The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William
Shakespeare
An Introduction to Romeo and Juliet William
Shakespeares Life Reading Shakespeare
Aloud Shakespeare and His Theater Literary Focus
Tragedy Reading Focus Reading a Play Writing
Focus Introducing Act II
Feature Menu
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William
Shakespeare
Why is the quest for love such a popular aspect
of literature and film?
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet An Introduction
to Romeo and Juliet
Click on the title to start the video.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet An Introduction
to Romeo and Juliet
The story of the two young lovers doomed by their
passion for each other is familiar to many its
been told for generations.
love at first sight
If playgoers know how the story ends, why is
Romeo and Juliet still one of Shakespeares most
popular plays?
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet An Introduction
to Romeo and Juliet
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 foes A pair of star-crossed
lovers take their lives
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 foes A pair of star-crossed
lovers take their lives
In his prologue, Shakespeare calls Romeo and
Juliet star-crossed, reflecting the belief that
the stars, or fate, control destiny. Is fate
the only cause of their tragic end?
End of Section
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet William
Shakespeares Life
Despite his fame, we know relatively little about
William Shakespeares life. He left no journals
or letters to help us get to know him, just his
plays and poems.
The information that we do have comes from church
and legal documents and the writings of some who
knew him.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet William
Shakespeares Life
By 1592, he was working as an actor and a
playwright. He probably wrote Romeo and Juliet
between 1594 and 1596.
He died on April 23, 1616.
Shakespeare was born in Stratford, England,
around April 23, 1564.
He married Anne Hathaway at age 18.
In 1612, he returned to Stratford for retirement.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet William
Shakespeares Life
Shakespeare lives on today through his poetry and
his 37 plays, which are still produced throughout
the world.
A 1980s production of one of his plays, Othello,
was so popular that one critic estimated that if
Shakespeare were alive today, he would earn
25,000 a week for that play alone.
End of Section
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading
Shakespeare Aloud
As you read Romeo and Juliet, youll be reading
both prose and poetry.
Prose is the ordinary form of speaking or
writing. It has no metrical structure, or rhythm,
to it.
The common peopleand sometimes Mercutio when he
is jokingspeak in prose.
Now Ill tell you without asking. My master is
the great rich Capulet and if you be not of the
house of Montagues, I pray you come and crush a
cup of wine. Rest you merry.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading
Shakespeare Aloud
As you read Romeo and Juliet, youll be reading
both prose and poetry.
Most characters speak in poetry, which is
different from prose because it has a specific
meter, or rhythm, to the lines.
My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early
seen unknown, and known too late!
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading
Shakespeare Aloud
The meter of a line of poetry is determined by
the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables,
or beats, in the line.
In iambic meter, each unstressed syllable is
followed by a stressed syllable.
Unstressed syllables are marked with ?, and
stressed syllables are marked with '.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading
Shakespeare Aloud
Iambic pentameter is the meter of most of the
poetry in Romeo and Juliet.
The prefix penta- means five there are five
iambic units in each line of iambic pentameter.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading
Shakespeare Aloud
Poetry made of unrhymed lines of iambic
pentameter is called blank verse.
Much of the poetry in Romeo and Juliet is blank
verse, meaning there are no rhymes at the ends of
lines.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading
Shakespeare Aloud
Though much of the play is in blank verse,
Shakespeare does use some rhymes.
Did my heart love till now? Forswear it,
sight! For I neer saw true beauty till this
night.
When rhyming, he generally uses couplets, two
consecutive lines that rhyme.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading
Shakespeare Aloud
Shakespeare often uses couplets to highlight a
characters exit or to show the end of a scene.
Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet
sorrow That I shall say good night till it be
morrow.
You can see this technique in Juliets exit lines
from Act II, scene 2, known as the balcony scene.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading
Shakespeare Aloud
When you read poetry, pay attention to the
punctuation at the end of each line.
If you stop at the end of each line, you may miss
out on some of the excitement of the play.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading
Shakespeare Aloud
An end-stopped line has punctuation at the end.
The punctuation signals the actor to pause at the
end of the line.
O, Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny
thy father and refuse thy name Or, if thou wilt
not, be but sworn my love, And Ill no longer be
a Capulet.
Listen for the pauses in these end-stopped lines
that Juliet speaks in Act II, scene 2.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading
Shakespeare Aloud
A run-on line has no punctuation at the end. The
meaning is completed in the following line or
lines.
The brightness of her cheek would shame those
stars As daylight doth a lamp her eyes in
heaven Would through the airy region stream so
bright That birds would sing and think it were
not night.
The brightness of her cheek would shame those
stars As daylight doth a lamp her eyes in
heaven Would through the airy region stream so
bright That birds would sing and think it were
not night.
Listen to these run-on lines. Where does Romeo
pause?
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading
Shakespeare Aloud
Many of the words you will come across as you
read the play are archaic, meaning that they are
no longer commonly used or have taken on a
different meaning.
Use your books sidenotes to help you with
archaic words and other unfamiliar expressions.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading
Shakespeare Aloud
Here are some archaic words that are used often
in the play
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading
Shakespeare Aloud
Here are some archaic words that are used often
in the play
End of Section
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare and
His Theater
The shape and form of the theater for which a
playwright is writing tends to influence the
play.
Understanding Shakespeares theater helps you to
see how he composed plays that made good use of
the theater of his time.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare and
His Theater
Until 1576, when James Burbage built Englands
first permanent theater, touring acting companies
built temporary stages in the courtyards of inns.
They erected a stage at one end, and the audience
watched from the balconies that lined the
courtyard.
The shape and form of the inns influenced the
theater that Burbage built and later
Shakespeares Globe Theater.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare and
His Theater
Shakespeares theater was a round building and
had three levels, much like the inns.
Extending into the yard was a large stage. Its
back wall was a curtained inner stage.
The stage area also included a small upper stage
and trapdoors in the floor of the main stage.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare and
His Theater
There were no spotlights or elaborate stage sets
in Shakespeares theater.
The characters words and costumes set the scene.
The lack of scenery and the many acting areas
provided by the various stages allowed the scenes
to follow each other quickly, almost like in a
movie.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare and
His Theater
Unlike todays theater, there were no women in
the casts of Shakespeares plays during his
lifetime.
All womens parts were played by boys. If youd
gone to see Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeares
day, youd have seen Juliet played by a boy.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare and
His Theater
Since Shakespeares time, the stage has changed
into what is known as a proscenium stage. This
type has just an inner stage separated from the
audience by a curtain.
Recently, more and more theaters are building
stages that extend into the audience, as
Shakespeares did.
End of Section
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Literary Focus
Tragedy
A tragedy is a story about serious, important
events that ends unhappily.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Literary Focus
Tragedy
Sometimes the characters affected by the tragic
outcome are innocent and havent done anything to
cause their bad fortune.
In other tragedies, the main characters are
responsible in some way for their unhappy ending.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Literary Focus
Tragedy
Tragedies usually follow a dramatic structure, or
pattern that looks like this
Climax
Turning Point
Resolution
Rising Action
Exposition
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Literary Focus
Tragedy
The exposition introduces the setting, the main
characters, and the conflict or problem they face.
setting
Long ago in a faraway kingdom, there lived a
prince who loved his castle and all of the riches
that went along with it. Unfortunately, the
princes father had made a deal with an evil
witch allowing her to take over the kingdom when
he died. Decades later, the end seemed near.
The king grew weaker each day.
Long ago in a faraway kingdom, there lived a
prince who loved his castle and all of the riches
that went along with it.
Long ago in a faraway kingdom
characters
Unfortunately, the princes father had made a
deal with an evil witch allowing her to take over
the kingdom when he died. Decades later, the end
seemed near. The king grew weaker each day.
conflict
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Literary Focus
Tragedy
In the rising action, the conflict escalates as
the characters problem grows and they attempt to
solve it.
Determined to keep his castle and save his wife
and children from spending the rest of their
lives as peasants, the prince tried everything he
could to keep his father aliveor at least keep
the witch away.
He searches for a solution to his dilemma.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Literary Focus
Tragedy
At the turning point, the main characters make a
decision about how to handle their problem. This
decision will determine the conflicts outcome.
