Comedy or tragedy ?

Introduction

The plot

Comunication

Themes Love as light

The masque

• Most popular and performed plays

• 1591 and 1595.

• Sonnet:

prologue tragedy

• Five acts

• About the tragic love of Romeo and Juliet• Capulets and the Montagues (two

Verona’s contending household )• Fight between servants Escalus• Romeo in love with Rosaline• Capulet’s ball (Gatecrash) meeting of “Young lovers”• Garden marriage

• Friar Lawrence

• Romeo vs Tybalt

• Mercutio’s and Tybalt’ death

• Capulet’s decision

• Sleeping drug seeming death

• No letter by Friar Lawrence

• Death of “Two young lovers”

• Stop the fight

• Instant attraction• Masked ball• Comic servant

• Knowledge only for characters like Romeo and Juliet

• Speedmedium of fate

• Behaviour of heroes• Against external

forces (relationship difficult)

• Unlike tragic heroes (no inner struggle)

• Crucially importance of the messages

• Wrong

• Simple gesture

Lack of knowledge bad comunication

• A lot of knowing and unawareness

• Misinformation

• Juliet's language• Within the courtly love

convention• Innocence• Real woman no

caracterisation,classification or idealisation

• One of the most important aspects

First act :• Romeo courtly love

convention (adoration and respect for a lady)

• image of light :• Juliet = light that frees

him from the darkness

Last act:• Darkness has

triumphed

Rom. O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!

It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night

Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear-Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!

So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows

As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.The measure done, I'll watch her place

of standAnd, touching hers, make blessed my

rude hand. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it,

sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this

night.(...)

• Grate ball of the Capulets

• Juliet’s brightness

• Precious like a jewel

• Real beauty

• Holy shrine

Rom.[to juliet touching her hand] If I profane with my unworthiest handThis holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready

standTo smooth that rough touch with a

tender kiss.

Jul. Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,

Which mannerly devotion shows in this;

For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,

And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.

• Romeo like a pilgrim

• Romeo in love with Juliet:

• Sweet words Poetic sentences

• Code of courtly love:

• Comparison between a woman with something holy

Rom. Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?

Jul. Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.

Rom. O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do!

They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.

Jul. Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.

Rom. Then move not while my prayer's effect I take.

Thus from my lips, by thine my sin is purged.

[Kisses her.]

• Juliet: sensible person

• Beginning: refuse• In the last part: accept

• Rhyme scheme:

Monolugue rhyme couplet

Dialogue alternate rhyme