Romeo

+Juliet

FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE

William Shakespeare’s

List of Major Characters

Romeo

+Juliet

List of Minor Characters

Setting

Themes

Symbolism

No Fear Shakespeare

Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare and the English Renaissance and Poetic Literary Terms

ROMEO AND JULIET“Two households, both alike in dignityIn fair Verona where we lay our scene” . . . . .

PLAY BACKGROUNDo Was one of Shakespeare’s

earliest playso It is a tragedy—there will

not be a happy endingo It is the most famous love

story of all time, BUT it is just as much about hate as it is about love

o The action takes place in 5 DAYS!

Montague Capulet

Lord Capulet Lady Capulet

Juliet

TybaltParis

Nurse

Mercutio

Lady Montague

Friar Lawrence

Benvolio

Romeo

Lord Montague

Minor Characters

Abram

Rosaline

Friar John

Prince EscalusPete

r

Sampson & Gregory

The Apothecary

Balthasar

Lord Montague

• Romeo’s father and the head of the Montague clan• He is a bitter enemy of the Capulet family.• Lord Montague is very concerned about Romeo’s

melancholy mood.• At the end of the play, Lord Montague has an

awakening about the family feud between his family and the Capulets.

Lady Montague• Romeo’s mother, as Romeo is her only child.• She expresses concern for Romeo’s sorrows with her

husband, Lord Montague and nephew, Benvolio.• She dies of grief after Romeo is exiled from Verona.

Romeo• The only son of Montague and Lady Montague. • Romeo is a teenager filled with sensitivity, intellect,

and very handsome.• Because of his young age, he is somewhat immature

and impulsive, but because of his passionate ways he is a very likeable character.

• At the beginning of the play he is in love with a lady named Rosaline, but once he sees Juliet he falls in love with her and forgets about Rosaline.

• Nothing else besides being with Juliet matters to Romeo, especially the family feud.

• He will stop at nothing to be with her for eternity.

Benvolio• Benvolio is Lord and Lady Montague’s nephew and

Romeo’s cousin.• He is also a very good and thoughtful friend to Romeo.• Benvolio takes on the role of being more of a

peacemaker, especially when he tries to defuse the fight between the Montague and Capulet servants.

Back to Family Trees

Balthasar• Montague servant, dedicated to Romeo• Tells Romeo the news of Juliet’s death• He is unaware that her death is just a ruse

Abram• Montague servant• Fights with Sampson and Gregory (Capulet servants)

in the first scene

Friar Lawrence• A Franciscan friar, friend to both Romeo and Juliet. • He is a kind and civic-minded.• Friar Lawrence secretly marries Romeo and Juliet in

hopes that the union might eventually bring peace to Verona.

• Friar Lawrence is also an expert in the use of seemingly mystical potions and herbs.

Back to Family Trees

Friar John• A Franciscan friar charged by Friar Lawrence with

taking the news of Juliet’s false death to Romeo in Mantua.

• He is held up in a quarantined house, and the message never reaches Romeo.

Escalus–Prince of Verona• A kinsman of Mercutio and Paris. • The seat of political power in Verona.• He is concerned about maintaining the public peace

at all costs.

Paris• Paris is the Prince’s kinsman.• He is Juliet’s suitor that Lord Capulet prefers.• When Lord Capulet promises Juliet’s hand in

marriage to him he begins to act like the two of them are already married.

• Paris meets his fate with Romeo in the final act.

Mercutio• He is a kinsman to the Prince, and Romeo’s close friend. • He is not related to the Montagues, but because of his

friendship with Romeo, he is acquainted with them.• Mercutio doesn’t understand Romeo’s deep feelings of

love and it seems like Mercutio is incapable of those feelings.

• He is murdered by Tybalt and says one of the famous quotes, “A plague on both your houses.”

• Mercutio can be hotheaded, and hates people who are affected, pretentious, or obsessed with the latest fashions.

Lord Capulet• Lord Capulet is the head of the Capulet family,

husband of Lady Capulet, and the father of Juliet.• He is the enemy of the Montagues.• While Lord Capulet loves Juliet, he believes he

knows what is best for his daughter, which would be her to marry Paris.

