William Shakespeare

2. William Shakespeare Tragedy and Romeo and Juliet

3. Shakespeare: The man • 1563-1616 • Stratford-upon-Avon, England • Wrote 37 plays, about 154 sonnets, and started as an actor • Main actor and principal playwright was Lord Chamberlain’s Men theater company

5. The Globe Theater • Most of Shakespeare’s plays performed here • Roofless, open theater with no artificial lighting • Surrounded by 3 levels of galleries • The wealthy received benches, “groundlings” stood in the “pit” where the stage extended

7. Stage areas: the Globe • Dressing & Storage rooms in galleries behind and above stage • 2nd level gallery: Famous balcony scene for Romeo & Juliet • Trap door for ghost scenes • “Heavens” were for the angelic beings in scenes • No scenery, so changes were discussed in dialogue • Elaborate costumes, props, and very fast paced (less than 2 hours)

9. The Actors • Only men and boys performed • Young boys whose voices had not changed played female parts • Women did not perform because it would be considered indecent

10. Blank Verse • Much of Romeo and Juliet is written in blank verse • This is unrhymed verse • Iambic (unstressed, stressed) • Pentameter (5 feet to a line) or 10 syllables per line.

11. Prose • Ordinary writing that is not poetry, drama, or song • Only characters of lower social classes were depicted to speak this way in Shakespeare’s plays.

12. tragedy • Drama in which central characters suffer disaster / great misfortune that result from: • Fate • Character flaw / fatal flaw • A combination of fate and flaws • In Shakespearean tragedy, it may only be called one because the story of exceptional calamity leads to the death of a man of high estate.

13. Tragic hero • Usually there is only one tragic hero (although in Shakespeare’s “love tragedies” there can be more than one) • The tragic story leads up to, and includes, the death of the hero with exceptional suffering and calamity • They are striking, unexpected, and contrasted previously with happiness and/or glory • Responsible for their own catastrophe of their fall and torn by internal struggle

14. Dramatic foil • A character whose purpose is to show off another character often through contrasting traits • Benvolio is a foil for Tybalt • Who are others in Romeo and Juliet?

15. Other characters • Round character: One that has many personality traits like real people • Flat character: one-dimensional, single trait character • Often these characters are used for comic relief in Shakespeare’s plays • Static character: Remain the same through the story, never changing mind, opinion, or character • Dynamic character: One that changes in some way (usually for the better) during the course of the plot

16. Monologue • One person speaking on the stage (even if others are present on stage) • Example: Prince of Verona telling the Capulets and Montagues to cease feuding

17. Soliloquy • Long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage • Example: Romeo gives a soliloquy after the servant has fled and Paris has died.

18. Aside • Words spoken, usually in an undertone not intended to be heard by all characters

19. Figurative Language • Simile: compares using “like” or “as” • Her face is like a summer’s day…. • Metaphor: compares unalike things by saying one thing is another • I am the East, and Juliet is the West

20. Pun • Humorous use of a word with two meanings • Sometimes these are missed by the reader of Shakespeare’s plays because of the language or sexual innuendo implied • “Vandals destroyed many road signs. They really pulled out all the stops.”

21. irony • Dramatic: Contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows to be true in the story • Verbal: words used to suggest the opposite of what is meant • Situational: An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of characters, readers, or audience

22. Comic relief • Use of comedy within literature to provide “relief” from seriousness or sadness • In Romeo and Juliet, look for comic relief that helps “relieve” the tragedy of the situations occurring

23. conflicts • External • Person vs. Person • Person vs. Nature • Person vs. Society • Internal • Person vs. Self

24. Themes • Light and Dark • Look for references to light and dark in word choice • Time • Look for references to time, especially passage of time and when it seems “rushed” • Fate • Look for instances when events and actions are blamed on “fate,” “destiny,” or “the stars”

25. The Plot: In a Nutshell • A man of high estate experiences a flaw in character • Intrusion of time added to a sense of urgency brings misreadings and rationalizations. • Murder, exile, alienation of enemies and allies lead to gradual isolation of the tragic hero and mobilization of opposition

26. The Plot: In a Nutshell • Tragic recognition of the flaw by the tragic hero comes too late • Last courageous attempt to restore lost honor /greatness helps the audience recognize potential for greatness • The death of the tragic hero leads to a restoration of order and the end of the play