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ROMEO & JULIET. THE TRAGEDY OF. SETTING. The play takes place in Verona. Verona is located in Italy. But it wasn ’ t “ Italy ” at the time. Italy wasn ’ t a unified country yet. Individual city-states were ruled by princes or dukes. IT ’ S AN OLD STORY. 14 th century (1300 ’ s)
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ROMEO & JULIET THE TRAGEDY OF
SETTING • The play takes place in Verona. Verona is located in Italy. But it wasn’t “Italy” at the time. • Italy wasn’t a unified country yet. Individual city-states were ruled by princes or dukes
IT’S AN OLD STORY • 14th century (1300’s) • − 200 years before Shakespeare lived • Plague (Black Death) • Life expectancy = 40-50 years • No electricity • No running water • No distance travel • Values dominated by church • Intense class system (poor, middle-class, rich) • Medieval Industrial Revolution • Time between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
IT’S AN OLD STORY Population of Verona now: 263,964 (7.5%) • Population of Michigan now: 9,876,187 • Population of Oakland County: 1,202,362 • Population of Farmington Hills: 80, 258 Population in Verona in the 14th century? • About 20,000
BUT NOT A NEW STORY • Shakespeare based his most popular tragedy, ROMEO & JULIET, on two real people. • These young lovers lived in Verona, Italy (just like his characters) and died in a real-life tragic love story in 1303.
BUT NOT A NEW STORY • Shakespeare uncovered their story in literature. • Masuccio Salernitano recounted the story of the tragic young lovers in "Mariotto and Gianozza of Siena" in 1476. • The poet William Painter penned “The Goodly History of the True and Constant Love of Rhomeo and Julietta.” • Matteo Bandello had written a novella of the story in 1554, revising Luigi da Porto's "Guiliettee Romeo" ("Juliet and Romeo"). • A poem, "The Tragical Historye of Romeus and Juliet," by Arthur Brooke, was written in 1562. • 1597 – earliest print of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet
RIVAL FAMILIES • In this small, Italian community ruled by a prince, there were two rival families • Why were they rivals? • Because they HATED each other • Why did they hate each other? • We never find out • ANCIENT grudge
RIVAL FAMILIES • the Montagues & the Capulets • - REAL LIFE: Prominent citizens of Verona at the time. • - They are involved in a family feud that goes back years before any of the current family members were born. “Civil blood makes civil hands unclean” • Civil people • - Both are wealthy • - friends with Prince Escalus (the ruler of Verona) • - popular in the city • - BUT THEY HATED EACH OTHER
RIVAL FAMILIES • Calm for a while but: “From ancient grudge break to new mutiny” • They are really fighting again • Even the townspeople are involved now because the families have been seen fighting in the public streets.
VIOLENCE IN VERONA • In the first scene of the play: • They disrupt the peace of Verona and Prince Escalus personally has to break up a fight. • The families are heavily fined and given a warning that another public fight could result in death.
VIOLENCE IN VERONA • Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet focuses on two themes: Violence & Love • It’s not simply that the families of Romeo and Juliet disapprove of their love for each other • The Montagues and the Capulets are on opposite sides in a blood feud and are trying to kill each other on the streets of Verona
VIOLENCE IN VERONA • Every time a member of one of the two families dies in the fight, his relatives demand the blood of his killer • So if Romeo were to be discovered with Juliet by her family, he would be killed • Very violent play – (tragedy) • Six of the ten main characters die
BUT IT’S A LOVE STORY • A violent, tragic love story • Considered the ultimate story of young love • Fate – Astrology • Age – very young love • Strong feeling of infatuation • That you would rather die than be kept apart • Love against all odds • Love at first sight
A CRAZY LOVE STORY • Most European marriages, especially among the upper classes, were arranged by families for social and economic reasons • “LOVE” played a different role in relationships at the time • Shorter life spans = earlier marriages • Parents often made marriage plans for children long before they actually reached the proper age. • Romantic love would’ve been recognized as a powerful force, but society did not generally view it as the basis of a sound marriage.
A CRAZY LOVE STORY • JULIET • Age 13 • The daughter of Lord Capulet • Ready to be married (by society’s terms) • Parents already have plans for her • ROMEO • Age unclear (18-22) • The only son of Lord Montague • A love-sick dreamer & thinker • Major player in the violence in the streets of the city without even being there (friends & family)
LANGUAGE BARRIER • Remember: Shakespeare’s language was tricky for audiences even at the time they were created • But we are missing a lot of the contextual understandings and inferences that would have been second nature to viewers at the time(inside jokes) • But he used language as an art form and the play is full of double meanings and sexual innuendos
LANGUAGE BARRIER • Mercutio - A kinsman to the Prince, and Romeo’s close friend. • loves wordplay, especially sexual double entendres. • hotheaded, and hates people who are pretentious, or obsessed with the latest fashions. • finds Romeo’s romanticized ideas about love tiresome, and tries to convince Romeo to view love as a simple matter of sexual appetite.