Lady Capulet• Lady Capulet is Juliet’s mother and wife of Lord

Capulet.• She does not have well developed maternal instincts

as she has the Nurse raise Juliet.• She is overly eager for Juliet to marry Paris even

though she knows it is not what Juliet wants.

Juliet• The beautiful aristocratic daughter of Lord and Lady

Capulet. • She quickly falls in love with Romeo, the son of her

family’s rival family.• Juliet is very close to her nurse and confides in her

about her love for Romeo.• Juliet is supposed to marry Paris and she is

determined to not allow that to happen.

Nurse• Juliet’s nurse has cared for her since Juliet was a

baby, even breast-fed her.• She is a comical character and also sentimental.• She has Juliet’s heart in her best interest and is

Juliet’s faithful confidante.

Peter• A Capulet servant who invites guests to Capulet’s

feast• He escorts the Nurse to meet with Romeo. • He is illiterate (cannot read or write), and a horrible

singer.

Tybalt• Tylbalt is Juliet’s cousin.• Tybalt is very vain, aggressive, and quick to become

violent.• He is very skilled with his sword.• He despises the Montagues.• Romeo kills Tybalt which leads to Romeo’s exile.

Sampson & Gregory• Servants of the Capulets• Despise the Montagues• Beginning of the play, they provoke the Montague men

into a fight

Rosaline• Romeo is initally infatuated with this woman• We never see Rosaline• She is supposedly very beautiful• Sworn to a life of chastity

The Apothacary• An apothecary in Mantua. • Sold Romeo the poison he took to commit suicide.• Values money over morals

Setting

Verona

Mantua

Elizabethan Era

Verona• The main setting of Romeo and

Juliet

• Located in Northern Italy

Mantua• Where Romeo was exiled to

• Located 30 miles south of Verona

• ROME — It could be humanity's oldest story of doomed love.• Archaeologists have unearthed two skeletons from the Neolithic

period locked in a tender embrace and buried outside Mantua, just 25 miles south of Verona, the romantic city where Shakespeare set the star-crossed tale of Romeo and Juliet.

• Buried between 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, the prehistoric lovers are believed to have been a man and a woman and are thought to have died young, as their teeth were found intact, said Elena Menotti, the archaeologist who led the dig.

Themes

Love

Death

Violence

Fate vs. Free Will

Marriage

Violence

• A few main violent images brought about by the work is that it is unfair, universal, and overpowering, yet it also ultimately serves as a sense of hope and rebirth.

• "civil blood makes civil hands unclean" (prologue).  – Violence is effecting the citizen of Verona who are not involved

in the feud

• “fire-eyed fury be my conduct now” (III, i, 123)– Romeo stated, instead of rationally thinking– As a result of saying this, the feud remains, and the battle

continues.  

• “poor sacrifices of our enmity” (V, iii, 303)– The violent deaths of Romeo and Juliet is what opens up the

eyes of their two fathers, as Lord Capulet looks at Romeo and Juliet’s lifeless bodies

– Thus the only way that they learn is through the horrible deaths of their children, which ultimately serves to end the feud. 

– This sickening and depressing image turns violence into a vision of hope almost--in that after war comes peace, and after violence comes rebirth.

Death

• Lady Montague dies of grief• Mercutio is killed by Tybalt• Romeo kills Tybalt and Paris• Romeo and Juliet commit suicide

• Death is considered a part of life• These deaths were considered foolish and

unnecessary• Death is used to teach the lesson that the family

feud between the Montagues and Capulets was foolish and it took death, which is the ultimate price living being pay, to teach the families that the feud needed to end

Marriage

• Romeo and Juliet marry for love, a choice that is standard today. But in the world of the play, marriage for love, rather than money or social position, was a radical and dangerous choice. Romeo and Juliet, the children of rival families, fall in love against their parents' wishes and marry in secret. Their union reflects a new focus on individual passion and inner conviction – and in the play, it comes dangerously in conflict with social and familial expectations. Romeo and Juliet pay a heavy price for marrying for love – their clandestine union propels the lovers towards their tragic deaths.

Marriage (Cont)

• Romeo and Juliet marry for love, a choice that is typical of today’s marriages and was considered radical and dangerous

• In Shakespeare’s time, marriage was a choice that was made for the purpose of money or social position.

• Romeo and Juliet fall in love against their parents' wishes and marry in secret, which is a dangerous conflict with their social and family expectations.

