William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. He married Anne Hathaway when he was 18. Shakespeare went to London to work as an actor and playwright around 1592. He died in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23 rd April 1616, aged 52.
Shakespeare used the Globe Theatre for his plays. At the time the theatre was very popular, it was like football and television today. The cheapest seats cost one penny.
It was illegal for women to act in Elizabethan times, so boys played the female parts.
Shakespeare is one of the most famous writers in the world. His 37 plays include: Tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Hamlet and Macbeth. Comedies: The two Gentlemen of Verona, The Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night. Romances: The Tempest, The Winter s Tale. History Plays: Richard III, Henry V.
The most romantic yet dramatic of Shakespeare s tragedies is Romeo and Juliet.
The story is about two important families in Verona, the Montagues and the Capulets who are bitter enemies.
Romeo Montague, a handsome young nobleman, goes to a feast at the house of Lord Capulet in disguise. There he meets Capulet s beautiful young daughter Juliet and falls in love with her.
ROMEO (to himself): Who is that beautiful lady, shining so brightly in the dark night? She is too beautiful for ordinary life, too special for this world! She is like a lovely white bird in a group of ugly black ones. At the end of this dance, I ll see where she stands. I ll try and touch her lovely hand with my rough one. Was I in love before? No not until tonight.
Romeo decides to risk his life and sneaks to Juliet s bedroom window to speak with her. While he watches and listens to Juliet, Romeo learns that she is in love with him too. They speak at the window and make plans to secretly get married even though their families are enemies.
JULIET: Oh Romeo, Romeo why are you called Romeo? Say that you aren t your father s son. Say that Montague isn t your name. Or if you don t want to do that, promise to be my love. And I won t be a Capulet any longer. ROMEO: Only say that I m your love. I ll never be Romeo again. JULIET (frightened): Who are you? ROMEO (showing himself): I don t know how to tell you my name. I hate my name because it.
The next day Romeo and Juliet go to Friar Lawrence who agrees to marry them. Friar Lawrence hopes their marriage will help to bring peace to the families. Unfortunately Romeo kills Tybalt a Capulet, during a fight and he is banished from Verona by Prince Escalus and consequently leaves for Mantua after however spending the night with Juliet.
PRINCE ESCALUS: And for that crime, I am going to banish him from Verona. Mercutio was my relative. I have lost him because of your stupid fighting Romeo must leave now. If we find him in Verona after this, he must die.
Lord Capulet insists that she marry Count Paris. In despair Juliet asks Friar Lawrence to help her and he gives her a potion to drink before the wedding. The potion will send her into a state of catalepsy for 42 hours.
FRIAR: Wait, daughter. I can see a kind of hope, but it s a little dangerous. But you re so brave. You prefer to die than to marry Paris. So perhaps you re brave enough to do this thing. Take this bottle and drink this medicine. Your face will turn white, your eyes will close and your body will become cold. Everybody will think that you re dead.
Romeo returns unexpectedly and believing that Juliet is dead he takes some poison. ROMEO: Here lies Juliet.. Eyes, look at Juliet for the last time! Arms, hold her for the last time!...now it s time for me to kill myself.
On awakening and realizing her beloved Romeo is dead, Juliet stabs herself. JULIET: Oh, my dear Romeo, haven t you left any for me?. Oh, friendly knife! My body will be your final resting-place.
This tragic event reconciles the two families who have however paid too high price. LORD CAPULET: Give me your hand, brother Montague. Let s be friends. PRINCE: This morning has brought a grey kind of peace. The sun, from sadness, will not shine at all today. There was never a sadder story than this story of Romeo and Juliet.
Classe 2 A, 2 D, 2 E e 2G - Scuola Media «Cecilio Secondo» Prof.sse Di Bartolomeo e Spiriti Anno scolastico 2016-2017