An Introduction to the Greatest Play Ever

WrittenEnglish 1- Dewalt

ROMEO & JULIET

RL1, RL2, RL3, RL4, RL5, RL6, RL9, W1, SL1,

L1, L4, L5

*Further information on each standard of instruction is located

in the classroom as well as online at SCDOE website.

CC STATE STANDARDS FOR UNIT

1. Students will learn about William Shakespeare and details pertinent to Romeo & Juliet and will recall this information in further quizzes and assessments with

positive results.

2. Students will apply information from the PowerPoint lesson through means of a graphic organizer to utilize

throughout the unit.

3. Students will apply knowledge from the PowerPoint and textbook to complete a worksheet on Elizabethan

Language and drama terms without error.

LESSON OBJECTIVES

• Shakespeare was born around April 23rd, 1564 in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

• 3rd of 8 children in his family.• Married Anne Hathaway at a young age, had 3

children.• Left his wife and children behind after the birth

of the twins to relocate to London.• Joined Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which was a

theatrical company in 1594. This was later changed to The King’s Men.

• Shakespeare stayed with the company till 1612.• William Shakespeare died April 23rd, 1616.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON

• Overall, Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and 150 sonnets. Some of his notable plays include:

1.Romeo & Juliet

2.Julius Caesar

3.Othello

4.Hamlet

5.Macbeth

• Not much is known about the bard’s early life.

• One reason believed for the the lack of early information is because playwrights during this time period were not ranked very high on the social hierarchy.

• However, some information is derived from records from the local church and town.

CONTINUED

• Shakespeare’s love of the theatre began as early as his childhood.

• Traveling theatre companies would come to Stratford-Upon-Avon and perform due to it being a commercial town full of people.

• While Shakespeare did move away from his family in Stratford, he did visit and love his town. After earning a large some of money from his years of success, he moved back in one of the nicest homes available.

• Shakespeare was an actor at heart, and he exemplified this in his early years in London.

• He had written several plays for The Lord Chamberlain’s Men company.

• Due to the plays being written for performances not publishing, no one knows exactly when each play was written. However, scholars have pinpointed some dates: Romeo & Juliet is suggested to have been written approx. 1595.

SHAKESPEARE AND THE THEATRE

ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND

•Known as the Early Modern period or the English Renaissance (rebirth)

•Queen Elizabeth I was an anomaly (strange, out of place) of the time period. She was strong, intelligent, & a

well-respected ruler. • Women during this time had little or no power & were seen as less than men, so her power was not typical.

• By refusing to marry throughout her 45 year reign as queen, she retained her own power• Women, once married, had practically no rights.

• The Globe Theatre was built by Richard and Cuthbert Burbage in 1598-1599.

• London, England.• Original structure burned down in 1613; rebuilt in 1614.• The Globe did not have lighting or a roof- plays were performed

during the daytime hours. • Surprisingly, it held approx. 2,500-3,000 people for a performance.• The stage was a platform that extended out into the audience.

Actors used the back sides to enter for performance.• Only men and boys performed in plays- no women. • Unfortunately, the Puritans closed down all theatres in 1642 and it

was demolished by them two years later for good.• Remnants were found in 1990. They include the existing

foundation and a plethora of hazelnut shells, which were ate like popcorn during the plays.

• A new Globe Theatre replica was built and opened in 1997.

THE GLOBE THEATRE

THE GLOBE THEATRE

• One of Shakespeare’s earlier, but most famous plays.• Was based on a poem by Arthur Brook about star-crossed

lovers from feuding Italian families. • Shakespeare’s characters may be borrowed, but he has

them portrayed more sympathetically and as a tragedy.• Play is considered a tragedy, which is a serious type of

drama that traditionally involved kings, emperors, or other characters of great importance.

• Was transformed into many different modern works.

ROMEO & JULIET: BACKGROUND

• Story revolved around two star-crossed lovers; Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet.

• Also deals with a bitter and longstanding feud between their families.

• Set in Verona, Italy.

R&J: THE TALE

• 1936: George Cukor’s version• 1968: Franco Zeffirelli’s version• 1996: Baz Luhrmann’s version (MTV Inspired)• West Side Story• Titanic• The Hunger Games

(Star-crossed lovers scene)

MODERN WORKS

• A symbolic reoccurring element found in writing that can help produce narrative aspects such as theme and mood.

• In R & J we have the following motifs:

1. Power of Love

2. The Individual Vs. Society

3. Violence from Passion

4. The Inevitability of Fate

MOTIFS

THE PLAY STRUCTURE

• Act I

The Elizabethan audience expected a drama to unfold in five predictable segments.

Introduction

Crisis, or turning point

• Act IV

• Act III

• Act II

• Act V

Rising action

Falling action

Climactic moment, resolution

MONTAGUES

CAPULETS

OTHER CHARACTERS

• It is important to keep in mind that this play was written 400 plus years

ago, when the language was not text-friendly or our modern vernacular.

• Here are some words to know translations to for Act I:

1. Against=for; in preparation for

2. Alack= alas (an exclamation of sorrow)

3. Anon=soon

4. Aye=yes

5. But=only, except

6. E’en=even

7. E’er=ever

8. Haply=perhaps

9. Happy=fortunate

10. Hence=away; from here

11. Hie=hurry

12. Hither=here

13. Marry=indeed

14. Whence=where

15. Wherefore=why

16. Wilt=will

17. Withal=in addition; notwithstanding

18. Would=wish

ELIZABETHAN LANGUAGE