Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare

Context of the play  Romeo and Juliet is based on a slew of different tragic romances that date all the way back to the ancient world. The events that the play describes were first published in the English language as The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet in 1562 by a man named Arthur Brooke.  Romeo and Juliet was composed between The two quarto editions of the play came out in 1597 and 1599, respectively. The first folio edition appeared in  At the time R+J was published, Elizabeth I was Queen of England.  James I succeeded her ( ), followed by Charles I ( ). Charles I was beheaded for treason.  All theatres were closed down by the Puritan Protectorate that came to power during and after the reign of the Charles I—not to be restored until the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.

Setting  TIME: late1500s  PLACE: Verona, Italy  CIRCUMSTANCE: two families have been fighting for as long as anyone can remember; one member of each family falls in love with his/her enemy

Characters  ROMEO/MONTAGUES  JULIET/CAPULETS  NURSE: Juliet’s caretaker and confidante, facilitates R+J’s union  FRIAR LAWRENCE: Romeo and Juliet’s priest, facilitates R+J’s wedding  BENVOLIO: Romeo’s friend; tries to keep the peace  PRINCE ESCALUS: the law  MERCUTIO: Romeo’s friend; dies at Tybalt’s hand defending Romeo’s honor  PARIS: Juliet’s suitor—forwarded and favored by her father  TYBALT: Juliet’s cousin; Romeo kills him in revenge because Tybalt killed Mercutio

Major Speeches, Act I  Prologue  Prince breaking up the fighting families at “Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace…”  Romeo on Rosaline (Petrarchan sonnet) at “Well, in that hit you miss: she’ll not be hit…”  Capulet at “But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart…”  Capulet’s wife at “Speak briefly, can you like of Paris’ love?”  Mercutio to Romeo on the nature of dreams at “O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you…”  Romeo echoing the Prologue at “I fear too early, for my mind misgives…”  Romeo seeing Juliet at (getting better at Petrarchan sonnet) “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!”  Juliet inquiring of Romeo’s parentage at “Go, ask his name…”

Major Dramatic Content and Style  Although the play has comic elements, it is a tragedy.  Its comedy consists in wordplay, especially puns, and in the fraternizing between Romeo and his friends.  Its tragedy consists in the action that begins to unfold as Romeo and Juliet’s all- consuming love pits them against various others: their friends, their families, the law, and the church. (Ironically, one could even argue that their love even pits them against one another.)  The play’s language foreshadows its end while equating sex and death. For example, in Act I Sc IV, Romeo echoes the Chorus regarding “star-cross’d lovers” (“stars”) and “death-marked love” (“death”), and Juliet speaks of marrying her own demise not only when she first meets Romeo—saying “if he be married, my grave is like to be my wedding bed”—but also during 1.4, 3.2, 3.5, 4.4. and 5.3.

Major Dramatic Content and Style  What makes the play tragic? There are different theories:  1. FATE or FORTUNE controls the tale, and the characters have no agency. Vs.  2. DECISIONS control the tale, and the characters make these decisions. (Which do you think is responsible for the lovers’ end?)  1. Romeo and Juliet is the greatest love story ever told: it is a poignant narrative about two passionate teenagers. Vs.  2. Romeo and Juliet is a satire: it is a sophomoric tale about two foolish and sentimental kids. (Which do you think is true?)

Contemporary Allusions and Adaptations Stop at 3:57