Title: An Introduction to William Shakespeare and the Tragedy of Romeo
1An Introduction to William Shakespeare and the
Tragedy of Romeo Juliet
2(No Transcript)
3This presentation will
- inform you about the life and work of the
mysterious William Shakespeare. - provide you details about Elizabethan society and
theater. - define basic terminology related to Shakespearean
poetry and drama.
4April 23, 1564 William Shakespeare was born in
Stratford-on-Avon to John and Mary Shakespeare.
There is a baptismal registration for
Shakespeare, but few other written records exist.
He was the 3rd of 8 children.
5Much of Shakespeares younger years remain a
mystery, but there are rumors about what jobs he
may have worked.
Lawyer
Schoolmaster
Butcher Apprentice
Lawyer
61582 According to church records, Shakespeare
married Anne Hathaway.
At the time of their marriage, William was
eighteen and Anne was twenty-six.
7William and Anne have three children together
(Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith).
Shakespeare left his family in 1591 to pursue
writing in London.
August 1596 young Hamnet died at the age of
eleven. The cause of his death is unknown.
Susanna
Hamnet
Judith
8In 1592, Shakespeare began developing a
reputation as an actor and playwright.
As theatres were beginning to grow in popularity,
it is probable that Shakespeare began earning a
living writing plays (adapting old ones and
working with others on new ones).
91594 William became involved with a company of
actors named The Lord Chamberlains Men. This
group later (1603) changed their name to The
Kings Men.
10In 1598, Shakespeare, in collaboration with other
actors, designed and built The Globe.
This circular theatre was the first of its kind,
breaking away from the traditional rectangular
theatres.
111612 Shakespeare moved back to Stratford where
he retired both rich and famous.
121616 William Shakespeare dies on his birthday.
13At the time of his death, Shakespeare is said to
have written around 37 plays and 154 sonnets. He
is also known to have contributed over two
thousand words to the English language.
Sniffledorfen
14Shakespeare is also known to have written around
884 words throughout all of his works.
15Good frend for Jesus sake forbeare To digg the
dust encloasedheare Bleste be ye man that
spares thes stones And curst be he that moves my
bones.
16Which do you prefer?
17Or..
18Shakespearean Theater The Globe
Romeo, RomeoWhere for art thou Romeo?
19Elizabethan Theatre Fun Facts
- The First Elizabethan Theater The Wooden O
- Built in 1576, first permanent stage in London
- Built by James Burbage
- Shaped in form of a tavern
- 1599 theatre torn down, but Shakespeares company
used it to build The Globe Theatre
20Elizabethan Theatre Fun Facts
- The Globe
- Round/polygonal building with a roofless
courtyard - No artificial light
- Three stories high upper levels were for the
weathy - The groundlings paid a penny a piece to stand
on the floor in front of the stage (800 people) - Large platform stage
- Back of platform was curtained off inner stage
- Two door entrances/exits on either side of
curtain - Small balcony/upper stage
- Elaborate costumes but no props
- Young boys played the parts of women women
werent allowed to be actors
21Fire and Rediscovery
- Shakespeares Globe burned down, but its
foundation was discovered in 1990. It gave us
many clues to the Elizabethan experience such as
hazelnut shells! A replica has since been
rebuilt. You can visit it and see a play today.
22Dramatic Terminology
- Tragedy A narrative about serious and important
actions that end unhappily, usually with the
death of the main characters. - The play is broken up into acts and the acts are
broken up into scenes. - Monologue A long uninterrupted speech given by
one character onstage to everyone. - Soliloquy A long uninterrupted speech given by
one character alone on stage, inaudible to other
characters - Aside A short speech given by one character,
traditionally the other characters cannot hear.
23Dramatic Terminology
- Pun A humorous play on words
- After that poisonous snake struck at me in the
Arizona Desert I was really rattled. A gossip is
someone with a great sense of rumor. - A carpenter must have been here. I saw dust.
- Energizer Bunny arrested - charged with battery.
- Corduroy pillows are making headlines.
- The executioner decided to drop out of
Executioner School. It was just too cut throat
for him. - He who farts in church sits in his own pew.
24Dramatic Terminology
- Dramatic Foil A pair of characters who are
opposite in many ways and highlight or exaggerate
each others differences.
25Poetic Terminology
- Blank Verse Unrhymed meter unrhymed iambic
pentameter specifically. - Iambic Meter Each unstressed syllable is
followed by a stressed syllable. - Couplets Two consecutive lines that rhyme (aa bb
cc). Usually followed when a character leaves or
a scene ends. - End-stopped Line Has some form of punctionat at
the end of the line (,.!?). - Run-on Line Has NO punctuation at the end of the
line and meaning is continued to following lines. - Sonnet A fourteen line poem using iambic
pentameter and the following rhyme scheme abab
cdcd efef gg.
26Poetic Terminology
- Internal Rhyme Words rhyming inside one line.
- End Line Rhyme Words rhyming at the end of
consecutive lines. - Perfect vs. Slant Rhyme ball hall are a
perfect rhyme (end sounds the same). Ball bell
are slant rhymes (beginning and end sounds the
same middle sound is different). - Alliteration the repetition of the same
beginning consonants - Assonance the repetition of the same vowel
sounds in the middle of words - Consonance the repetition of the same ending
consonants - Onomatopoeia words that are spelled much like
how they sound.
27Shakespeares 5 Part Storytelling Pattern
Act III Crisis/Turning Point A series of
complications
Act IV Falling Action Results of the turning
point characters locked into deeper disaster
Act II Rising Action A series of complications
Act I Exposition Establishes setting,
characters, conflict, and background
Act V Climax/Resolution/Denouement Death of the
main characters and then the loose parts of the
plot are tied up
28Tips for UnderstandingRomeo and Juliet
- Romeo and Juliet is based on Arthur Brookes long
narrative poem the Tragicall Historye of Romeus
and Juliet (1562). - The play has a highly moral tone disobedience,
as well as fate, leads to the deaths of two
lovers.
29Motifs in Romeo and Juliet
- Power of Love
- Violence from Passion
- The Individual vs. Society
- The Inevitability of Fate
30MONTAGUE vs. CAPULET
- Romeo
- Lord Montague (his dad)
- Lady Montague (his mom)
- Mercutio (friend)
- Benvolio (cousin)
- Juliet
- Lord Capulet (her father)
- Lady Capulet (her mother)
- Tybalt (cousin)
- Nurse
31A Pair of Star Crossed Lovers
My only love sprung from my only hate! Too
early seen unknown , and known too late!
Juliet Act I, Scene V
32FIN
33ROMEO AND JULIET
34Prologue
- Two households, both alike in dignity,in fair
Verona, where we lay our scene,from ancient
grudge break to new mutiny,where civil blood
makes civil hands unclean.From forth the fatal
loins of these two foesA pair of star-cross'd
lovers take their lifeWhose misadventured
piteous overthrowsdo with their death bury their
parents' strife.The fearful passage of their
death-mark'd love,and the continuance of their
parents' rage,which, but their children's end,
nought could remove,is now the two hours'
traffic of our stage. - http//shakespeare.mit.edu/romeo_juliet/full.html