1. Romeo and Juliet

2. Two households…

3. Both alike in dignity…

4. Line 1
Two households both alike in dignity, Modern: Two families of equal rank (Montagues and Capulets)

5. In fair Verona,
where we lay our scene…

6. Line 2 In fair Verona where we lay our scene Modern:
The play takes place in Verona

7. From ancient grudge
break to new mutiny…

8. Line 3 From ancient grudge, break new mutiny
These two families have a long standing hatred, which is starting up again

9. makes civil hands unclean.
Where civil blood
makes civil hands unclean.

10. Line 4
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean Modern: Citizens stain their hands with blood of other citizens

11. From forth the fatal
loins of these two foes,

12. Line 5 From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
Modern: The children of these mortal enemies

13. A pair of star-cross’d
lovers take their life.

14. Line 6 A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life:
Modern: Two children fall in love and commit suicide

15. Line 7 Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Modern: their tragic deaths end

16. Line 8 Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife
Modern: their tragic deaths end their parents’ feud

17. Line 9 The fearful passage of their death-marked love,
Modern: The story of their fatal love affair

18. Line 10 And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Modern: their parents anger

19. Line 11 Which but their children’s end nought could remove
Modern: only their children’s death could stop the feud

20. Line 12 Is now the two hours traffic of our stage
Modern: is the subject of our two-hour play

21. Line 13 The which if you with patient ears attend
Modern: If you will give us your patient attention and listen

22. Line 14 What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend
Modern: we will make up for anything we left out of the prologue on stage

23. Facts Written by William Shakespeare in about 1591
Based on Arthur Brooke's The Tragicall History of Romeus and Juliet

24. Montagues

25. Capulets

26. Others

27. Look for… Puns Allusions Metaphor Personification Oxymorons Paradoxes
Foreshadowing

28. Puns A pun is a humorous play on words.
Mercutio – “Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance.”
Romeo – “Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes / With nimble soles; I have a soul of lead…” (Act I Sc. 4)

29. Allusions
An allusion is a reference to a well known work of art, music, literature, or history.
“At lovers’ perjuries, they say Jove laughs.” (Act II, Sc. 2)
Jove is another name for Jupiter, the Roman King of the Gods.

30. Metaphor A metaphor is a direct comparison between two unlike things.
Romeo – “But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.” (Act II Sc. 2)

31. Personification
Personification occurs when an inanimate object or concept is given the qualities of a person or animal.
Juliet— “For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night / Whiter than new snow on a raven’s back. / Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-brow’d night” (Act III Sc. 2)

32. Oxymorons
An oxymoron describes when two juxtaposed words have opposing or very diverse meanings.
Juliet – “Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical!” (Act III Sc.2)

33. Paradoxes
A paradox is statement or situation with seemingly contradictory or incompatible components.
Juliet – “O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!” (Act III Sc. 2)

34. Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a reference to something that will happen later in the story.
Juliet – “Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun.” (Act III Sc. 2)

35. Themes
Light and dark
Time
Fate

36. Light and Dark Look for references to light and dark:
References to “light” words, such as “torches,” “the sun,” adjectives that describe light (“bright”)
References to “dark” words, such as “night” and “gloom”

37. Time Look for references to time:
References to “time” words, such as “hours”
References to the passage of time, especially if it seems “rushed”

38. Fate Look for references to fate:
Look for instances where events are blamed on “fate,” “destiny,” or “the stars”

39. The
End