Romeo and Juliet

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Romeo and Juliet

• By
• Zachary Isaacs

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Notes About Romeo and Juliet

• Plot not conceived by Shakespeare
• Dramatization of Arthur Brookes narrative poem
  The Tragicall History of Romeus and Juliet
• Written around 1594
• First printed edition appeared in 1597 in a bad
  quarto

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Publishing in His Time

• Rarely were entire copies of the script available
  due to cost
• Actors knew own lines and cues only
• Drama not meant to be read as serious literature
• Shakespeares plays were printed (often without
  his permission) in quartos
• Compiled in First Folio (1623)

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Gustave Freytags Pyramid

• From Die Technik des Dramas (1863)
• Divided drama into five parts which correspond to
  the five acts
• These parts are
• Exposition (Act I)
• Rising action (Act II)
• Climax (Act III)
• Falling action (Act IV)
• Denouement or catastrophe (Act V)

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DRAMATIC STRUCTURE
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Exposition

• The exposition provides the background
  information necessary to understand the play.
• The protagonist(s), the basic conflict, the
  setting, and other dramatic elements are all
  introduced in this portion of the play.

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Exposition in RJ

• Prologue explains the plot mini-play
• ancient grudge
• star-crossd lovers
• Setting of Verona
• Internal and external conflicts
• The gravity of Prince Escalus
• All characters introduced and developed
• Love lives of Romeo and Juliet (Rosaline and
  Paris)
• Foreshadowing (Tybalts anger)

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Inciting Moment
The Spark

• The inciting moment is the event that sets the
  remainder of the story in motion
• Occurs at the end of the exposition (Act I)
• In Sophocles Oedipus Rex the oracle
• In RJ the meeting of Romeo and Juliet
• Without their meeting at the party, the rest of
  the story is impossible

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Rising Action

• Rising action is the period in which events
  intensify and/or complicate the conflict.
• In Oedipus Rex Oedipus kills Laius, solves
  Sphinxs riddle, marries Jocasta

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Rising Action in RJ

• Romeo is enamored of Juliet and pays her a
  late-night visit
• Act II, Scene II famous balcony scene
• The two make wedding plans
• Act II ends with Friar Laurence about to perform
  marriage ceremony

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Its complicated

• Romeo is in love with Juliet, a Capulet
• Juliet understands this (doff thy name)
• The Rosaline factor
• Tybalt sends challenge to Montague house
• Nurse and Friar implicated

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Climax

• Turning or tipping point
• Zenith of tension and emotion
• Peripateia plot reversal
• Hamartia tragic flaw
• Anagnorisis tragic recognition
• In Oedipus Rex Jocasta and Oedipus learn the
  truth

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I coulda been a comedy!

• Without the death of Act III, it is possible that
  RJ would not end tragically
• Possible second half of play
• Capulets, Montagues, Tybalt, and/or Paris attempt
  to thwart marriage ceremony
• Romeo and Juliet overcome intervention and
  happily marry
• Capulets and Montagues reconcile
• Others marry (Paris and Rosaline?)

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Climax in RJ

• Contrast between Act II, VI and Act III, I
• First sign death of Mercutio
• Hamartia and peripateia death of Tybalt
• Anagnorisis
• And fire-eyd fury be my conduct now!
  (III,I,126)
• O, I am fortunes fool. (III,I,138)

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Act III by scene

• Mercutio, Tybalt killed Romeo banished
• Juliet gets news from Nurse
• Romeo hears from Friar about banishment Nurse
  tells Romeo to meet Juliet
• Paris meets with Capulets to arrange wedding
• RJ meet Capulets tell Juliet of wedding plan

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Falling Action

• The falling action is the period after the
  climax in which the characters deal with the
  climax and consequences of the climax become
  evident
• In Oedipus Rex Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus
  blinds himself with her brooches

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Falling Action in RJ

• Paris and Juliet are set to marry
• Friar gives Juliet sleeping potion and plans for
  Romeo and Juliet to run away
• Capulet changes date of wedding
• Juliet takes potion in her chamber
• Nurse goes to fetch Juliet, finds her
  unconscious, and assumes her dead
• Capulets and others mourn Juliets death

