Was Romeo and Juliet a true story?
“Romeo and Juliet” was based on the life of two real lovers who lived in Verona, Italy 1303, and who died for each other. Shakespeare is reckoned to have discovered this tragic love story in Arthur Brooke’s 1562 poem entitled “The Tragical History of Romeo and Juliet” and rewrote it as a tragic story.
Who really wrote Romeo and Juliet?
The play titled Romeo and Juliet was originally written by William Shakespeare. According to the eNotes summary of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare wrote the play in either 1594 or 1595. It was most...
Is Romeo and Juliet a tragic story?
Romeo and Juliet would rather have killed themselves than live in a world without each other. Concluding that the play by William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet is indeed tragic story about two star crossed lovers trying to find a way to love each other. In the tragic end the two did find a way to be together in the afterlife.
What is the plot of Romeo and Juliet?
The two teenaged lovers, Romeo and Juliet, fall in love the first time they see each other, but their families’ feud requires they remain enemies. Over the course of the play, the lovers’ powerful desires directly clash with their families’ equally powerful hatred of each other.
What is Romeo and Juliet written in?
blank verseMost of Romeo and Juliet is, however, written in blank verse, and much of it in strict iambic pentameter, with less rhythmic variation than in most of Shakespeare's later plays. In choosing forms, Shakespeare matches the poetry to the character who uses it.
Why did Shakespeare use prose in Romeo and Juliet?
Why Did Shakespeare Use Prose? Shakespeare used prose to tell us something about his characters. Many of Shakespeare's low-class characters speak in prose to distinguish themselves from the higher-class, verse-speaking characters.
Is all of Romeo and Juliet written in iambic pentameter?
Examples of iambic pentameter are found in all of Shakespeare's plays, including the famous "Romeo and Juliet," "Julius Caesar," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and "Hamlet." See instances of this meter in the verses that follow.
What type of literature is Romeo and Juliet?
TragedyRomanceRomeo and Juliet/Genres
What is verse vs prose?
Prose is the term for any sustained wodge of text that doesn't have a consistent rhythm. Poetry or verse is different: verse has a set rhythm (or meter), and it looks distinctive on the page as the lines are usually shorter than prose.
How does Shakespeare use prose and verse?
Shakespeare sometimes writes in verse, sometimes in prose. Verse is distinguished from prose by the relative regularity of its rhythm. The rhythm of a line is determined by the alternation of stressed and unstressed (accented or unaccented) syllables.
Why is blank verse used in Romeo and Juliet?
In Romeo and Juliet, blank verse is sometimes juxtaposed with rhyming iambic pentameter and prose to emphasize differences in characters and class. For example, nobility such as Juliet's parents and Romeo and Juliet themselves often deliver lines in blank verse.
What is an example of a prose in Romeo and Juliet?
In “Romeo and Juliet,” the characters sometimes speak in prose instead of verse. The nurse, for example, speaks in prose when she rants. As a more comedic character, Mercutio speaks in prose when he is with Romeo or his friends, because they are informal with each other.
Why is Romeo and Juliet written in iambic pentameter?
The majority of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' is written in blank verse, or unrhymed iambic pentameter. This meter closely replicates the natural rhythm of spoken English.
What Theatre style is Romeo and Juliet?
Shakespeare designed it to be played in daylight on the simple thrust stage of an Elizabethan playhouse, where the rear balcony provided Juliet's bedroom window and a trapdoor in the stage was her tomb. No scenery and few props allowed the action to move swiftly and the audience to focus on the language.
What form is the prologue to Romeo and Juliet written in?
Shakespearean sonnetShakespeare uses a large variety of poetic forms throughout the play. He begins with a 14-line prologue by a Chorus in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet. Like this sonnet much of Romeo and Juliet is written in iambic pentameter, with ten syllables of alternating stress in each line.
Is Romeo and Juliet considered a novel?
It's a story you think you know: the age-old tale of “star-cross'd lovers”; two families at war; a romance, so pure and absolute, fated for a tragic end. It's a story so thoroughly embedded in our culture, and so frequently retold.
Why is Romeo and Juliet written in verse?
Because verse is more structured and rule-bound than prose, verse also suits a play about characters who are ...
Why does Shakespeare use verse in Romeo and Juliet?
Because verse is more structured and rule-bound than prose, verse also suits a play about characters who are trapped by fate and social rules. The other reason Shakespeare uses verse in Romeo and Juliet is that he generally uses verse for the speech of high-status characters. Most of the characters in Romeo and Juliet are nobles, ...
Why does Benvolio use prose in Act 3?
Benvolio begins Act Three, scene one speaking in verse, because he is making the serious point that it’s dangerous for him and Mercutio to be in a place where “the Capels are abroad” (3.1.).
What is the meaning of the sonnets in Romeo and Juliet?