• Their marriage reflects a new focus on individual passion and inner conviction.

• Romeo and Juliet pay a heavy price for marrying for love, which ultimately leads to their death (another theme of Romeo and Juliet).

Fate

• Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed”—that is to say that fate (a power often vested in the movements of the stars) controls them (Prologue.6). This sense of fate permeates the play, and not just for the audience. The characters also are quite aware of it: Romeo and Juliet constantly see omens.

• When Romeo believes that Juliet is dead, he cries out, “Then I defy you, stars,” completing the idea that the love between Romeo and Juliet is in opposition to the decrees of destiny (5.1.24). Of course, Romeo’s defiance itself plays into the hands of fate, and his determination to spend eternity with Juliet results in their deaths.

• The mechanism of fate works in all of the events surrounding the lovers:

• The feud between their families (it is worth noting that this hatred is never explained; rather, the reader must accept it as an undeniable aspect of the world of the play);

• The horrible series of accidents that ruin Friar Lawrence’s seemingly well-intentioned plans at the end of the play

• The tragic timing of Romeo’s suicide and Juliet’s awakening. • These events are not mere coincidences, but rather manifestations

of fate that help bring about the unavoidable outcome of the young lovers’ deaths.

Love• The play focuses on romantic love, specifically the intense

passion that springs up at first sight between Romeo and Juliet.

• In the course of the play, the young lovers are driven to defy their entire social world:

– families (“Deny thy father and refuse thy name,” Juliet asks, “Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, / And I’ll no longer be a Capulet”);

– friends (Romeo abandons Mercutio and Benvolio after the feast in order to go to Juliet’s garden); and ruler (Romeo returns to Verona for Juliet’s sake after being exiled by the Prince on pain of death in 2.1.76–78).

– Love is the overriding theme of the play, but a reader should always remember that Shakespeare is uninterested in portraying a prettied-up, dainty version of the emotion, the kind that bad poets write about, and whose bad poetry Romeo reads while pining for Rosaline.

– Love in Romeo and Juliet is a brutal, powerful emotion that captures individuals and catapults them against their world, and, at times, against themselves.

Symbolism

PoisonFlowers

Darkness & Light

Thumb biting

Sacred Garden

Queen Mab

Stars Birds

Darkness & Light• When Romeo initially sees Juliet, he compares her

immediately to the brilliant light of the torches and tapers that illuminate Capulet's great hall: " O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!" (1.4.46). Juliet is the light that frees him from the darkness of his perpetual melancholia.

• In the famous balcony scene Romeo associates Juliet with sunlight, "It is the east and Juliet is the sun!" (2.2.3), daylight, "The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars/As daylight doth a lamp" (2.2.20-1), and the light emanating from angels, "O speak again bright angel" (2.2.26).

• In turn, Juliet compares their new-found love to lightening (2.2.120), primarily to stress the speed at which their romance is moving, but also to suggest that, as the lightening is a glorious break in the blackness of the night sky, so too is their love a flash of wondrous luminance in an otherwise dark world -- a world where her every action is controlled by those around her.

… more Darkness & Light

• When the Nurse does not arrive fast enough with news about Romeo, Juliet laments that love's heralds should be thoughts "Which ten times faster glides than the sun's beams/Driving back shadows over lowering hills" (2.5.4-5). Here, the heralds of love that will bring comforting news about her darling are compared to the magical and reassuring rays of sun that drive away unwanted shadows.

• Juliet also equates Romeo and the bond that they share with radiant light. In a common play on words, she begs Romeo to "not impute this yielding to light love/Which the dark night hath so discovered" (2.2.105-6), again comparing their mutual feelings of love to bright and comforting light .

• Having no fear of the darkness, Juliet proclaims that night can “Take [Romeo] and cut him out

into 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 garrish sun.” (3.2.23-6)

Thumb Biting

• Act I, Scene I• The equivalent of today's "flipping the bird,"

"thumb-biting" was seen as a juvenile gesture, showing that the one making the gesture thought very shallowly about the situation at have. In can be assumed that such a person did not think to the consequences or much past that on their actions.

• The pointless gesture helps to show how foolish the feud is. It's thought that this was Shakespeare's way of saying that such feuds, and possible violence in general, was an immature practice.

