AN INTRODUCTION TO WILLIAM

SHAKESPEARE AND THE TRAGEDY OF

ROMEO & JULIET

Ninth Grade Literature

THIS 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.

April 23, 1564: William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-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.

Much of Shakespeare’s younger years remain a mystery, but there are rumors about what jobs he may have worked.

Butcher Apprentice

Lawyer

Schoolmaster Lawyer

1582: According to church records, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway.

At the time of their marriage, William was eighteen and Anne was twenty-six.

William and Anne have three children together (Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith).

August 1596: young Hamnet died at the age of eleven. The cause of his death is unknown.

HamnetJudith

Susanna

Shakespeare left his family in 1591 to pursue writing in London.

In 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).

1594: William became involved with a company of actors named “The Lord Chamberlain’s Men.” This group later (1603) changed their name to “The King’s Men”.

In 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.

1612: Shakespeare moved back to Stratford where he retired both rich and famous.

1616: William Shakespeare dies on his birthday.

At 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

Sniffledorfen

Good frend for Jesus sake forbeareTo digg the dust encloasedheare

Bleste be ye man [that] spares thes stonesAnd curst be he that moves my bones.

WHICH DO YOU PREFER?

OR…

SHAKESPEAREAN THEATER

“THE GLOBE”

Romeo, Romeo…Where

for art thou Romeo?

ELIZABETHAN 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 Shakespeare’s company used it to build The Globe Theatre

ELIZABETHAN THEATRE FUN FACTS

The Globe Round/polygonal building with a roofless courtyard

No artificial light

Three stories high – upper levels were for the wealthy

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 weren’t allowed to be actors

ELIZABETHAN THEATRE FUN FACTS

Back then:1 penny= standing-room ticket2 pennies= seat (gentry)3 pennies = seat with a cushion (gentry)

Keep in mind, a penny was about one sixth of a working man’s daily wage. So tickets were pretty affordable. Better than today…

BROADWAY

Tickets for a hot Broadway show: $75 = cheapest balcony seat $325 = mid-level seat $600 = orchestra (best seating

Not quite as

affordable…

FIRE AND REDISCOVERY

Shakespeare’s Globe burned down, but its foundation was discovered in 1989. 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.

SHAKESPEARE’S 5 PART STORYTELLING PATTERN:

Act I: Exposition

Establishes setting, characters, conflict, and

background

Act II: Rising Action

A series of complications

Act III: Climax/Turning Point

A series of complications

Act IV: Falling Action

Results of the turning point; characters locked

into deeper disaster

Act V: Resolution/Denouement

Death of the main characters and then the loose parts of the plot are tied up

TIPS FOR UNDERSTANDINGROMEO AND JULIET

Romeo and Juliet is based on Arthur Brooke’s 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.

MOTIFS IN ROMEO AND JULIET

Power of Love

Violence from Passion

The Individual vs. Society

The Inevitability of Fate

MONTAGUE 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

A 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