, but
has 20th century additions
(fire retardant materials,
additional exits, elevators
– known as “lifts” in
England)
• Plays still are performed
at the Globe late April –
mid October
The Globe Today
Shakespearean Plays
• Shakespearean play culture (late 1580’s-early
1600’s)
• Women not included as actors (less people able to
participate)
o Who do you think played the female roles if
women weren’t included?
Shakespearean Play Terms
• Monologues and soliloquies helped with actor
shortage
• Soliloquy = character’s speech to him/herself so
audience can understand his/her inner thoughts
o EX: “What light through yonder window breaks?”
– Romeo, Act II Scene II
• Monologue = a long speech monopolizing
conversation (to other people)
• Character Foil = a character who is used in contrast
to another character
Shakespearean Play Terms
• Iambic Pentameter = lines of poetry that contains 5
iambs
o Iamb = metrical foot, or unit of measure,
consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by
stressed syllable
o Pentameter = comes from the Greek “penta” and
meter (measure)
Iambic Pentameter Rap!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p226OX39OLs
Iambic Pentameter Examples
• How would you show the stressed and unstressed
syllables in the following line? Is this in iambic
pentameter? Explain why.
But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
Shakespearean Play Terms
• Dramatic Irony = irony that occurs when the
meaning of the situation is understood by the
audience but not by the characters in the play
• Theme = central idea in a work of literature
• Tragedy = narrative about serious and important
actions that end unhappily (usually with deaths of
main characters)
o How is Romeo and Juliet a tragedy?
Shakespearean Play Terms
• Aside = words that are spoken by a character in a
play to the audience or to another character but that
are not supposed to be heard by the others onstage
• Climax = marks the moment when the conflict is
decided one way or another
• Sonnet = 14 line lyric poem that is usually written in
iambic pentameter
o Shakespearean sonnet = 3 Quatrains (4 line
units), 1 couplet
So, are there any sonnets in R&J?
Prologue – Act 2
Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie,
And young affection gapes to be his heir.
That fair for which love groaned for and would die
With tender Juliet matched is now not fair.
Now Romeo is beloved and loves again,
Alike bewitched by the charm of looks,
But to his foe supposed he must complain,
And she steal love’s sweet bait from fearful hooks.
Being held a foe, he may not have access
To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear.
And she as much in love, her means much less
To meet her new beloved anywhere.
But passion lends them to power, time means, to meet
Tempering extremities with extreme sweet.
Romeo & Juliet
Romeo & Juliet
“Two star-crossed lovers”
Shakespeare’s most popular story of young,
teenage lovers
Did you know??
• Shakespeare actually adapted this play from two
older texts
o 1562 = The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet
by Arthur Brooke
o 1582 = retold in prose Palace of Pleasure by
William Painter
Romeo & Juliet
• Although Shakespeare borrowed heavily from these
two tales, he did flesh out characters of Mercutio
and Paris.
• Written between 1591-1595; published in 1597
• Written in prose and poetry
• His use of dramatic structure, such as switching
from comedy to tragedy to heighten tension,
expansion of minor characters and use of sub-plots