Romeo and Juliet

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Slide 1

Michele Douglas Graves County High School Introduction to Romeo and Juliet Presented November 2002

Slide 2

William Shakeapeare’s Life and Times

Slide 3

Hall’s Croft

Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon

Son of John & Mary Arden

Similar to the home young Shakespeare may have grown up in.

Slide 4

William Shakespeare

Grammar School

1583 Married Anne Hathaway

Susanna, Hamnet, Judith

Seven Dark Years

Slide 5

London in 1600’s

Conditions in London were not pleasant.

Homes of the poor were small and dirty

Sewage ran in open ditches in the streets

Overcrowding and unemployment were major problems.

Slide 6

London Bridge

Heads of traitors were displayed on pikes on the city’s main bridge.

Slide 7

The New Globe

Slide 8

The Globe

Located on the south bank of the Thames

The most famous London Playhouse

Owned by the Burbage family

Flew a flag to announce a performance

Acting companies used boys to play female roles.

Shakespeare was a member of Lord Chamberlain’s Company. Later called the King’s Men.

Slide 9

The wealthy’s view of the stage

Slide 10

“The Heavens”

as seen by the groundlings

Slide 11

Objections to Theaters

Large assemblies of people

Spread diseases

Guilt by association

Theaters were often located outside the city walls to avoid censor by London’s Lord Mayor.

Slide 12

Romeo and Juliet

Written in 1599

Celebrates the passion of youthful love

Dates back to 400 AD in a Greek Romance

Feud--a prolonged conflict between families.

The feud is so old that the cause has been forgotten.

Slide 13

The Balcony Scene

“Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore art thou Romeo?”