The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

What is a tragedy? Tragedy is not simply a sad story. The collapse of a person from a position of strength (political, social, or emotional) to a position of ruin or demise. The chain of events is usually brought upon the person by himself, due to a fatal (but natural) internal character flaw.

A Tragedy Includes: -supernatural elements (witches,ghosts) -tragic hero : person with noble qualities and a flaw in his character -tragic error: some disorder that has been committed against the laws of nature and needs to be corrected. -conflict ...within the hero, or between the hero and others -revenge ...the hero is usually often revenged or he is being avenged -sad ending: the death, downfall or destruction -comic relief : some light scenes to relieve the stress of tragic events

Shakespearean tragedies tend to follow five acts- five stages of the tragedy Exposition (establishment of character and conflict) Rising Action (complications develop, culminating with a “point of no return” at which point some tragedy is all but guaranteed) Climax (different than in stories; tragic climax marks the beginning of the tragic collapse) Falling Action (the chain of tragic events befalls the protagonist, gaining momentum and deepening the tragedy) Resolution (Catastrophe) (the fall to ruin is complete)

So, think of a traditional plot line… climax rising action falling action exposition resolution The story is summed up in the falling action and the resolution.

In a tragedy… The climax marks the beginning of the characters’ tragic collapse. The falling action deepens the tragedy and by the point the resolution takes place, the fall to ruin (or the tragedy) is complete.

Romeo and Juliet Written between 1594 and 1596 Most notable characters: The Nurse and Mercutio A tragedy A love story

Romeo and Juliet Feuding families Planned marriages The Plague The Nurse

Themes How love can confer integrity upon two very young people. How tragedy can be caused when old people’s rage is carried over to a younger generation. How humans can often be powerless to bring into being the kind of world we’d like to live in. How innocence, virtue and beauty can be destroyed. How a disordered and chaotic world can bring disaster down on the humans who live in it.

The Globe

The Globe

The Globe Plays were big! There was money to be made! As soon as a play had been written it was immediately produced - printing followed productions! Actors initially used 'foul papers' or prompts. In Shakespeare’s time copyright did not exist. In 1591 the growing popularity of theatres led to a law closing all theaters on Thursdays so that the bull and bear bating industries would not be neglected!

The Globe Flags were used as a form of Elizabethan Advertising! Flags were erected on the day of the performance which sometimes displayed a picture advertising the next play to be performed. Color coding was also used - a black flag meant a tragedy , white a comedy and red a history. 

The Plays Patrons paid a penny to stand in the pit. Actors learned their lines as they performed the play. As many as 10 plays could be seen at the Globe over two weeks. Women were not allowed to act, nor was acting looked upon as an upstanding profession.

Reading Romeo and Juliet Don’t pause at the end of a line. Read to the punctuation Read the marked vocabulary words in the margin- the meaning of words changes over the years. Focus on what you do know. Create an image in your mind. Don’t sweat the small stuff.