In Shakespeare's time, most sonnets were about idealized romantic love, so the sonnets in Romeo and Juliet emphasize that this is a play about romantic ideals. But by allowing Juliet to share the poem with Romeo, rhyming her words to his, Shakespeare updates the form, giving each member of the relationship equal value. In this way, the style of the play both elevates the love between the two characters and modernizes a traditional form of poetry.
Why do Romeo and Juliet rhyme?
Because rhyming involves pairs of words, rhyme points to the importance of pairs and couples.
What does Romeo and Juliet use to emphasize love?
Romeo and Juliet use the imagery of stars, moons and suns to emphasize that their love is not earthbound or ordinary, but the play always reminds us that in fact the stars are not on the lovers’ side.
Why do Peter and Peter speak in prose?
The Nurse, Peter and the Musicians usually speak in prose, because they are comic and low-status characters. Mercutio and Romeo mostly use verse, but they often use prose when they are exchanging jokes. Prose can also mark reckless speech, and Mercutio sometimes uses prose when he is being especially provocative.
Who wrote Romeo and Juliet?
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young Italian star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays.
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 .
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.
How many operas are based on Romeo and Juliet?
At least 24 operas have been based on Romeo and Juliet. The earliest, Romeo und Julie in 1776, a Singspiel by Georg Benda, omits much of the action of the play and most of its characters and has a happy ending. It is occasionally revived. The best-known is Gounod 's 1867 Roméo et Juliette (libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré ), a critical triumph when first performed and frequently revived today. Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi is also revived from time to time, but has sometimes been judged unfavourably because of its perceived liberties with Shakespeare; however, Bellini and his librettist, Felice Romani, worked from Italian sources—principally Romani's libretto for Giulietta e Romeo by Nicola Vaccai —rather than directly adapting Shakespeare's play. Among later operas, there is Heinrich Sutermeister 's 1940 work Romeo und Julia.
Which Shakespeare play was the most filmed?
Romeo and Juliet may be the most-filmed play of all time. The most notable theatrical releases were George Cukor 's multi- Oscar -nominated 1936 production, Franco Zeffirelli 's 1968 version, and Baz Luhrmann 's 1996 MTV-inspired Romeo + Juliet. The latter two were both, in their time, the highest-grossing Shakespeare film ever. Romeo and Juliet was first filmed in the silent era, by Georges Méliès, although his film is now lost. The play was first heard on film in The Hollywood Revue of 1929, in which John Gilbert recited the balcony scene opposite Norma Shearer.
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What is the significance of the verse when the lovers first meet?
The verse when the lovers first meet is especially significant. By having the two speak in sonnet-form back and forth to one another, Shakespeare is signalling that this love is special , more than mere teenage infatuation, as Romeo's feelings were for Rosaline (notice how uninspired Romeo's poetry about Rosaline is compared to this scene where he first meets Juliet).
Is Shakespeare's verse style random?
This goes to show that Shakespeare's verse style as he employs it throughout the play is not random. There is a deliberate design to these stylistic choices.
Is Romeo and Juliet written in verse?
For the most part, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is written in blank verse. What this means is that there is no set rhyme scheme; however, there is a consistent rhythm and meter. Large parts of the play are written in iambic feet with five feet per line. This is called iambic pentameter.
How to tell if Shakespeare is writing in prose or verse?
You can tell by looking at the page in the script. Where it looks like a poem, Shakespeare is using verse. When it looks like writing in a book that goes the whole way across the page, he is writing in prose. Prose is often used by servants or characters with lower status in the play.
What is the most famous sonnet in Romeo and Juliet?
But the most famous sonnet in the play is in Act 1 Scene 5 when Romeo and Juliet meet, beginning with the line 'If I profane with my unworthiest hand' (Romeo, 1:5). Unusually, this sonnet is shared by two people but still follows the set rules, ending with a couplet that Romeo and Juliet share. Dramatic Irony.
What is Friar Laurence's first greeting to Romeo in Act 2 Scene 3?
Friar Laurence’s first greeting to Romeo in Act 2 Scene 3 and Romeo’s response is shared ‘Good morrow, father. Benedicite!’ (2:3) A shared line can also demonstrate an urgency in a character. A sonnet is a poem of 14 lines, written in iambic pentameter.
What is Juliet's speech in Act 1 Scene 5?
When he first sees Juliet In Act 1 Scene 5 his speech is written entirely in rhyming couplets: 'O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright. / It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night' (Romeo, 1:5). The play also ends with a rhyming couplet.
What style of writing does Shakespeare use?
Shakespeare uses to give the audience clues about what is coming next in the play and foreshadow the characters’ tragic ends. Prose. The style of writing you might find in a book. Take another look at the prose and verse definitions.
What is Shakespeare's rhythm called?
