Romeo & Juliet

Background Information

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Shakespeare was born and died on the same date—April 23rd.

Spent most of his young life in a town north of London called Stratford-on-Avon.

His family was of the middle class.

William Shakespeare At 18 years of age,

Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. She was 8 years his elder.

Together, they had three children: Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet (who died young).

William Shakespeare After the birth of

his kids, Shakespeare moved to London and became a very successful playwrite.

Shakespeare’s Plays Tragedy Comedy History The “greatest love

story ever made for stage,” Romeo and Juliet, was written in 1596. An adaptation of a story by Albert Brooke.

Queen Elizabeth I Reigned 44 years

and 4 months. 1558-1603 Daughter of Henry

VIII Nickname: “Virgin

Queen” LOVED

Shakespeare’s plays!

Shakespeare’s Poetry

Best known for his 14 line love poems known as sonnets.

Rhyme scheme of these poems is ABABCDCDEFEFGG.

Sonnets are written in iambic pentameter.

The prologue in Romeo and Juliet is written as a Shakespearean sonnet.

The Black Plague Also known as “The Bubonic Plague”

or “Black Death.” Said to begin in Asia during the

1300’s. Spread to Europe and would

continuously haunt the area on and off from the 14th-17th centuries.

Killed 1/3 of Europe (about 20 million deaths)

The Black Plague

Globe Theatre Built in 1599 with

Queen Elizabeth’s approval.

Nickname: The Wooden O

The playhouse was 3 tiers high

Cost 2 or 3 pence to get in

Globe Theatre Royalty (Queen Elizabeth) and people

paying higher prices got to sit in upper tiers where they were covered by roof.

Groundlings: Stood on ground in front of stage. They were the rowdy crowd.

Women were not allowed to act in Shakespeare’s day so ALL parts were played by men.

Globe Theatre

In 1613, the theatre burned due to a cannon ball fire.

An exact replica was built in 1614. The Puritans tore down the replica

claiming that the theatre was a vulgar and vile place (IT WAS).

Rebuilt in London in the 1990’s and is still used today.

Globe Theatre

Costumes/Props Shakespeare’s plays

were written for stages where there were few props.

Cast members had to tell the audience where the story took place, and the audience would have to use their imaginations.

Clothing in Shakespeare’s Day

People were judged and put into a social class based on the way they were dressed.

Poor people wore simple clothes. Rich people wore fancy and expensive

clothes.

Women

Ruffs Wings Bodices Waistcoats Platform

shoes

Chemises Stomachers Overskirt Petticoat

Women

Men Ruffs Whisks Capes Doublets Trunk hose