• Shakespeare never mentions why the Capulets and Montagues are feuding over. That in itself is symbolic of showing how they have been fighting so long nobody can offer up a reason for their fighting. They may not even know why they are fighting.

Flowers

• "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." – Juliet compares Romeo to a rose. If Romeo’s last name was

not a Montague he would still be a sweet person.– Use of personification. – Juliet indicates that if a rose was called by another name, it

would still be a rose.

• Paris is compared by Lady Capulet and the Nurse as a flower that is so beautiful that even summer can't offer up a flower that is that beautiful.

• Shakespeare compares Romeo and Paris to flowers– They are Juliet’s suitors– Romeo is further symbolized by a specific flower.– Paris is further symbolized by just being any type of flower.

He is not special enough to Juliet.

…and more Flowers

• “bud of love” --------- “beauteous flower”– Juliet compares her affection for Romeo – Symbolic of her affection growing from an immature point

to a fully developed point

• “a serpent hid with a flowering face”– The flowering face symbolizes the Romeo Juliet fell in love

with but the image of the serpent is symbolic of the man that is capable of killing her cousin.

• Juliet’s bridal flowers– Paradox: a statement or concept that contains conflicting

ideas.– What was once her bridal flowers are now her funeral

flowers

Queen Mab• Queen Mab is the leader of the fairy realm. • Mercutio delivers tail about the fairy queen and the

dreams that she brings to sleepers. In these dreams she indulges them in whatever vices they have whether it be greed, violence, or lust.

• Emphasis is put on Queen Mab's very small size.• Queen Mab is symbolic of fantasies, day dreams,

and desires, it's easy to that Shakespeare views these as equally tiny and fantastic because of her size.

• Queen Mab is nothing but "bad news,“ and that fantasies, day dreams, and desires are also negative.

• Romeo and Juliet’s lust for each other is bad news because of the resolution of the play.

Poison• Poison is seen in three ways:

– Love as infectious poison– Poison as a physical poisoning– Poision of money that affects societal values and

boundaries

• “take thou some new infection to thy eye, And the rank poison of the old will die.”

– Symbolic of foreshadowing the love Romeo and Juliet will share and the events to come

– Benvolio offers this up as advice: “move on from Rosaline”

– Foreshadows Romeo taking up a new love and she will “infect” his life.

– The concept of poison used through love shows how Romeo will not be rational when it comes to

love

Sacred Garden• The significance of the balcony scene in Shakespeare's play

Romeo and Juliet is mainly to illustrate an important tragic flaw the lovers possess, which is impulsiveness. A tragic flaw is a personality weakness that leads to the death or destruction of a character. This scene shows how young and impulsive Romeo and Juliet are and how this impulsiveness leads to their untimely deaths. The moment Romeo and Juliet meet to the time they perish all occurs within five days. That's it. In the balcony scene, they have met only moments before at Lord Capulet's party. They meet up again after the party in Juliet's garden and immediately profess their love for each other and decide to marry. They have just met and have already decided to marry the next day. This scene shows just how young and impulsive the two young lovers are. It also sets the stage for the “Sacred Garden,” the only place that Romeo & Juliet are able to find solace.

During the play, Paris is compared by Lady Capulet and the Nurse as a flower that is so beautiful that even summer can't offer up a flower that is that exquisite. Shakespeare brilliantly uses the flower and the rose as symbols for the two suitors for Juliet's hand. Romeo is given the symbol of a specific flower and Paris just a flower. As a result it symbolizes that Juliet sees Paris as just one flower in the garden rather than "thee" flower for her.

STARS• Stars appear to the human eye as a distant twinkling realm

that is greater than them. In the prologue the audience is told that the lovers are "star-crossed". It was believed that a person's destiny was determined by the stars and by saying that Romeo and Juliet were "star-crossed" Shakespeare is saying that the stars of destiny worked against the two lovers.

• Right before attending the Capulet party Romeo indicates that he feels that "my mind misgives some consequence hanging in the stars". This again reinforces the symbolism of the stars controlling the fates of the two lovers.

• Juliet at one point wishes that she could cut Romeo out in little stars, because if she could everyone would be in love with night. Later Romeo compares Juliet's eyes to two of the brightest in the heavens.

