Shakespeare said "what"?
The prologue of Romeo and Juliet contains the play's first reference to Fortune, or rather misfortune, and characterizes the protagonists' circum- stances as “misadventure.”
unlucky
" here comes one of my master's kinsmen" KINSMEN?
cousin
A character who addressed the audience, made comments on the action of the actors.
chorus
"Enter Sampson and Gregory, with swords and bucklers, of the house of Capulet." BUCKLERS?
small shields
Locate and rearrange words that belong together helps understanding.
"Three civil brawls bred of an airy word
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague.
Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets."
Shakespeare frequently uses words which no longer exist in modern English, or which have changed their meaning since Shakespeare's day. Here are some of the most common, with their modern meanings: "An"
modern: article meaning 1; Elizabethan: if
True/False Shakespeare often moves the subject/noun and verb to different places within the dialogue.
true: Example: instead of “He goes” we find “Goes he”). In the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet,
"From ancient grudge break to new mutiny." MUTINY
riot
"Gregory, on my word we'll not carry coals." CARRY COALS?
suffer humiliation quietly
"And yet no man like he doth grieve my heart" Example of a pun or metaphor
Pun (Play on words) Grieve as heard by Juliet's mother means "anger" but she also means "longing"
Shakespeare uses marry 2 different ways.
1. meaning Mary (mother of Jesus); 2. marry as in "get married"
"Away from the light steals home my heavy son" MEANING?
"Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean" CIVIL
of citizens; also civilized
"No, for then we should be colliers." COLLIERS?
carriers of coals; BONUS: what figurative language is being used between "....on my word we'll not carry coals" and "no, for then we should be colliers."
"Ay, madam, from the reach of these my hands." Pun or metaphor?
pun (Play on words) Juliet's mother thinks she mans "grasp"; Juliet meant "touch"
"Under love's heavy burden do I sink. " HEAVY?
sorrowful/sad
Shakespeare: "were you by?" .....instead of? Were you nearby?
to create a more poetic iambic pentameter.
"Whose misadventured piteous overthrows..." MISADVENTURED
unlucky
"Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of the collar." DRAW/COLLAR?
Draw: to take out; collar: hangman's noose
Romeo: "If I profane with my unworthiest hand/This holy shrine." Pun or metaphor
metaphor..he goes on to talk as if he were a pilgrim at a shrine.
"It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon " ENVIOUS?
malicious; malelovent
"two households, both alike in dignity" DIGNITY?
social position
"Which, but their children's end, naught could remove." BUT
except for
"I strike quickly, being moved." MOVED?
provoked
metaphor