1. Social and Historical Context The Globe theatre
Brief Biography
Social and Historical Context
The Globe theatre
Themes, Motifs, and Symbols in Romeo and Juliet
Dramatic Terms *

2. Shakespeare: A Brief Biography
Born in April in Stratford-on-Avon
John Shakespeare (father)
tanner, glover, dealer in grain
town official (alderman, and later mayor)
Mary (mother)
daughter of Robert Arden, a prosperous gentleman- farmer.

3. Shakespeare: A Brief Biography
Married Anne Hathaway in 1582
She was 8 years his senior
Three children born: Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet

4. Shakespeare: A Brief Biography
By 1590, he was an actor and playwright
Leader of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and the King’s Men
Died April 23, 1616

5. Shakespeare: A Brief Biography
He was buried
in Stratford; the
inscription on his
tombstone reads

6. Shakespeare: A Brief Biography
“Good Friend, for Jesus’ sake, forbear
To dig the dust enclosed here;
Blest be the man that spares these stones
And curst be he that moves my bones.”

7. Shakespeare: A Brief Biography
Author of 37 plays and 154 sonnets
He acted before Queen Elizabeth in 1594.
The exact year in which William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet is unknown, but it is definitely one of his earlier works, and one of only two tragedies written in the period from 1590 to 1595.

8. Historical Context
Written during the Elizabethan era, also known as “The Renaissance.”
This was a time of significant change in:
Religion
Politics
Science
Language
Arts

9. Historical Context Set during a very religious period
“Catholic” society with a strong belief in damnation for mortal sin
Shakespeare wrote this play following The Reformation; when England became a protestant nation, breaking away from papal control by Henry VIII
Society become more open and less oppressed

10. When in a play Only men were permitted to perform
Boys or effeminate men were used to play women
Costumes were often the company’s most valuable asset

11. The Globe Theatre
He wrote his plays to be performed in the Globe theatre.
Shakespeare was part owner of The Globe
The only account we have of the Globe is from a diary of a Swiss doctor who visited London and crossed the Thames River to see a play in a theatre with a thatched roof.

12. The Globe Theatre It was built in 1599
Burned down 14 years later in 1613.
It was an 8 sided building with a central yard.

13. The Globe Theatre Continued

14. Dramatis Personae NEUTRAL CHARACTERS An Apothecary. (Apothecary)
ESCALUS prince of Verona. (PRINCE)
PARIS a young nobleman, kinsman to the prince.
MERCUTIO kinsman to the prince, and friend to Romeo.
FRIAR LAURENCE Franciscans
FRIAR JOHN Franciscans
An Apothecary. (Apothecary)
Page to Paris; (PAGE) another Page; an officer.
Citizens of Verona; several Men and Women, relations to both houses; Maskers, Guards, Watchmen, and Attendants. (First Citizen) (Servant) (First Servant) (Second Servant) (First Watchman) (Second Watchman) (Third Watchman) Chorus.

15. Dramatis Persona Continued
THE MONTAGUE HOUSEHOLD
MONTAGUE head of his household feuding with Capulet
LADY MONTAGUE wife to Montague.
ROMEO son to Montague
BENVOLIO nephew to Montague, and friend to Romeo
BALTHASAR servant to Romeo.
ABRAHAM servant to Montague.
THE CAPULET HOUSEHOLD
CAPULET - head of his household feuding with Montague
LADY CAPULET wife to Capulet.
JULIET daughter to Capulet.
Nurse to Juliet. (Nurse)
PETER servant to Juliet's nurse.
An old man, cousin to Capulet. (Second Capulet)
TYBALT nephew to Lady Capulet.
SAMPSON ,GREGORY , servants to Capulet.
Three Musicians. (First Musician) (Second Musician) (Third Musician)

16. The Globe Theatre Spectators’ price of admissions was
one shilling - to stand in yard around stage (these were called the groundlings)
two shillings - to sit in 2nd and 3rd floor galleries
three shillings - to sit in the first floor galleries
1 shilling was 10% of their weekly income
Broadway Shows today:
$85 Orchestra
$60 Balcony
10% of a teachers’ weekly salary??

17. The Globe’s Spectators
Wealthy sat in benches
“Groundlings” (poorer people) stood and watched from the courtyard (pit)
Much more interaction
(with audience, each other) than today
All but the wealthy were uneducated
and/or illiterate

19. The Globe’s Stage 1/3 of yard was filled with 6ft high platform
no curtain
no artificial lighting
back wall had at least two doors
balcony was used for hilltops, walls of cities, or second story scenes (famous balcony scene in R&J)
trapdoors were used to raise or lower actors and props (ghosts)
Performed in outdoor theatres
During the day – illumination by natural light
No “sets” – all props and dialogue

20. Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is as much about hate as love
Although Romeo and Juliet is considered one of the worlds greatest love stories
It can be argued that the love story is only a vehicle for the resolution of the story about hate, that is, the feud between the two families.