• As Juliet contemplates the dilemma of being married to Romeo, who has been banished with being forced into a marriage with Paris, she asks, "Is there no pity sitting in the clouds?" With this Juliet wonders why the stars seem to be against them. She wonders why there is no pity in the stars for the two lovers.

• Romeo receives word that Juliet has been laid to rest in the Capulet tomb. Deciding to take control of his fate, Romeo says that he defies the stars. No longer will he put his life in the hands of fate. This symbolizes his plan to kill himself too.

Birds• Another symbol from nature that Shakespeare incorporates in the play

is references to birds. Juliet is called a ladybird by the nurse.• Mercutio excuses Romeo of playing with his words by sending his wits

on a wild goose chase.• As Juliet waits for the Nurse's return with word from Romeo she

describes that the words of love are born by the dove who may not be the swiftest bird there is.

• With the unfortunate death of Mercutio, Romeo describes it as the day's "black fate".

• Another paradox Juliet uses to describe Romeo after he kills Tybalt is a doved feathered raven. With this symbolism she once again portrays Romeo as appearing sweet and innocent and being of a different character beneath those innocent feathers.

• Shakespeare uses the symbolism of a nightingale and lark to symbolize night and morning to the newly married couple. Juliet knows that if is the lark that she hears that Romeo must leave.

• Shakespeare rightfully ends to play with the Prince using a light symbolism

• "A glooming peace this morning with it brings;The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:For never was a story of more woeThan this of Juliet and her Romeo"

• Shakespeare brings the play full circle. It is right that he would end the play indicating that a world without Romeo and Juliet had no sunrise for there never was a tale of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

More Romeo & Juliet NotesKnow all of the following:

1) Romeo and his friends go to the Capulet party to disrupt it.

2) In the beginning of the play Romeo is in Love with Rosaline.

3) Prince Escalus promises death to anyone disturbs the streets again.

4) Know that Benvolio tries to end the fight between the Capulets & Montagues in the beginning of the play.

5) In the beginning of the play who fights with Benvolio?

6) In the Prologue what does the Chorus explain?

7) Benvolio wants Romeo to go to the Capulet’s party to meet a new girl so that he can forget about Rosaline.

8) In the Balcony Scene, Romeo and Juliet agree to do what?

9) Romeo compares Juliet to the Sun.

10] Mercutio makes fun of Romeo because Romeo is in love.

11] At the party who tells Romeo who Juliet is? Who tells Juliet who Romeo is?

12] Tybalt notices Romeo at the party and wants him to leave

More Romeo & Juliet NotesKnow all of the following:

13] Romeo and Juliet are only shown together in the darkness and are

always apart in the light. (With the exception of their daytime marriage

in the Friar’s chambers)

14] The story of Romeo & Juliet takes place in Verona Italy

15] The Chorus is a character that sings a Sonnet at the beginning of the play.

16] The heads of the Capulet and Montague families do not join in the fight at the beginning of the play because their wives hold them back.

17] Romeo and Juliet is a Shakespearean Tragedy

18] When we first see Romeo, he is lovesick over Rosalind.

19] Juliet is 13 years of age

20]Lord Capulet wants Juliet to marry Paris

21]How does Friar Lawrence react to Romeo’s intentions to marry Juliet?

22] Friar Lawrence only helps R & J because he believes that their marriage will bring the two families together.

More Romeo & Juliet NotesKnow all of the following:

23] Romeo doesn’t want to fight Tybalt because he has married into his family.

24] Mercutio fights Tybalt because he feels that Romeo isn’t himselfand can’t fight.

25] Benvolio tells the Prince the truth about what happened at the fight

26] The Nurse confuses Juliet Making her think that Romeo is dead

27] Juliet’s first reaction to Romeo killing Tybalt is hate for Romeo.

28) Romeo feels that banishment (exile) is worse than death

29] Lord Capulet Moves Juliet’s wedding date up to help her get over her sorrow for Tybalt’s death.

30] The bird singing while Romeo stands below Juliet’s balcony is important because if it is a Lark that sings, then it is early morning and Romeo must leave before it becomes light outside.

31] Juliet refuses to marry Paris when she hears that the wedding plans have been moved up.

32] Juliet’s parents are furious at her because of her refusal to wed Paris

More Romeo & Juliet NotesKnow all of the following:

33] The Nurse tries to convince Juliet to marry Paris.

