Journal What would you do if your parents denied you to see the person you felt was your destiny? Would you obey them or go behind their backs?

Romeo and Juliet By William Shakespeare

ROMEO Son of the Montague family About 16 years old Sensitive, impulsive and immature Devoted friend

JULIET  Daughter of the Capulet family  13 years old  A naïve child  Has no freedom  Closest friend is her Nurse

FRIAR LAWRENCE  Friend to both Romeo and Juliet  Kind, civic-minded, and always ready with a plan  A Catholic holy man  An expert in the use of potions and herbs

MERCUTIO  Related to the Prince  Romeo's best friend  Overflows with imagination  Loves wordplay  Can be hotheaded

NURSE  Has taken care of Juliet her entire life  Like her “Nanny”  Talks a LOT

TYBALT Juliet's cousin; quick to draw his sword when he feels his pride has been injured; his sword is something to be feared; LORD AND LADY CAPULET Juliet's parents; both want Juliet to marry Count Paris

LORD AND LADY MONTAGUE Romeo's parents and bitter enemies of Capulets. PARIS Related to the Prince Suitor of Juliet

BENVOLIO Romeo's cousin. Known as the peace-maker. PRINCE ESCALUS The “Police” of Verona. Related to Mercutio and Paris

BALTHASAR Romeo's dedicated servant SAMPSON AND GREGORY Two servants of the house of Capulet ABRAHAM Montague's servant

THE APOTHECARY A druggist PETER A Capulet servant who can’t read; seen with Nurse ROSALINE The woman with whom Romeo is infatuated at the beginning of the play. THE CHORUS The Chorus is a single character who functions as a narrator offering commentary on the play's plot and themes.

Dramatic Irony Both Romeo and Juliet see the other as light in a surrounding darkness –Juliet describes Romeo as "day in night“ –Romeo describes Juliet as being “like the sun” This contrast of light and dark can be expanded as symbols—contrasting love and hate in a metaphoric way. Sometimes these intertwining metaphors create dramatic irony –Romeo and Juliet's love is a light in the midst of the darkness of the hate around them, but all of their activity together is done in night and darkness, while all of the feuding is done in broad daylight.

Themes [Lessons Learned] The Forcefulness of Love –violent, ecstatic, overpowering force that supersedes all other values, loyalties, and emotions Love as a Cause of Violence –a grand passion, and as such it is blinding; it can overwhelm a person as powerfully and completely as hate can The Individual Versus Society –a battle between the responsibilities and actions demanded by social institutions and those demanded by the private desires of the individual –appreciation of night, with its darkness and privacy, make sense in the context of individuals who wish to escape the public world [religion, public order, masculine honor] The Inevitability of Fate –a power often vested in the movements of the stars, unavoidable outcome –Romeo and Juliet constantly see omens –the feud between their families –the horrible series of accidents –the tragic timing of Romeo’s suicide and Juliet’s awakening

Helpful Link… –THIS LINK WILL SHOW BOTH THE ORIGINAL TEXT ALONGSIDE THE MODERN TEXT, MAKING IT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND…USE IT!!!