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Denouement

• The denouement (or catastrophe) of a tragedy
  serves as a conclusion to the story
• Untangling of the plot
• Resolution of conflict
• Brings about a sense of catharsis for the
  audience
• In Oedipus Rex Oedipus gives his children to
  Creon and goes into exile

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Denouement in RJ

• Balthasar brings news of Juliets death of Romeo
• Romeo buys poison from apothecary
• Friar Laurence finds out from Friar John that
  Romeo never received his letter
• Romeo kills Paris in Juliets tomb
• Romeo commits suicide by poison
• Juliet wakes to find Paris and Romeo dead and
  dies by stabbing herself with a dagger
• Friar explains himself
• Capulets and Montagues resolve their feud

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Mercutio

• Name is evocative of mercurial, meaning lively,
  witty, and unpredictable suits him well
• Goes from one extreme to the other
• Example Mercutio is stabbed and vacillates
  between graveness and lightheartedness
• I am hurt. A plague o both your houses
  (III,I,91-2)
• Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch (III,I,94)

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The Nurse

• Breast-fed and raised Juliet
• Serves as a motherly figure, confidante, and
  messenger
• Provides comic relief
• Offers practical alternative to Juliets
  idealistic view of love

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Other Characters

• Benvolio acts as a moderator when Romeo and
  Mercutio debate foil to Romeo
• Capulet stock character of the angry father
• Prince represents law and order

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Themes

• Moderation vs. excess
• The nature of love
• Fate vs. personal responsibility

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Theme of Moderation

• Aristotles belief in the necessity of moderation
  is found in Nicomachean Ethics
• Moral virtues are found between extremes of
  action (golden mean)
• For example, generosity is the moral virtue found
  between a deficiency (stinginess) and an excess
  (prodigality)
• Found in Eastern philosophy the Buddhist middle
  way is meant to avoid extremism

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The Friar

• Embodies Aristotles concept of the golden mean
• Acts as a foil to Romeo, who represents youths
  impatience, haste, and short-sightedness
• Preaches the values of moderation
• Wisely and slow they stumble that run fast
  (II, IV,90)
• Therefore love moderate long love doth so.
• Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.
  (II,VI, 14-5)
• Uneven is the course. I like it not. (IV,I,5)

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Immoderate Romeo

• Dotes on Rosaline
• Quickly falls in love with and marries Juliet
  (Rosaline who?)
• Slays Tybalt after condemning fighting
• Views banishment as death
• Refuses to listen to Friars counsel
• O, then I see that mad men have no ears
  (III,III,61)
• Fights stranger (Paris) in the tomb
• Commits suicide right before Juliet wakes

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Extreme Juliet

• Falls in love with Romeo immediately
• Describes her love as boundless and infinite
• Requires that Romeos purpose is marriage
• Ignores Friars offer to hide her with nuns
• Prepared to die if she cannot live with Romeo
• If all else fail, myself have power to die
  (III,V,242)

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Love

• Fickleness (Romeo and Rosaline?)
• Romeo and Juliet have love at first sight
• Love is inhibited by both families
• Arranged marriage

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Whos to blame?
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Circumstances/Fate

• Doomed from the prologue
• Not responsible for family feud
• Romeo does not provoke Tybalt or Paris
• Unable to change their destiny (like Oedipus?)
• Accidents (errant letter, Mercutio)

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The Friar

• Performs secret wedding ceremony hoping to end
  feud (he succeeds)
• Gives sleeping potion to Juliet
• Aids and abets banished Romeo
• Conceives plan for Romeo and Juliets new life in
  Mantua

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Juliet and Her Romeo

• Go against their parents wishes
• Operate in secrecy
• Ignore the advice of counselors like the Friar
  and Nurse
• Are ultimately responsible for their actions
  because they have free will (murder, suicide)

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Thank youQUESTIONS?COMMENTS?