Romeo and

Juliet

Whats the play

Romeo about?
and Juliet is
about love, of course,
but it is about a
particular kind of
love: love that
extinguishes itself.

Two
households

th alike in dignity

In fair Verona,
ere we lay our scen

rom ancient grudge

eak to new mutiny

Where civil blood

es civil hands uncl

From forth the

fatal
loins of these
two foes,

pair of star-crossd
overs take their life

 This story is fixated

on the idea of
opposites,
contradictions, and
opposing pairs, and
the focus throughout
is on things that
consume each other in
a flash.

 This tragedy has less to

do with the results of
the choices the
principles make than it
does with the
PREORDAINED
FAILURE OF
YOUTHFUL PASSION
the passion of both
awakening physical
love and the sudden
violence of a street
quarrel.

Cast of
Character
s

Rome
o

Is a Montague
18 years old
Cute, smart, sensitive
Impulsive and
immature
- Romantic heart
- EMO
- He doesnt care about
the feud

Juliet

Is a Capulet
13 years old
Begins as a nave child
Juliet is very close with
the nurse.

Benvolio

Romeos cousin & friend

Tries to keep the peace
Counsels Romeo about love

Note: Meant to be associated with the word Benevolent which is

opposite of malevolent

Tybalt

Juliets cousin
Vain, fashionable, prideful
He is well-trained in sword fighting
He loathes Montagues

Note: Mercutio calls Tybalt the prince of cats. This is a

reference to an old story that Shakespeares audience would have
known where the main character named Tybalt
was, indeed,
a prince of
cats. Also significant because cats are quick and
light on their feet, but also easily angered and
territorial.

Nurse

Juliets nurse-maid.
Has cared for Juliet since she
was born
She is more like a mother than a
servant/nanny to Juliet.

Vulgar, long-winded, loyal and a

confidante to Juliet
Note: Literally, she nursed Juliet as
an infant (rich people didnt do their
own breast feeding they hire a wet
nurse)

Paris
Related to the prince
Interested in marrying
Juliet
Juliets parents
approve of him

Mercutio

Related to the prince

Romeos BFF
Bad temper
Believes love is about the physical contact and nothing else.
Note: Meant to be associated with Mercury. Mercury is a Roman
known for being charming, great with words and a
trouble maker.

god

Friar
Lawrence

A friar is a holy man and member of the church

(Much like a priest or minister)
Friend to Romeo and Juliet
Kind, civic-minded
Familiar with potions and herbs.

Lady
Montague
Romeos Mom
Upper Class

Lord
Montague
Romeos dad
Patriarch (head male)
of the Montagues

Lord
Capulet
Juliets dad
Bad temper when things
dont go his way
He commands respect and
propriety
Patriarch of the Capulets

Lady Capulet
Juliets mom
Ineffectual mother- relies on the nurse to mother Juliet
She married young, had Juliet around age 14, and is eager
for her to marry Paris

How we will dramatize the play

Any person of any gender can read any role.
There are no Elizabethans around to tell us
how to say the words, so readers do not
need to worry about pronunciation too
much; rather, they should do the best they
can.
Readers do not need to act, but they do need
to read with inflection.

Literary
Terms to
Review

Foreshadow
foreshadowinga
literary device in
ing
which an author drops subtle hints
about plot developments to come later
in the story
O God, I have an ill-divining
soul! Methinks I see thee, now
thou art so low, as one dead in
the bottom of a tomb (III.v.53-

(Dramatic)
A characterFoil
that contrasts main
character to emphasize a trait in
the main character

Puns

puna joke based on the use of a word that has

more than one meaning.
Mercutio"Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance."
Romeo"Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes / With
nimble soles; I have a soul of lead (I iv 13-5)
Romeo has used the word "sole" when referring to
Mercutio's shoes, then made a pun by referring to his
own "soul."

Simile
similea figure of speech that makes a
comparison between two unlike things,
using a word such as like, as, than, or
resembles
Love goes toward love as schoolboys from
their books

Metaphor
metaphora figure of speech that makes a
comparison between two unlike things without the
use of specific words of comparison
Romeo But, soft! what light through
yonder window breaks? / It is the east,
and Juliet is the sun. (II.ii. 2-3)

Personificati
on

personificationa figure of speech in

which an object or animal is given
human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
o, happy dagger (V.iii.182)
The all-seeing sun neer saw her match since first the
world began. (I.ii.4)

Juliet For thou wilt lie upon the wings of

night / Whiter than new snow on a ravens
back. / Come, gentle night, come, loving,
black-browd night (Act III Sc. 2)

Oxymorons

oxymorona figure of speech that

combines opposite or contradictory terms
in a brief phrase
honorable villain, fiend angelical
Juliet Beautiful tyrant! fiend
angelical! (Act III Sc.2)

Literary
Terms to
Know

Extended Metaphor
When an author makes a
comparison (metaphor), then
continues the comparison
throughout an entire paragraph
or poem.

Aside
asidea line quietly
spoken by an actor to the
audience but not intended
for others on the stage

Soliloquy
soliloquya speech by a
character, thinking aloud; it
allows the audience to listen in
to the private feelings and
thoughts of a character (no other
character is present on the stage)

Dramatic
Irony

Occurs when the audience knows

something that the characters in the story,
on the screen, or on the stage do not know.
When words and actions possess a
significance that the listener or audience
understands, but the speaker or character
does not

Comic Relief
the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or
witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often
to relieve tension
In R & J, look for moments of comic relief that
help relieve the tragedy of the situation

Motif
motifa recurrent thematic element in a literary
or artistic work
Motifs in Romeo and Juliet are:
1. opposites, contradictions, and opposing pairs
2. light and dark imagery / day and night
3. time

Apostrophe
apostrophea technique by which the
writer (character) addresses an inanimate
object, an idea, or a person who is either
dead or absent
Eyes, look your last! Arms, take your last
embrace!

The
End