21. Historical Context of Romeo and Juliet
Based on the archetype of Pyramus and Thisbe
However, the plot for R&J was based on a fourteenth- century Italian novella, by Matteo Bandello
He included elements of history, tradition, romance, and fable
A boy and a girl, from families who hate each other bitterly, fall in love, but everything goes wrong for them

22. Setting in Romeo and Juliet
Most of the play takes place in 'fair Verona' a city in the north of Italy
The action moves quickly from the city streets to the hall of old Capulet's house, then to the orchard below Juliet's balcony, to Friar Lawrences' lonely cell and finally to the the Capulet family mausoleum
The play starts on a Sunday morning in the middle of July; less than five days later - just before dawn on the following Thursday - it is all over.

23. Themes in Romeo and Juliet
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.

24. Themes in Romeo and Juliet
1. The Forcefulness of Love
The most famous love story in the English literary tradition
Focus on romantic love
Love as overpowering force
Family
Friends

25. Themes in Romeo and Juliet
2. What is love?
Religious
Magical
Madness
Chemicals in the Brain

26. Themes in Romeo and Juliet
3. Love as a Cause of Violence
Hate, Violence, Death, Love?
Love is blinding. . .

27. Themes in Romeo and Juliet
4. The Individual Versus Society
Romeo and Juliet against. . .
Family
Law
Religion
Honor

28. Themes in Romeo and Juliet
5. The Inevitability of Fate
Straight path or series of crossroads?
“Star-crossed Lovers”
Feud
Series of Unfortunate Events
Bad Timing
Other Themes:
Family Conflict
Civil Disorder and Violence
Parenthood and the Generation Gap
Youth and Old Age
Religion
Political Authority
Death and Time
Gender Roles
Appearance vs. Reality

29. Motifs in Romeo and Juliet
Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

30. Motifs in Romeo and Juliet
Light/Dark Imagery
Night/Day
Night = Good/Evil?
Day =Evil/Good?
Provides contrast, hints at alternatives

31. Motifs in Romeo and Juliet
Opposite Points of View
Mercutio’s POV
Servants’ POV
Nurse
Peter
Musicians
Other Motifs:
Death and Life Imagery
Love and Hate Imagery
Bird Imagery
Sun / Moon / Stars Imagery
Hot (fire) and Cold
Illness and Health
Heaviness and Lightness
Sight and Blindness
Hearing and Deafness
Severity and Vanity
Weddingbed and Deathbed

32. Symbols in Romeo and Juliet
Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

33. Symbols in Romeo and Juliet
Poison
“Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, And vice, sometimes by action dignified.”
Tendency to “poison” things

34. Symbols in Romeo and Juliet
Thumb-biting
An insulting gesture
A juvenile, vulgar display
Meaningless
Foolishness of entire
Montague/Capulet feud
Stupidity of violence
in general

35. Symbols in Romeo and Juliet
Queen Mab
Brings dreams
Confirms vices: greed, lust, violence
Is total nonsense
Fairy pulled by “grey-coated gnat”
Tiny, Insubstantial
Just like the dreams/desires/fantasies of people

36. Shakespearian Drama
Tragedy: A drama that ends in catastrophe—most often death—for the main character and often for several other important characters as well
Tragic Hero: The main character, someone who is nobly born and has great influence in his or her society. This character has weakness or errors in judgment (Tragic Flaws) that lead to his or her downfall. Fate may play a role in the course that events take.

37. Shakespearian Drama
Comic Relief: A humorous scene, incident, or speech that relieves the overall emotional intensity in the play. Comic relief helps the audience absorb the tragic events in the plot of a play
Allusion: A brief reference, within a work, to something outside the work that the reader or audience is expected to know. Many of Shakespeare’s allusions are to mythology or the Bible.
Foil: A character whose personality or attitudes are in sharp contrast to those of another character in the same work. This highlights the other character’s traits

38. Shakespearian Drama Soliloquy and Aside:
A soliloquy is a speech made by an actor alone on stage to let the audience know what is on that character’s mind.
An aside is a character’s remark to the audience or to another character that others on stage aren’t supposed to hear. The purpose of an aside is to reveal that character’s thoughts.

39. Shakespearian Drama Example of Blank Verse
Blank Verse: Unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter. Shakespeare wrote all of his plays in blank verse.
Example of Blank Verse
~ / ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /
But soft.|What light| through yon|der win|dow breaks?
~ / ~ / ~ / ~~ / ~ /
It is| the east|, and Jul|iet is |the sun!

40. Opening Discussion… 1. Do you believe in love at first sight?
2. What is true love?
3. What role should parents play in the relationships of their children?
4. What qualities do you look for in the opposite sex?
5. Are females more romantic than males, or is that a stereotype?
6. What are some advantages and disadvantages of being young?
7. What role does marriage play in society today?
8. Who or what controls what happens to people in life – destiny? fate? our own characters?