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how old was romeo in the play

by Jesus Hegmann Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

In Shakespeare's original story, Romeo is given the age of 16 years and Juliet is given the age of 13 years. The Montague and Capulet families originated in the Divine Comedy by the Italian author Dante Aligheri, rather than in Shakespeare.

What is Romeo's age in Romeo and Juliet?

In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the exact age of Romeo is never explicitly stated. Juliet's age is 13, and she is almost about to turn 14. Based on puberty (girls hit puberty around 11-13, while it takes a few years longer for boys), we can definitely assume that Romeo is not younger than Juliet, but older.

Who was the first actor to play Romeo and Juliet?

Henry Irving 's 1882 production at the Lyceum Theatre (with himself as Romeo and Ellen Terry as Juliet) is considered an archetype of the pictorial style. In 1895, Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson took over from Irving and laid the groundwork for a more natural portrayal of Shakespeare that remains popular today.

How does Romeo die in the play?

Forced into exile after slaying Juliet's cousin, Tybalt, in a duel, Romeo commits suicide upon hearing falsely of Juliet's death. The character's origins can be traced as far back as Pyramus, who appears in Ovid 's Metamorphoses, but the first modern incarnation of Romeo is Mariotto in the 33rd of Masuccio Salernitano 's Il Novellino (1476).

Who is Romeo in Romeo and Juliet?

Romeo Montague (Italian: Romeo Montecchi) is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy, Romeo and Juliet.The son of Lord Montague and his wife, Lady Montague, he secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet, through a priest named Friar Laurence.

What was Romeo and Juliet's age gap?

Because actors ostensibly need training and skill to navigate Shakespeare's words, most productions of Romeo and Juliet cast performers who are older than the characters as he wrote them: Juliet is 13 (“she hath not seen the change of fourteen years,” according to her father); Romeo's age is unspecified, but he's ...

How old is Romeo and Juliet the play?

Creation of the play Romeo and Juliet can be plausibly dated to 1595. Shakespeare must have written the play between 1591 and 1596. The earliest date is considered to be too early, because of Shakespeare's writing style in the play.

How old was Romeo and Juliet when they got married?

In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is thirteen years old, just a few weeks away from her fourteenth birthday. Shakespeare does not specify Romeo's age, but... See full answer below.

Is Juliet almost 14?

Juliet is thirteen, but the word “thirteen” never appears in Romeo and Juliet . Instead we are repeatedly told that she is not yet fourteen. The fact that Juliet's father is looking forward to a birthday she will never reach emphasizes that Juliet's life is cut very short.

How old was Romeo and Juliet in 1996?

Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio were star-crossed lovers in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. The movie, which premiered in 1996, starred a 21-year-old DiCaprio as the leading man. Meanwhile, Danes was only 17 while portraying the role of Juliet.

Did Romeo and Juliet have a child?

A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist Romeo, a member of the House of Montague, with which the Capulets have a blood feud....Juliet.Juliet CapuletSpouseRomeo MontagueNationalityItalian7 more rows

Do Romeo and Juliet ever sleep together?

Do Romeo and Juliet have sex? At the beginning of Act III, scene v, Romeo and Juliet are together in Juliet's bed just before dawn, having spent the night with each other and feeling reluctant to separate.

How old was Romeo when he dating Juliet?

Romeo and Juliet are both of different ages, Romeo is a young man and Juliet is thirteen. They both love each other, but are not allowed to marry because they belong to different groups and Juliet's husband has been chosen. In present day America marrying young is against the law.

How old was Romeo and Juliet in the original play?

How old were Romeo and Juliet in the original play? In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, we know that Juliet is 13 years old, as Old Capulet tells. Click to see full answer.

What is the age gap between Romeo and Juliet?

Juliet's age is 13, and she is almost about to turn 14.

How many years off of Juliet's age?

Shakespeare cuts three years off Juliet's age to make her the tender age of 13: as Old Capulet says to Paris, 'she hath not seen the change of fourteen years'. When was Romeo and Juliet first performed?

What are the main sources of Romeo and Juliet?

Shakespeare's main sources for Romeo and Juliet were. Arthur Brooke's narrative poem The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet (1562) and. William Painter's prose version of the story in the second volume of The Palace of Pleasure (1567).

Is Romeo older than Juliet?

so he's probably not much older than Juliet. According to Painter, who follows Boaistuau, he is. of the age of .20 or .21 years. Both Brooke's and Shakespeare's Romeo seem younger than this. Based on Romeo's and Juliet's relative maturity, I would argue that Shakespeare's Romeo is not much older than Juliet.

Is Juliet younger than Shakespeare?

It is noteworthy, I think, that Juliet is considerably younger than women were usually married in England at the time. Shakespeare's wife was in her late 20s, and that was much more the custom. Marrying Juliet off at 12 or 13 would not be impossible, but definitely unusual.

How old is Julietta in Shakespeare's play?

In the other major source for Shakespeare's play, the story of "Rhomeo and Julietta," novel 25, in William Painter's The Palace of Pleasure, published in 1567, Julietta is "a yong Gentlewoman of Verona," no age given, and Rhomeo, "of the family of Montesches," is "of the age of 20 or 21 Year es.". Shakespeare's Romeo seems younger ...

What is the story of Romeo and Juliet?

Romeo and Juliet is the very famous story of the two "star-crossed lovers" ( Prologue to Act I, line 6) who are doomed to fail in their attempts to overcome the feud which has dominated the Montague and Capulet families for as long as anyone can remember .

How old is Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet?

Lady Capulet states, "She's not yet fourteen" (1.3.14), and Juliet's nurse, who's been intimately involved with Juliet since the day she was born, states definitively that in a little more than two weeks, "Come Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen" (1.3.21). There is no such direct evidence of Romeo 's age anywhere in the play.

