ROMEO AND JULIET

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ROMEO AND JULIET
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The story

• Written and presented - 1595 (1597)
• Setting - 15th century Verona, Italy
• 2 noble families - the Capulets (Juliet) and the
  Montagues (Romeo)
• A feud of senseless pride and hatred between the
  two families

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• Romeo - love-lorn youth who loves Rosaline
• Begins to grow up when he meets Juliet
• Offers friendship to his enemy, Tybalt
• Defends the nurse against the verbal abuse by
  Mercutio
• Juliet - matured by her love for Romeo brave
  and determined when challenged by love
  

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Tragic flaw

• Romeos faults are his undoing
• Too impatienthot-tempered
• Acts without thinking
• Impulsiveness brings tragedy

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Lessons

• Comment on the generation gap - children and
  parents dont communicate
• Romeo doesnt ask his dad for help when he is in
  trouble
• Juliet does not speak honestly to her parents
  about her love for Romeo
• They turn to the nurse and the friar instead of
  their parents

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• Youth and love are defeated by hatred and
  misunderstanding
• Love and understand one another before its too
  late
• Make each moment count for it will never come
  again

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More than a love story

• About life itself
• We fight with parents
• We arent always nice to our friends
• We get bored and try to pick fights
• We fall in love and it doesnt work out

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Universal motifs

• Life / death
• Love / hate
• Youth / old age
• Light / dark
• The role of fate in our lives
• Duality of nature
• Flower poison / medicine
• Deaths of Romeo and Juliet tragedy / new life
• Friars help suffering

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NOTHING IS PURELY GOOD OR EVIL

• ROMEO AND JULIET ARE THE WORLDS MOST POPULAR
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