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Shakespeares Language IS:Shakespeares Language IS: Complex and often hard to decipher Full of words and phrases that seem alien to us or now have completely different meanings (marry=indeed, ho=hey! Soft=hold on/wait a minute) Full of altered sentence structure (to achieve rhyme, effect, or balance) Over 400 years old. BUT, it is almost-modern English as opposed to

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OLD ENGLISH: 8 th -11 th Century Germanic Language that is the oldest form of English Influenced mainly by Latin/Old Norse (Scandinavian)

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= Hwt! We Gardena i n geardagum, eodcyninga, rym gefrunon, hu a elingas ellen fremedon. So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness. We have heard of those princes heroic campaigns.

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Middle EnglishMiddle English 12 th -15 th Century Language became more dialect- based Inflections changed (softened) Grammar changed

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Chaucer: The Canturbury Tales Whan that aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of march hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour; When April with his showers sweet with fruit The drought of March has pierced unto the root And bathed each vein with liquor that has power To generate therein and sire the flower;

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Shakespeare wrote in Early Modern English 1564-1616 Romeo and Juliet written between 1591-1595 and published about 1597

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The PROLOGUEThe PROLOGUE 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-cross'd lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The which, if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

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So, whats going on here?So, whats going on here? What do you notice about the language? Whats happening here? What does Shakespeare want you to know after reading the prologue? Pair Search: grab a partner and read through the prologue looking for 2s or the idea of pairs. Underline them. What do you think they mean? On the back of this half sheet, make two predictions about the play based on the information in the prologue. (We know theyre going to die, so sorry, that ones off the table.)

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Pairs and PredictionsPairs and Predictions What are the pairs you notice? What predictions did you draw from them?

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Warm-Up: TragedyWarm-Up: Tragedy What is your definition of a tragedy? What are some modern-day tragedies (personal or worldly) that you can think of? What does a tragedy in literature usually contain? In what ways do you think that Romeo & Juliet will be a tragedy?

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Vocabulary: 1) Tragedy: A play that depicts serious and important events in which the main character(s) come to unhappy ends. The tragic heros downfall is usually caused by a character flaw, but can also result from forces beyond human control.

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Vocabulary: Elements of a Tragedy Prologue/Act I: Exposition Act II: Rising action, or complications Act III: Crisis, or turning point Act IV: Falling Action Act V: Climax and resolution

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William Shakespeare:William Shakespeare: Born the 3 rd of 8 children in April 23, 1564 in Stratford (100 miles north of London). Family was financially comfortable (father was a shopkeeper). William attended grammar school where he studied Latin grammar, Latin, literature, and the use of language. No record of further study exists. Married Anne Hathaway at 18 (she was 26), they had twins girls and a boy.

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Shakespeare in London:Shakespeare in London: Moved to London after his children are born, leaving his family in Stratford. By 1592, known in London for being an actor and playwright. Romeo and Juliet is one of his earlier plays. By 1612 he returned to Stratford, well-off, with 37 plays, and numerous sonnets to his name.

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Shakespeare in London:Shakespeare in London: Member of Lord Chamberlains Men (later, The Kings Men), a company of actors/writers working in the theater under the support of a rich benefactor. Acted in the famous Globe Theater.

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The Globe Theater TodayThe Globe Theater Today

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Shakespeares Final Retirement: Though his work lives on, Shakespeare died April 23, 1616 at the age of 52. His gravestone is still intact, reading: Good friend, for Jesus' sake forebeare To digg the dust enclosed heare; Bleste be the man that spares thes stones, And curst be he that moves my bones

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Romeo and Juliet : A Real Tragedy? Like most of Shakespeares plays, R&J is based off an older story. Long narrative poem by Arthur Brookes (1562) that depicts two young lovers who fall in love at first sight, and marry. Shakespeare changes the moral of Brookes story that revolves around just punishment and makes R and J star-crossed lovers playing with fate. Debate around the real Capulet and Montagues existence, but history does portray warring families in Verona

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Interpretations of R and J:Interpretations of R and J:

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R & J : On Stage

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In fair Verona where we lay our scene

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Verona, ItalyVerona, Italy

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Juliets Balcony?Juliets Balcony?

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Act I: Scene I--charactersAct I: Scene I--characters 1) Sampson 2) Gregory: servants in Capulet house 3) Abram 4) Benvolio: Romeos friend, nephew of Lord Montague 5) Tybalt: Juliets cousin, enemy of Montague family 6) Citizens of Verona 7) Lord Capulet 8) Lady Capulet 9) Lord Montague 10) Lady Montague 11) Prince 12) Romeo