Romeo and Juliet

It’s About Time

A play about…

• In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare writes about many things…

A play about…

• In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare writes about many things…– Love

A play about…

• In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare writes about many things…– Love– Youth

A play about…

• In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare writes about many things…– Love– Youth– Rashness

A play about…

• In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare writes about many things…– Love– Youth– Rashness– Hate

A play about…

• In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare writes about many things…– Love– Youth– Rashness– Hate– Parents and Children

A play about…TIME

• In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare writes about many things…

• But at its core, it is a play about TIME.

References to Time

• The play is filled with references to time

– Line reference come from The Pelican Shakespeare as edited by Peter Holland.

Time of Life

• The age of the lovers

Time of Life

• The age of the lovers– Romeo: no references

Time of Life

• The age of the lovers– Romeo: no references– Juliet is 13 years old

• "She hath not seen the change of fourteen years" (I.ii.9)

Time of Life

• The age of the lovers

• The age of the parents

Time of Life

• The age of the lovers

• The age of the parents– "Old Capulet" (I.i.89) is told by his cousin that

it has been "thirty years" (I.v.34) since his last masked ball

Time of Life

• The age of the lovers

• The age of the parents– "Old Capulet" (I.i.89) is told by his cousin that

it has been "thirty years" (I.v.34) since his last masked ball

– Lady Capulet is only 27; she was Juliet's "mother much upon these years // That (Juliet is) now a maid" (I.iii.72-3)

Time of Year

• Lammas Eve (July 31)

Time of Year

• Lammas Eve (July 31) – It is a "fortnight and odd days" (I.iii.15) before

Lammas Eve, when Juliet will "be fourteen" (I.iii.17)

Time of Year

• Lammas Eve (July 31) – It is a "fortnight and odd days" (I.iii.15) before

Lammas Eve, when Juliet will "be fourteen" (I.iii.17)

• The period between July 13 and August 2 has, on average, the highest temperatures of the year in Verona, Italy ("where we lay our scene" [Prologue.2]); remember the "hot" day plays a part in the querulous atmosphere (III.i.2).

Time of Year

• Lammas Eve (July 31) – It is a "fortnight and odd days" (I.iii.15) before

Lammas Eve, when Juliet will "be fourteen" (I.iii.17)

• The period between July 13 and August 2 has, on average, the highest temperatures of the year in Verona, Italy ("where we lay our scene" [Prologue.2]); remember the "hot" day plays a part in the querulous atmosphere (III.i.2).

– July :: Juliet

Time of the Week

• "Monday!" (III.iv.19)

• "Wednesday is tomorrow" (IV.i.90)

Time of the Week

• "Monday!" (III.iv.19)

• "Wednesday is tomorrow" (IV.i.90)

• By close examination of the text, we can see that the play begins on Sunday morning, ends at dawn on Thursday

Time of the Week

• "Monday!" (III.iv.19)

• "Wednesday is tomorrow" (IV.i.90)

• By close examination of the text, we can see that the play begins on Sunday morning, ends at dawn on Thursday– but more on that later

Time of Day

• Many references, including

Time of Day

• Many references, including– Sunday: "new struck nine" (I.i.160)– Monday: "clock struck nine ... from nine till

twelve // Is three long hours) II.v.1-10/11– Tuesday: "The day is broke" (III.v.40)– Wednesday: "three o'clock" (IV.iv.4)– Thursday: "this morning" (V.iii.305)

Duration of Performance

• "two hours' traffic of our stage" (Prologue.12)

But wait, there’s more…

• And the concept of time is not only crucial to the events of the play, but also to the historical study of the play itself.

"two and forty hours"

• One literary opinion posits that "two and forty hours" (IV.i.105) is an error for either "two and twenty" or "four and twenty" (G. Thomas Tanselle)– two works for alliterative purposes– four cements the concept of time by giving the

number of hours in a day

"two and forty hours"

• Forty-two hours does not add up to appropriate times at the beginning or ending of the time-frame between Juliet's taking of the potion and her revival in the tomb

"two and forty hours"

• Forty-two hours does not add up

Tues Wed (24) Thurs (42)

7pm 7pm 1pm

8pm 8pm 2pm

9pm 9pm 3pm

10pm 10pm 4pm

11pm 11pm 5pm

mid mid 6pm

1am 1am 7pm

2am 2am 8pm

Wed Thurs

"two and forty hours"

• Forty-two hours does not add up to appropriate times at the beginning or ending of the time-frame between Juliet's taking of the potion and her revival in the tomb

• The distance between Verona and Mantua (twenty miles with one small river and only some rolling hills) is short enough to be travelled in just a few hours (better fitting the twenty-four hour time-frame)

Theatrical Pacing

• Beyond the academic view of time in the play, Shakespeare's pacing heightens the experience for the audience– The pace of the play is masterfully

manipulated

Theatrical Pacing

• The play begins at 9AM on Sunday.

Theatrical Pacing

• The play begins at 9AM on Sunday.

• Romeo and Juliet meet at the end of Act One, around the time when Sunday becomes Monday (at this point we're around 700 lines into the play).

Theatrical Pacing

• The play begins at 9AM on Sunday.

• Romeo and Juliet meet at the end of Act One, around the time when Sunday becomes Monday (at this point we're around 700 lines into the play).

• They are married at the end of Act Two (nearly 1400 lines into the play).

Theatrical Pacing

• Mercutio's death and Romeo's revenge take place 118 lines into Act Three (1500 lines into the play).

Theatrical Pacing

• Mercutio's death and Romeo's revenge take place 118 lines into Act Three (1500 lines into the play). – This is the mid point of the play.

Theatrical Pacing

• Mercutio's death and Romeo's revenge take place 118 lines into Act Three (1500 lines into the play). – This is the mid point of the play.

• The lovers are separated, and Juliet is informed of her impending marriage to Paris at the end of Act Three (nearly 2200 lines into the play).

Theatrical Pacing

• The entire day of Tuesday (the Friar's plan, the switch of marriage day, Juliet's taking of the potion) as well as the finding of the body early Wednesday morning, all take place before the end of Act Four (roughly 2600 lines into the play).

Theatrical Pacing

• The events of Wednesday in Mantua as well as the events at the play's conclusion -- heading toward Thursday's dawn -- all take place in the last 400 lines of the play.

Theatrical Pacing

• The pace begins slowly, as Shakespeare sets up his dominoes. But as the repercussions of each action begin to be felt, the pace accelerates from the marriage on, right up to the suspenseful final moments in the Capulets' tomb.

Conclusion

• While many aspects of the play can be highlighted as making it a good example of Shakespeare (sex and violence and jokes never hurt a play or a movie's ticket sales), it's the playwright's use of TIME in Romeo and Juliet that makes it time-less.