1. An introduction to Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare’s World
An introduction to Romeo and Juliet

2. England in Shakespeare’s Day
Shakespeare = greatest writer/playwright
in English language
Lived during Renaissance = science, commerce, philosophy, arts
Shakespeare’s literary career = reign of Queen Elizabeth (1558 – 1603)

3. England in Shakespeare’s Day
Elizabeth = strong leader, supporter of English culture
Shakespeare wrote plays for Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a company sponsored by two men in high office.

4. Theater in Shakespeare’s Day
1590s = London was theater capital
Shakespearean theater was available and well-liked to rich and poor.
Globe Theater = poor stood / rich sat in balconies
No curtains, no artificial lighting, and little scenery = audience’s imagination
Only male actors / no women

6. Shakespeare’s Impact on the English Language
Shakespeare contributed more words, phrases and expressions to the English language than any other writer.
What are some words / phrases introduced by Shakespeare?
assassination, bump, lonely

7. Shakespearean Terms Act - a main division of a drama
- Shakespeare’s plays consist of five acts
Allusion – a reference to a literary or historical person or event to explain a present situation
- Example: “She’ll not be hit / With Cupid’s arrow.”
Aside – a brief remark made by a character which is meant to be heard by the audience or by one other character, but not by other characters

8. Shakespearean Terms
Blank Verse-a form of poetry that uses unrhymed lines
Comic Relief – a humorous scene or speech in a serious drama which is meant to provide relief from emotional intensity
Dramatic Irony – when the audience knows something that the characters do not

9. Shakespearean Terms
Foil-a character whose personality or attitude is in sharp contrast to that of another character in the same work
Iambic pentameter-a form of poetry that uses 10 syllables, 5 unstressed and 5 stressed ( U / )
Metaphor –a direct comparison between two things not using “like” or “as”

10. Shakespearean Terms
Oxymoron – a combination of two contradictory words for the sake of emphasis
Example: “A damned saint, an honorable villain.”
Scene – a small unit of an act in a play in which there is no shift of locale or time
Soliloquy – a speech given by a character alone on the stage to let the audience know what the character is thinking and feeling
Tragedy – a type of drama of human conflict which ends in defeat and suffering