Shakespeare writes in a combination of and verse. Verse is like poetry and it has a set and rhythm. The rhythm Shakespeare uses in his plays is called pentameter, which is like a , with one soft beat and one strong beat repeated times.
What is iambic pentameter?
Play Iambic Pentameter Video. Iambic pentameter is the name given to the rhythm that Shakespeare uses in his plays. The rhythm of iambic pentameter is like a heartbeat, with one soft beat and one strong beat repeated five times.
Why does Shakespeare use prose in Romeo and Juliet?
In Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare used prose to create moments of confusion, especially when there is fighting or arguing on stage. Interestingly, Mercutio, the highest born of the leading characters in the play, jumps rapidly between prose and verse. This is perhaps to show his mercurial, or erratic, nature.
What is Romeo's metaphor for Juliet?
Romeo begins by using the sun as a metaphor for his beloved Juliet: “It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. In these same lines Romeo has furthered his metaphor by using personification. He creates for us the idea that the moon is a woman who is “sick and pale with grief,” seemingly jealous of Juliet’s beauty.
What is the form of speech used in Shakespearean drama?
Prose is the form of speech used by common, and often comic, people in Shakespearean drama. There is no rhythm or meter in the line. It is everyday language. Shakespeare’s audiences would recognize the speech as their language. When a character in a play speaks in prose, you know that he is a lower class member of society. These are characters such as criminals, servants, and pages. However, sometimes important characters can speak in prose. For example, the majority of The Merry Wives of Windsor is written in prose because it deals with the middle-class. The first scene of Romeo and Juliet is written in prose , until Benvolio and Tybalt, the more important and higher born characters in the play, enter:
What does Juliet do at the end of the scene?
Toward the end of the scene, Juliet tries to tell Romeo how much she loves him . She uses the sea as a simile to help him understand:
Why is the Merry Wives of Windsor written in prose?
For example, the majority of The Merry Wives of Windsor is written in prose because it deals with the middle-class. The first scene of Romeo and Juliet is written in prose, until Benvolio and Tybalt, the more important and higher born characters in the play, enter: ...
What is the beginning of the verse lines in Shakespeare's play?
The verse lines begin when Benvolio enters in an attempt to break up the fight. He is followed by Tybalt, who wants to get in on the action. As with most of Shakespeare’s important characters, these two speak in blank verse. It contains no rhyme, but each line has an internal rhythm with a regular rhythmic pattern.
What does Mercutio say?
Mercutio (upon being mortally wounded by Tybalt): No, ‘tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door, but ’tis enough, ’twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man. I am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o’ both your houses! Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat, to scratch a man to death! A braggart, a rouge, a villain, that fights by the book of arithmetic! Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm. (3.1.95–102)
Overview
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young Italian star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers.
Characters
• Prince Escalus is the ruling Prince of Verona.
• Count Paris is a kinsman of Escalus who wishes to marry Juliet.
• Mercutio is another kinsman of Escalus, a friend of Romeo.
• Capulet is the patriarch of the house of Capulet.
Synopsis
The play, set in Verona, Italy, begins with a street brawl between Montague and Capulet servants who, like the masters they serve, are sworn enemies. Prince Escalus of Verona intervenes and declares that further breach of the peace will be punishable by death. Later, Count Paris talks to Capulet about marrying his daughter Juliet, but Capulet asks Paris to wait another two years and invites hi…
Sources
Romeo and Juliet borrows from a tradition of tragic love stories dating back to antiquity. One of these is Pyramus and Thisbe, from Ovid's Metamorphoses, which contains parallels to Shakespeare's story: the lovers' parents despise each other, and Pyramus falsely believes his lover Thisbe is dead. The Ephesiaca of Xenophon of Ephesus, written in the 3rd century, also contains several similarities to the play, including the separation of the lovers, and a potion that induces …
Date and text
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 Midsu…
Themes and motifs
Scholars have found it extremely difficult to assign one specific, overarching theme to the play. Proposals for a main theme include a discovery by the characters that human beings are neither wholly good nor wholly evil, but instead are more or less alike, awaking out of a dream and into reality, the danger of hasty action, or the power of tragic fate. None of these have widespr…
Criticism and interpretation
The earliest known critic of the play was diarist Samuel Pepys, who wrote in 1662: "it is a play of itself the worst that I ever heard in my life." Poet John Dryden wrote 10 years later in praise of the play and its comic character Mercutio: "Shakespear show'd the best of his skill in his Mercutio, and he said himself, that he was forc'd to kill him in the third Act, to prevent being killed by …
Legacy
Romeo and Juliet ranks with Hamlet as one of Shakespeare's most performed plays. Its many adaptations have made it one of his most enduring and famous stories. Even in Shakespeare's lifetime, it was extremely popular. Scholar Gary Taylor measures it as the sixth most popular of Shakespeare's plays, in the period after the death of Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Kyd but before the a…