Literature Reader Romeo and Juliet

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Young blood: Romeo and Juliet

Lesson aim

- Shakespeare and his life

- Romeo & Juliet - Synopsis

- understand the hidden topics in "Romeo and Juliet"

What can you expect about Literature in the test in TW 1?

You should ...:

• ... be able to explain what the English Renaissance was.
• ... be able to explain what Dramatic Irony is.
• ... be able to explain what Interpretation is.
• ... know the basic storyline of Romeo & Juliet
  

What do you know about Shakespeare?

Write down in English what you know about Shakespeare.

00:46

What records have historians found relating to Shakespeare?

1. His birth certificate
2. His marriage certificate
3. His death certificate
4. His children's birth certificates

01:35

Why is Shakespeare considered to be a shrewd businessman

1. He was the first playwright to copywrite his works
2. He built London's biggest amphitheatre.
3. He paid his actor's set wages
4. He acted in his own plays to save money.

03:22

Why did Shakespeare write many more sonnets later in his career?

1. The plague meant the theatres were closed
2. He ran out of ideas for plays.
3. His wife passed away and he poured his grief into his work
4. They made him more money than running the plays

04:38

Why was there a theory that Shakespeare did not write his works?

1. He did not attend higher education
2. A number of his contemporaries claimed they wrote his work under a pseudonym.
3. There few details about his life
4. His plays were similar to his contemporaries work

English Renaissance 1500-1670

During the 16th century, many English playwrights and
poets used Italian stories and poetry as an inspiration.
The term Renaissance means ‘rebirth’. Before this period,
during the Middle Ages, writers used to focus on the
absolute power of God. The classical Greek and Roman
stories were strictly forbidden as sources of inspiration.
Huge cultural shifts occurred in Elizabethan England. The
Catholic Church became less powerful and people became
more tolerant.
Erasmus, a Dutch Renaissance humanist, had already
published books about this way of thinking at the very
beginning of the 16th century. In England, William
Shakespeare started to create more ‘human’ characters in
his plays and was the first writer to bring these
Renaissance characters into the theatres.

What do you know about Romeo and Juliet?

Romeo and Juliet

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare pictured two warring families from Verona in the north of Italy; the Montagues and the Capulets. It is the year of 1302. Teenagers Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet met at a party and fell in love. Because of a family feud they had to meet in secret. In Verona, these two important families fought over religion and politics: the Montagues supported the Holy Roman Emperor and the Capulets supported the Holy Pope. In 16th century England people were also divided by religion and politics: Catholicism and Protestantism. Religion was very important and people were prepared to die for their beliefs. Hiding your religion was part of everyday life, because it was not always safe to make your beliefs known. Many spectators who watched Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theatre would have been familiar with warring families.

The Balcony Scene

The famous balcony scene

What it really looks like!

But what happens next

and how it ends ...

... spoiler alert!

Apothecary scene

In the fifth act Romeo, who is banned from Verona after he ended up killing a Capulet named Tybalt, is waiting for news. Juliet was supposed to marry Paris, another Capulet, but had already married Romeo in secret, with help from friar Laurence. She has taken a sleeping potion to avoid the forced marriage. Now Balthasar, Romeo’s servant, delivers the news that Juliet’s ‘body sleeps’. Tragically, Romeo thinks Juliet is dead. He decides to buy poison.

‘Friar Lawrence is a villain in this play’. discuss and explain if you agree or disagree with this statement -why

Which words did shakespeare invent? 

Bandit

Critic

Lonely

Swagger

Unreal

Uncomfortable

Puke

Hurry

Eyeball

Bedazzle

Match the Dutch translations to these famous sayings invented by Shakespeare!

In een notendop

Doet er niet toe

Dwaalspoor

Te veel van het goede

Neither here nor there

Wild goose chase

Too much of a good thing

In a nutshell

Now discuss and answer 2 of the following questions:

- how were men portrayed in "Romeo and Juliet",give examples

- how are women portrayed in "Romeo and Juliet", give examples

- describe how Juliet was treated by her parents and how the treatment changed, give examples

- what literary styles did the author use in this play, give examples

- ‘Romeo is a very selfish character’. Explain if you agree or disagree with this statement - why

Now find your own favourite (love) song and copy a part of the lyrics. Use Shmoop to translate these lyrics into Shakespearean English.

Remember it so you can post it on the next slide