34] After hearing the Nurse’s advice, Juliet no longer considers her as a friend.

35] The Friar decides to help Juliet and tells her not to forget about Romeo because he has devised a plan so that the two of them can be together.

36] Juliet fears that after taking the sleeping potion that she will wake up too soon.

37] The Nurse discovers Juliet's body still and lifeless on her bed

38] Romeo thinks Juliet is dead because Balthasar tells him so

39] Apothecary sells Romeo the poison because he needs the money.

40] Friar Laurence gives Friar John a letter for Romeo, but when Friar John arrives in Mantua and goes to a convent of his brotherhood to get a companion, he is not allowed to leave because a brother of the order had recently died of the plague. He can’t leave the city because it is quarantined. Friar John, who doesn't know what is in the letter, is worried, but thinks he can deliver the letter the next day, which is of course too late. Romeo never gets the message and Balthasar tells him of Juliet’s death. (Remember, Juliet isn’t really dead just sleeping but Romeo doesn’t know this. This is a great example of Dramatic Irony where the audience knows something that the characters don’t.

More Romeo & Juliet NotesKnow all of the following:

41] Paris wants some time to grieve Juliet's death and wants to put flowers on the tomb

42} When the Friar arrives at the Tomb he tries to convince Juliet to leave with him. Later she stabs herself. Lady Montague dies from grief over Romeo’s banishment.

43) The Friar goes before the Prince and explains the whole story from beginning to end. Balthasar confirms the story and presents Romeo's letter to the Prince. The Prince finds Romeo's letter to confirm the Friar's words, and he speaks harshly to the Montagues and Capulets. Because of their hatred toward each other, they have sacrificed their most beloved. The Prince forgives the Friar because he is a holy man. The two families realize their wrong-doings, and join hands as they grieve. They make gold statues in honor of their children. The Prince concludes the story by commenting on how high a price has been paid for peace in Verona. Six characters die during the play. Five of these die on stage.

Note: Some may have died in the fight scene in Act I, Scene 1; Mercutio -- Mercutio is stabbed by Tybalt, in a public square in Verona. Tybalt (Prince of Cats) -- Tybalt is stabbed by Romeo, in a public square in Verona. Paris -- Paris is stabbed by Romeo, in front of the Capulet's tomb, at night. Lady Montague -- "Grief" over her son's banishment "stopped up her breath." Romeo -- Romeo drinks a poison, in the Capulet's tomb. Juliet -- Juliet stabs herself, in the Capulet's tomb.

Elizabethan Era

• Under the reign of Queen Elizabeth of England

• Her ruling was from 1558-1603

• This time period was considered a golden age in history

• Great emphasis on poetry and music

• Also the age of William Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Theatre

• It was an age of exploration and expansion

The Italian Renaissance

influenced the English

Renaissance

Henry VIII is the King at the start of the English Renaissance, his children ruled during most of this period, the era ended soon after all of his children were dead

William Shakespeare was

born while Elizabeth was

Queen and became wealthy

through King James I

THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE AND

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

How The Great Bard Was Born

“He was not of an age,

but for all time”

Ben Johnson on William Shakespeare

WILLIAM

SHAKESPEARE CIRCA 1609

The most famous writer in history was just as influenced by the culture he was

born into as he influences modern culture. In learning about his life and

reading his works, we learn about ourselves

and about human nature. It is no

mistake that every high school student in

this country studies Shakespeare. He is

quite simply the best and you are about to experience the power

of his writings.

Know the structure of a Shakespearean Sonnet

a Two households, both alike in dignity,b In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,a From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,b Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.c From forth the fatal loins of these two foesd A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;c Whose misadventured piteous overthrowsd Do with their death bury their parents' strife.e The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,f And the continuance of their parents' rage,e Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,f Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;g The which if you with patient ears attend,g What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

• Has to be 14 lines • Contains 3 “quatrains”• Every other line rhymes except the last two lines rhyme together.

Rhyming Scheme : ababcdcdefefgg• Has a Rhyming Couplet at the end (lines gg)

• Contains Iambic Pentameter - An iamb is a metrical unit made up of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEAREApril 23, 1564-April 23, 1616

Biography: William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was born in April 1564 in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, on England’s Avon River. When he was eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway. The couple had three children—their older daughter Susanna and the twins Judith and Hamnet. Hamnet, Shakespeare’s only son, died in childhood.

