Romeo and Juliet A play by William Shakespeare

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Romeo and JulietA play by William Shakespeare
Text Review
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The Plays History

• First published in 1597 in Quarto one, which many
  consider the bad quarto. It then went through
  three other publications. The version usually
  read is the 1923 version published in the First
  Folio.
• The play is based on several different sources,
  but taken largely from Arthur Brookes Poem
  Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet

Excerpt of Brookes Poem
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Style and Language
Rom.  When the devout religion of mine eye
Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to
fires! And these, who often drownd could never
die,Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars! One
fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun Neer saw
her match since first the world begun
1276-82 Rom.  Tybalt, the reason that I have to
love thee Doth much excuse the appertaining rage
To such a greeting villain am I none, Therefore
farewell I see thou knowst me not. 3136-39

• 5 Acts
• Sonnets open First and Second Acts
• Language is filled with oxymoron, puns and
  paradoxes
• Notice a shift in language when Romeo and Juliet
  fall in love. Example left.

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Style and Language Continued

• 4 Tragic Elements
• Pride, i.e.family pride
• Death, i.e. Mercutio
• Pain, i.e. false death of Juliet
• Loss, i.e. everyone loses

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Themes

• Family Feuds
• Love and Hate
• Innocence, virtue, and beauty can be destroyed by
  hate.
• Vengeance and Forgiveness
• Despair and Hope

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The CharactersRomeo

• He is a Montague
• As the play opens he is in love with Rosalind
• Kills Juliets cousin and then is banished
• Matures over the course of the play
• Is his love real or is he a ladies man?

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The CharactersJuliet

• She is a Capulet
• She is fourteen
• Initiates marriage idea
• Drinks potion given by Friar Lawrence so that she
  can be free with Romeo
• Is she independent or does she need a man in her
  life?

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The CharactersThe Montague's

• Lord and Lady Montague - Romeos Parents, heads
  of the Montague household
• Benvolio Lord Montagues Nephew and Romeos
  friend. He also is a kinsman to the prince.
• Balthasar Servant to Romeo, informs him of
  Juliets false death
• Abraham Servant to Montague

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The CharactersThe Capulets

• Lord and Lady Capulet Parents to Juliet and
  heads of the Capulet household
• Tybalt Nephew to Lord Capulet, kills Mercutio
  and is killed by Romeo
• Sampson and Gregory Servants to Lord Capulet
• Nurse Juliets Nurse who is also her friend and
  confidant

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The CharactersThe people of fair Verona

• Escalus - Prince of Verona.
• Paris Young Nobleman, promised to marry
  Juliet.
• Mercutio Kinsman to the prince and friend to
  Romeo
• Friar Lawrence Secretly marries Romeo and Juliet

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The Setting

• Takes place in Verona Italy. Over the course of
  the play the characters, are on a beach, in the
  marketplace, at a party at the Capulets and
  another city called Mantua.
• Questions?

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