What does Romeo and Juliet say about the change of fourteen years?

In act 1, scene 2 of William Shakespeare 's Romeo and Juliet, Lord Capulet, Juliet 's father, tells Paris, one of Juliet 's suitors, that Juliet "hath not seen the change of fourteen years" ( 1.2.9). In fact, according to Juliet's mother and Nurse in act 1, scene 3, Juliet is a little more than two weeks shy of her fourteenth birthday.

How old is Juliet in the first scene?

Juliet's age is, you're quite right, specified by the Nurse and Lady Capulet in Juliet's first scene as not-quite-fourteen. As for Romeo's age, Shakespeare never tells us! We know - from what Friar Laurence and the Nurse comment on various occasions - that he is a "young" man (2.4.119) but we don't know precisely how young.

Why does Romeo renounce everything for her?

Romeo is also willing to renounce everything for her because as he says, his "name is hateful to myself" (55). Romeo is not yet old enough to understand that he would be expected to uphold the resentment and loathing in honor of his family name.

Does Shakespeare mention Romeo's age?

It seems odd that Shakespeare makes an effort to clearly establish Juliet's age—an age which is notably younger than the average age for a woman to get married in Shakespeare's time—but Shakespeare never mentions Romeo's age. In one of two major sources for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Arthur Brooke's narrative poem "The Tragicall Historye ...

How old is Romeo?

As such, it is usually understood that Romeo is about seventeen or eighteen years of age, but directors have made very different decisions on this front. The age of the actor who plays Romeo can have a significant impact upon how the play is received. Approved by eNotes Editorial Team. Educator since 2016.

Is Romeo older than Juliet?

It is generally assumed, however, that he and his friends are probably, while older than Juliet, not older to an enormous degree. Consider the way they behave: Romeo, in particular, is still afflicted with the wild passions of youth, declaring himself in love with Rosaline only to move on to Juliet after first meeting her.

Is Romeo still with his parents?

While Romeo's parents do not play as big a part in the story as Juliet's parents do, they are still present, suggesting that Romeo is still considered very much part of his parents's household. Romeo has the recklessness of youth and none of the real responsibilities of adulthood.

Who played Romeo and Juliet?

Leonard Whiting in Franco Zeffirelli 's 1968 film, Romeo and Juliet, opposite Olivia Hussey as Juliet. Leslie Howard in George Cukor 's 1936 film, Romeo and Juliet, opposite Norma Shearer as Juliet.

Who is Romeo's wife?

The son of Lord Montague and his wife, Lady Montague, he secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet, through a priest named Friar Laurence. Forced into exile after slaying Juliet's cousin, Tybalt, in a duel, Romeo commits suicide upon hearing falsely of Juliet's death. The character's origins can be traced as far back ...

What is the origin of Romeo and Juliet?

Origins. The earliest tale bearing a resemblance to Shakespeare 's Romeo and Juliet is Xenophon of Ephesus ' Ephesiaca, whose heroic figure is a Habrocomes.

Is Romeo an only child?

Although both Salernitano and da Porto claimed that their stories had historical basis, there is little evidence that this is the case. Romeo, an only child like Juliet, is one of the most important characters of the play, and has a consistent presence throughout it.

When was Romeo and Juliet adapted?

In the 20th and into the 21st century, the play has been adapted in versions as diverse as George Cukor 's 1936 film Romeo and Juliet, Franco Zeffirelli 's 1968 version Romeo and Juliet, and Baz Luhrmann 's 1996 MTV-inspired Romeo + Juliet .

Who is Romeo in love with?

For example, when the play begins, Romeo is in love with Rosaline, who has refused all of his advances. Romeo's infatuation with her stands in obvious contrast to his later love for Juliet. This provides a comparison through which the audience can see the seriousness of Romeo and Juliet's love and marriage.

What does Lady Capulet and Juliet's Nurse try to persuade Juliet to accept

Lady Capulet and Juliet's Nurse try to persuade Juliet to accept Paris's courtship. Meanwhile, Benvolio talks with his cousin Romeo, Montague's son, about Romeo's recent depression. Benvolio discovers that it stems from unrequited infatuation for a girl named Rosaline, one of Capulet's nieces.

How old is Juliet Capulet?

Juliet Capulet is the 13-year-old daughter of Capulet, the play's female protagonist. Tybalt is a cousin of Juliet, the nephew of Lady Capulet. The Nurse is Juliet's personal attendant and confidante. Rosaline is Lord Capulet's niece, Romeo's love in the beginning of the story.

What does Romeo buy from the apothecary?

Heartbroken, Romeo buys poison from an apothecary and goes to the Capulet crypt. He encounters Paris who has come to mourn Juliet privately. Believing Romeo to be a vandal, Paris confronts him and, in the ensuing battle, Romeo kills Paris. Still believing Juliet to be dead, he drinks the poison.

What is Romeo and Juliet's love?

Romeo and Juliet's love seems to be expressing the "Religion of Love" view rather than the Catholic view. Another point is that, although their love is passionate, it is only consummated in marriage, which keeps them from losing the audience's sympathy. The play arguably equates love and sex with death.

When did Shakespeare write Romeo and Juliet?

It is unknown when exactly Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet. Juliet's Nurse refers to an earthquake she says occurred 11 years ago. This may refer to the Dover Straits earthquake of 1580, which would date that particular line to 1591. Other earthquakes—both in England and in Verona—have been proposed in support of the different dates. But the play's stylistic similarities with A Midsummer Night's Dream and other plays conventionally dated around 1594–95, place its composition sometime between 1591 and 1595. One conjecture is that Shakespeare may have begun a draft in 1591, which he completed in 1595.

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