The bulk of Shakespeare’s working life was spent, not in Stratford, but in the theater world of London, where he established himself professionally by the early 1590s. He enjoyed success not only as a playwright, but as an actor and shareholder in an acting company. Sometime between 1610 and 1613, Shakespeare is thought to have retired from the stage and returned home to Stratford, where he died in 1616.

Biography: William Shakespeare Only two images of Shakespeare are considered reliable likenesses: the Martin Droeshout engraving in the 1623 First Folio, and Shakespeare’s memorial bust at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford.

* William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1564* Growing up, Shakepeare's favorite collection of stories was Ovid’s Metamorphoses* Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582* Shakespeare's children are named Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet. * Hamnet, his only son, died in 1596* 1592- Shakespeare moves to London* 1594- Shakespeare joins the Lord Chamberlain's Men, an acting troupe* Shakespeare's sonnets, often viewed as the best example of English romantic poetry, reveal an infatuation with a young man and a 'dark lady.'* One theory is that some of the sonnets were written for the Earl of Southampton, perhaps to convince him to have children

Biography: William Shakespeare

* Shakespeare could realistically only have gone back to stay with his family in Stafford-upon-Avon during the 40 days of Lent• When King James I ascended to the throne in 1603, Shakespeare's group of players

became The King's Men• Shakespeare effectively retired in 1613 after the original Globe Theater burned

down• Shakespeare died in 1616, supposedly after overindulging in wine and pickled

herring• His will granted his wife ownership of 'his second best bed,' which has sparked

debate for years* Ben Jonson, Shakespeare's strongest critic, competitor, and friend, helps publish the First Folio, the earliest compilation of Shakespeare's plays, in 1623 the first film adaptation of Shakespeare's work (King John) was produced in 1899

More Facts About William Shakespeare

Shakespeare: Wrote 37 plays 400 years ago and many Sonnets

Shakespeare: born and died on the same day of the month, April 23

Shakespeare: Many of his plays were put on in the Globe Theater, which is still    

                       standing today. Plays were mainly performed at night, women couldn’t

                        be in the plays. His plays were made for the eyes and not the ears, so it

                      wasn’t uncommon for the audience to be noisy and comment out loud

                      about the play’s actions. Some critics believe that Shakespeare did not  

                      write all of his plays.

SHAKESPEARE’S CAREER• Wrote comedies, tragedies,

histories, and romances (not what you think)

• Also wrote 154 sonnets and several narrative poems all dedicated to Sir Henry Wriothesley

• He was an actor, writer, director, and business man

• Became known for his imaginative use of language and timelessness

THE FIVE PROVABLE FACTS ABOUT SHAKESPEARE

• He was baptized on April 26, 1564– There were no such things as birth certificates at this

time. However, babies were usually baptized three days after their birth—hence Shakespeare’s birth date of April 23, 1564

• He was married at the age of 18 to 26 year old Anne Hathaway (she was pregnant)

• He fathered three children (two girls, one boy)– His son died young

• He was part owner of the Globe Theater• He died on April 23, 1616

IT IS A MYSTERY . . . • Everything else that is “known” about the world’s

greatest writer is speculation, best guesses, and agreed upon facts.

• Due to the lack of actual evidence of Shakespeare’s life, many people have questioned whether he really existed or not. – The collection of works credited to him are all too

similar to be the works of more than one person.• Others argue that Shakespeare could not have been

smart enough to write such important literature. – Pure genius is often misunderstood

EDUCATED GUESSES ON THE REST OF SHAKESPEARE’S BIOGRAPHY

• William Shakespeare was one of seven children born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden

• He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon• His family was respected and wealthy—but not noble• He attended grammar school and learned Latin

– There is no evidence of further education beyond this• By the early 1590’s Shakespeare had left his wife and three children in

Stratford-upon-Avon and traveled over 100 miles away to London to pursue his acting and writing career. He lived there for most of his adult life.– His marriage was not great—he rarely went home to visit his wife and upon

his death, he willed Anne his SECOND-BEST bed. Everything else went to his daughters.

• He became VERY wealthy in his life time which afforded him the chance to buy his family’s coat of arms (a sign of nobility) and the largest estate in Stratford.

