Shakespearean Drama

1
Shakespearean Drama

• The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

2
Exam Review

• Romeo and Juliet

3
Romeo and Juliet

• The multiple choice test breaks down this way
• 20 multiple choice questions relate to Act 5
• 3 multiple choice questions ask you to identify
  the speakers and meanings of quotes
• 12 multiple choice questions address figurative
  language, writing techniques, and imagery You
  have to identify oxymorons, soliloquies, asides,
  metaphors, similes, personification, and images
  of light and dark or day and night.
• 5 multiple choice questions will ask you to
  recall details of Shakespeares life or biography
• 3 multiple choice questions are related to the
  review article about  the film version
• 7 multiple choice questions pertain to a scene
  from the play, and ask about setting, imagery,
  and figurative language (metaphors, similes,
  etc.)

4
Romeo and Juliet

• Use your character charts, but also review the
  play, which means use the textbook.
• Know the general timing of the plot.
• Example Before he proposes to her, Romeo has
  known Juliet for (how long?)
• Know each character, their characteristics, and
  their loyalties
• Examples Who is the hot-tempered nephew of Lady
  Capulet?

5
Romeo and Juliet

• Friar Laurence would be considered loyal to
  which family, the Montagues or Capulets? Or is he
  neutral?
• Benvolios personality could generally be
  described as?
• Who talks of the dream fairy?

6
Romeo and Juliet

• Be familiar with key passages and their
  meanings
• Example Prologue, Act 1 The narrator explains
  the play is about a feud between two families
  that will end in tragedy.

7
Romeo and Juliet

• A plague o both your houses
• Who said it?
• Mercutio
• What does it mean?
• Mercutio blames his impending death on the feud
  between the two families. His words could also
  serve as a prophecy of what is to come for the
  Capulets and Montagues Both families experience
  terrible tragedy with the deaths of Romeo and
  Juliet.

8
Romeo and Juliet

• O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
• Who said it?
• Juliet
• What does it mean? What is its importance?
• Juliet laments the fact that Romeo is a Montague.
  This is an important concern because she knows
  the relationship will be difficult She has
  fallen in love with the son of her familys
  enemy. Juliet goes on to say, however, that
  Romeo and Montague are just names They have
  nothing to do with the young man she has fallen
  in love with her justification for proceeding
  with the relationship. This decision has tragic
  consequences for the young lovers.

9
Romeo and Juliet

• Young mens love then lies not truly in their
  hearts, but in their eyes.
• Who said it?
• Friar Laurence
• What does it mean? What is its importance?
• Friar Laurence is scolding Romeo for so quickly
  moving on from Rosaline whom Romeo has been
  crying over for weeks to Juliet, whom Romeo
  apparently fell for the second he saw her at the
  party. Friar Laurence is already concerned about
  Romeos tendency to act without thinking an
  impulsiveness that could be considered Romeos
  tragic flaw, which leads to death and tragedy for
  several characters.

10
Romeo and Juliet

• The best study strategy is to know definitions of
  terms and then review the play for examples So
  once you know the meaning of an aside, for
  example, go back through the play to find an
  instance when a character speaks an aside.
• Also, think of the general context of a spoken
  passage to determine which character is most
  likely speaking For example, if the passage is
  very romantic, it most likely is said by Romeo or
  Juliet if the words are spoken in anger, a good
  character to start with would be Tybalt. If the
  speaker is pleading for peace, then it is likely
  Benvolio, and so on.
• That process may not always give you the specific
  answer right away, but at least you can narrow
  your choices.

11
Romeo and Juliet

• Be familiar with literary terms and be able to
  recognize examples of
• Myth (definitions and characteristics from
  Pyramus and Thisbe activity)
• Soliloquy
• Aside
• Metaphor, simile, personification
• Oxymoron, foreshadowing
• Sonnets (including their appearance in the play)

12
Romeo and Juliet

• Review notes on the importance of night and day
  comparisons in the play.
• Know the important facts of Shakespeares
  biography (birth, marriage, family) and his
  writing.
• Read Great Movies Romeo and Juliet article.

13
Romeo and Juliet

• In reviewing the play, read the introductory
  information before each act and scene, and
  information in the margins. This provides context
  to the plot of the play, as well as defines
  unfamiliar words or passages.