Unable to keep his father alive or the witch
away, the prince decided to battle her, though
his wife assured him theyd be just as happy
living in a cottage as a castle.
This will resolve the conflict one way or
another He will either win or lose.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Literary Focus
Tragedy
The climax is the tragedys most dramatic,
emotionally intense point. Often, the drama is
created by the death of the main characters.
Overcome by the witchs magical powers, the
prince fell to his knees and, in a burst of
smoke, was transformed into a tiny green frog.
This is the high point of the action and emotion
in the story.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Literary Focus
Tragedy
The resolution ties up loose ends in the plot and
allows you to see the end result of the conflict.
As a result of the princes defeat, his wife and
children were forced to leave the castle and live
the rest of their lives in a rundown shack at the
edge of the kingdom.
This shows you what happens after the main action
of the plot.
End of Section
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading Focus
Reading a Play
When you read a full-length play, use a variety
of strategies
Read the lines aloud to help bring them to life.
Juliet Whats he that follows there, that would
not dance? Nurse I know not. Juliet Go ask his
name.If he be marrièd, My grave is like to be my
wedding bed.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading Focus
Reading a Play
When you read a full-length play, use a variety
of strategies
Paraphrase (put into your own words) difficult
sections to be sure you understand.
Juliet Whats he that follows there, that would
not dance? Nurse I know not. Juliet Go ask his
name.If he be marrièd, My grave is like to be my
wedding bed.
Juliet Whos that guy who wouldnt dance? Nurse
I dont know. Juliet Go find out. If hes
married, Ill die.
Juliet Whats he that follows there, that would
not dance? Nurse I know not. Juliet Go ask his
name.If he be marrièd, My grave is like to
be my wedding bed.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading Focus
Reading a Play
When you read a full-length play, use a variety
of strategies
Make inferences, or educated guesses, based on
your reading about why the characters act the way
they do.
Romeo seems very emotional. That may be why he
falls in love so quickly.
Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, Too
rude, too boistrous and it pricks like thorn.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading Focus
Reading a Play
When you read a full-length play, use a variety
of strategies
Examine the causes and effects of the events in
the play to help you understand what has happened
and predict what might come next.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Reading Focus
Reading a Play
Into Action As you read, use a chart like this
one to help you understand and enjoy the
narrative.
My Notes
Reading Strategy
Read Aloud/Paraphrase
Romeo and Juliet discuss marriage the night they
meet.
Based on their actions, they seem like very
emotional people.
Make Inferences
Analyze Cause and Effect
End of Section
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Writing Focus
Think as a Reader/Writer
Find It in Your Reading
As you read, make note of key plot events that
will help you write a summary of each act and
analyze the pattern of the play.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Introducing Act
II
So far in Act I . . .
Paris asks Capulet for permission to marry
Juliet. Capulet tells him to woo her at his party
that night.
A fight between Capulet and Montague servants
restarts their families feud.
The prince promises death to anyone continuing
the violence.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Introducing Act
II
So far in Act I . . .
Separately, Romeo and Juliet find out each
others identity. Both are upset that theyre
from feuding families.
Romeo agrees to crash Capulets party with
Benvolio. He hopes to see Rosaline, a girl who
rejected him.
Romeo and Juliet meet at the party and feel an
instant attraction.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Introducing Act
II
In Act I, Romeo and Juliet fell in love at first
sight at her fathers party, before they even
knew each others names.
Whats in a name? That which we call a rose By
any other name would smell as sweet.
Now that each knows the others identity, can
their love overpower their families feud?
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Introducing Act
II
In the famous balcony scene, Romeo and Juliet
discuss plans for marriage . . .
the very same night they meet.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Introducing Act
II
Friar Laurence agrees to help, but he has a
warning for Romeo.
Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.
What advice would you have for the two young
lovers?
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The End
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QuickWrite
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet QuickWrite
What movies or TV shows have you recently seen in
which a young character falls in love for the
first time?
Was the show a comedy or tragedy? In other
words, did the character find true love, or was
he or she disappointed? Jot down your responses.
End of Section