• His patrons included Sir Henry Wriothesley and King James I

EFFECTS OF THE MONARCHY• Shakespeare had to adjust his

writings based on who was in power in England.

• Under Elizabeth—women were portrayed as strong, Catholicism was mocked, marriage was not made to be the ultimate goal for characters

• Under James—the practice of courtiership was mocked and Shakespeare was freer to fully develop his characters

Learn More about Shakespeare and his times by going to the URLs listed below and reading Shakespeare's The Mini Page

http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cgi-bin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/minipage&CISOPTR=2963&CISOMODE=printhttp://nieonline.com/coloradonie/downloads/minipage/minipage4.23.14.pdf

http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cgi-bin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/minipage&CISOPTR=2963&CISOMODE=print

http://nieonline.com/coloradonie/downloads/minipage/minipage4.23.14.pdf

THE RENAISSANCE PERIOD

THE RENAISSANCE PERIODRenaissance literally means “rebirth”

Rebirth of classical literature and art forms

A Renaissance occurs when life is good (people are not fighting for survival)

It is a high time for art and literature

ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

• Occurred from 1300-1550 A.D.• Marked as high time in art

(THINK Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo)

• Authors: Petrarch (sonnets) and Castiglione (courtier book)

• Influenced the English Renaissance Period

ENGLISH RENAISSANCE• Occurred between 1400-1600

A.D.• Began with Henry VIII and ended

with King James I• Highest point occurred during

Queen Elizabeth I’s reign• High time in literature: Sidney,

Spencer, Marlow, Shakespeare• Courtiers (professional kiss-ups)

were very important • Social classes were strictly

enforced• Theaters thrived but were

considered low-class

SOCIAL MOBILITY• During this time period, it

was nearly impossible to rise above your birth—if you were born a peasant, you died a peasant.

• Family name and nobility were very important

• One way to try and rise above your birth was through the practice of patronage—though how far you could rise was pre-determined by your family name.

THE TUDORSEnglish Reformation and Renaissance

HENRY VIII• From the Tudor line• Had SIX wives: Catherine of

Aragon(divorced), Anne Boleyn(beheaded), Jane Seymore (died), Ann of Cleves(divorced), Kathryn Howard (beheaded), Katherine Parr (survived)

• Divorced the Catholic Church in order to marry his mistress

• Wanted a male heir• Fathered two daughters (Mary

and Elizabeth) and one son (Edward)

• Was Catholic, Protestant, Catholic, Protestant . . . .

PRINCE EDWARD

• The sole male heir to Henry’s throne

• He was Protestant and upheld this faith in the country once in power

• Was ill and died shortly after gaining the throne

• Left behind no heir (too young to do so)

BLOODY MARY• After Edward’s short reign

and early death, Mary took the English throne.

• Devoutly Catholic and looking to vindicate her mother (Henry’s first wife), Mary vowed to wipe out Protestantism.

• Ordered the mass execution of Protestants to restore the Catholic faith.

• Died of cancer

QUEEN ELIZABETH I• “Bastard” Queen, daughter of

Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn• Was both acknowledged and

disowned by her father when he was alive

• Devoutly Protestant• “Virgin Queen”—never married,

used her feminine wiles to gain and maintain power

• The art of flirtation became a lucrative enterprise during her reign

• Encouraged poetry and theater• Powerful, wise, and important

monarch• Sustained many plots against her

life

KING JAMES I• Was Queen

Elizabeth’s Godson, inherited her throne.

• Patron of theater—Shakespeare’s King’s Men were his favorite acting troupe.

• Solidified the Protestant faith with the creation of the King James Bible

VOCABULARY

Understanding the Five Types of Love

A) Unrequited love: Romeo for Rosaline, Paris for Juliet

B) Romantic love: Romeo and Juliet

C) Parental love: The Capulet for Juliet, The Montague for Romeo, Nurse for Juliet

D) Friendship: Romeo & Benvolio, Romeo & Mercutio, Romeo & Friar, Nurse & Juliet

E) love of family honor: Tybalt, Mercutio, Romeo      

Know the following Literary Terms

Review Literary Term Definitions by going to the follow link: http://abcusdcerritoshsmarzo.weebly.com/vocab.html

Also, you can study Literary Term Definitions at Quizlethttp://quizlet.com/43209225/poetic-literary-devices-flash-cards/