ROMEO AND JULIETENGLISH I & HONORS

Shakespearean Drama: Background

“All the World’s a Stage”

Shakespeare’s Philosophy:

“All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages…”

-- From As You Like It

Theatre During Shakespeare’s Time

Plays were performed in public theaters.Wealthy playgoers sat on the benchesLess wealthy playgoers stood in the pitHazelnuts were their theater food of choice.The GLOBE

Where many of Shakespeare’s plays were performed. Located in London – built in 1599. Was reconstructed in 1997 Held ~3,000 people

Theater Cont’d

Setting and stage directions were imbedded in the script: “Soft! What light through yonder window breaks?” “If I profane with my unworthiest hand/this holy

shrine, the gentle sin is this” “What, drawn, and talk of peace?”

Women did NOT perform in the theater

Plays lasted roughly 2 hours

About Romeo & Juliet

Wrote histories, tragedies and comedies

It is one of Shakespeare’s tragedies A tragedy is a drama in which the central character

meets disaster or great misfortune.

The plot was borrowed!!!! Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur

Brooke in 1562

Theatrical Terms

Monologue: a long speech made by one actor usually expressing thoughts.

Soliloquy: a long speech made by an actor to the audience (the content is private).

Aside: the character speaks to the audience; it’s unheard by the other characters

A Distinction of Importance

Shakespeare used two types of writing: Blank Verse: unrhymed poetry with a distinct meter Prose: no rhyme or meter; “normal speech”

Typically:The wealthy, important characters speak in

blank verse

The poor, unimportant characters speak in prose

Academic Vocabulary

Shakespeare is known for his wordplay.

Oxymoron: a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms “the deafening silence” “the living dead”

Pun: a play on words that suggests two or more meanings “I work as a baker because I knead dough.” “Never invest in funerals; it is a dying industry.”

Activity

Part I: Research “puns” tonight on the internet. Find three examples, write them down, and explain why each is a pun.

Part II: Shakespeare re-orders many of his words. “John caught the ball” in Shakespearean…“The

ball John caught” OR “John the ball caught”

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Come up with three normal sentences and then re-word them into “Shakespearean lingo” (DUE tomorrow!)