Themes
Individual vs.society: name 2 characters who illustrate this theme, and explain your answer.
Mercutio: he is the "jester" figure;
Friar L: he is an outsider who is an ally to both families;
Romeo and Juliet: each rejects the social rules re: gender, and each goes against what the families want.
Does Shakespeare respect the 3 unities? Explain.
To some extent, but in a broad way: the action lasts more than one day (unity of time), we go to Verona and Mantua (unity of place), and the action is really one single story (unity of action).
Name 3 elements which make this play a comedy:
-Long scenes of people being in love (balcony scene);
-Party, music, dancing;
-Lots of jokes (many racy comments);
-Characters who offer comic relief: the Nurse and Merc.
Why does the play mention "star-crossed" lovers?
People believed that their Fate was determined by a Higher Power and that we could discover and predict our destiny by looking at the stars (Astrology).
Which of the characters might be a figure representing Shakespeare? Explain your answer.
Mercutio, as "Jester" who entertains the others, says what others don't dare say, has powerful friends but also a certain freedom by virtue of NOT belonging to one of the warring families, could be a stand-in for Will.
Order vs. disorder: Does the play represent a progression from order to disorder, or is it the other way around?
the play goes from disorder (civil unrest, violence) to order (reconciled families, stability, a monument to the lovers).
What is the difference between soliloquy and monologue?
Soliloquy: the character speaks to himself, speaks his innermost thoughts and what he says is not meant to be overheard by other characters;
Monologue: the character addresses himsself to others but is the only one talking (giving a speech).
Why does the Chorus tell us immediately at the beginning that R and J are going to die?
The concept of "spoiler" did not exist: playwrights usually retold stories that were well-known, and the purpose was not to discover a new story, but to see the cleverness of THIS re-telling of a familiar tale.
Why does Mercutio curse the families by calling for a "plague" on both the houses? What does it mean to Elizabethans?
Plagues were infectious diseases that did occur and were horrible,
BUT also it is a biblical reference to bad things that are sent from the Creator to teach humans a lesson (Plagues of Egypt, etc...)
Why do some people think that Shakespeare was actually the pseudonym of a powerful aristocrat?
Name one passage in the play that people sometimes use to support this view.
The believe that a merchant's son would not have had the education necessary to write such elaborate plays.
They point to the end of the balcony scene, where R and J are saying goodbye, because there is a reference to falconry, an aristocratic pastime.
Appearance vs reality: name 3 events that relate to this theme.
-Mercutio makes jokes when in fact he is dying;
-Juliet seems to be upset about Tybalt's death when in fact she is sad about Romeo's banishment;
-Juliet appears dead but in fact is only asleep.
What essential element must be in a play that is considered a tragedy?
A tragic hero!
Of the three unities, which one is most closely respected?
The unity of action is most closely respected.
What 4 elements were thought to govern the human body and affect mental and physical health? What were they called?
The humours: Blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile.
Why did Shakespeare want to publish his plays and have people read them?
HE DID NOT! They were only published after his death.
Gender roles: name two ways in which Romeo and Juliet seem to be acting according to the rules concerning the other's gender.
-Juliet asks Romeo to change his name and initiates the process of getting married;
-Juliet is brave and willing to go into the realm of death;
-Juliet stabs herself;
-Romeo refuses to fight and stands aside when the fighting begins;
-Romeo cries and despairs;
-Romeo drinks poison.
What is the purpose of the figure of the Fool or "Jester," and who plays that role in R + J?
The Fool or Jester is often Wise, philosophical, and can tell truths that other characters are not able to voice.
Mercution is a "Jester."
So is Shakespeare!
Since there are very few stage directions, how did the actors know what they were supposed to do (for example when they are preparing to duel, brawling, etc...?)
The lines they speak contain constant references to what they are meant to be doing ("My naked weapon is out. Quarrel! I will back thee.")
Why does the play feature a 13 yr-old being considered for marriage and actually getting married? Were teenagers allowed to get married?
The concept of adolescence (being a teenager) did not exist. People went from being children directly to being adults, with no transition period.
What was the name of the theater founded by Shakespeare and how does that name represent the attitude people had towards plays?
It was The Globe, which like the world, contained rich and poor, people from all social classes and levels of education.
Free will vs fate: name 3 events from the play that suggest that humans have a destiny that cannot be altered.
-R and J each fall madly in love at first sight, R's presence at the party is pure luck (having seen the invitation);
-The death of Mercutio seems accidental, bad luck;
-The messenger's inability to reach Romeo in time is very bad luck;
-The potion's ill-timed effect is just a few minutes too late to save Romeo.
Name 3 of the conceits of Petrarchan love poetry. Where do they appear in the play?
Petrarchan love poetry is what Romeo spouts at the beginning when he talks about Rosalind.
Conceits (ideas) expressed include:
-there must be a proud, unattainable woman and a suffering man;
-the torments of love sickness are paradoxical (oxymorons);
-the woman is like a goddess, idealized with cliche comparisons (her teeth are like pearls, her skin like ivory,
How did the audience know when an scene or an Act was ending?
How does the play feature this element to mark the point where the play becomes tragic?
A rhyming couplet (2 lines that rhyme together) usually mark the end of a scene or an Act.
Romeo speaks such a couplet to mark the point where all the bad things are going to happen, when he actually says that from now on all the bad things are going to happen (Act III).
How does Friar Lawrence represent the mindset of an Elizabethan? Name 3 aspects of his beliefs/character.
-He studies Nature and knows chemistry, and represents much of the knowledge people had about the natural sciences;
-He believes in order in the cosmos as the proper state of things, and thinks disorder is the source of problems in nature and in humans;
-He advocates prudence and moderation in all things;
-He reminds Romeo of his gender role as "strong dude."
How did a playwright like Shakespeare make sure that nobles didn't get offended when he showed powerful families acting badly and doing violent, weird or destructive things?
The plays were usually set in a foreign land such as Italy, unless they were based on British History (ex: Richard II, Henry IV, etc...).