Romeo and Juliet

W. Shakespeares Biography: William Shakespeare, born in Stratford-upon-Avon (UK) on April 23 1564, was the third of eight sons of John Shakespeare, a seller of leather. At the age of 18 got married to Anne Hathaway and after he gave birth three sons. In the 6 century he was working in London as an actor and as a dramatist, but his work was severely attacked. During these years in London there was a plagues epidemic and most of the theatres were closed, but Shakespeare published two short poems, dedicated to the Count of Southampton. He also joined the Lord Chamberlains men company that built the theatre the Globe, where he worked. Then the company was changed into the Kings company of James I Stuart and Shakespeare didnt play anymore as an actor. He died on April 15 1616 in Stratford where was buried. During his life, he wrote lots of poems and sonnets and the most famous ones are The Taming of the Shrew, A midsummer Nights Dream, The Merchant of Venice, The Life and Death of Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing, The tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark, The tragedy of Othello The Moor of Venice, The Tragedy of Macbeth , The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra and The Tempest. But certainly the most famous work was The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

Main Characters:
Escalus: Prince of Verona Montague: head of a Veronese family, enemy of Capulets Capulet: leader of the Veronese family of Capulets, enemy of Montagues. Paris: young count kinsmen of the Prince and suitor of Juliet Mercutio: kinsman of the Prince and friend of Romeo Benvolio: nephew of Montague and friend of Romeo Tybalt: nephew of Lady Capulet Friars Laurence: Franciscan Nurse: of Juliet Apothecary of Mantua. Romeo: son of Montague Juliet: daughter of Capulet Corus: citizens of Verona

Origins:
The history takes place between Verona and Mantua and the characters are from two enemies families, who, according to Dante Alighieri, were known during 1300; Montagues were came from Verona and Capulets from Brescia but lived in Verona in the current House of Juliet were there are evidence of their coat of arms. There are no evidences of the story of Romeo and Juliet, we know only that in that time Montagues fought against Guelph and were banished. Although the story takes its cue from above classic stories, the first draft of the plot is in the Italian novel of Luigi da Porta (1500 ca) who is inspired by a story already developed by two authors; Shakespeare modifies the plot of the dramatic poem of Arthur Brook, who was the primary source of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet.

Plot:
The story starts with the Chorus that in the prologue talks about the situation of Verona, an Italian city where there were two noble families: Capulets and Montuagues, who have been always enemies and have sprinkled a lot of blood. From these families come from two young lovers who will died but they will reconcile the enemy families. In the first scene there is an argument between two Capulets households (Sampson and Gregory) and a Montagues servant, because of the family honour; then starts a quarrel with swords and Benvolio tries stopping it but comes also Tybalt, an irascible man, so the fight degenerates and Capulet and Montague join this fight but the Prince, angry with the families because of their frequent arguments, calls the leaders to talk with them and try to stop the bloody fights. Then is presented Romeo, the main character, talking to Benvolio, sad because is deeply in love with a girl but she refuses him; the girl is Rosaline a member of the Capulets family. Another young man is in love, Paris, a nobleman who feels in love with Juliet, the other main character; he asks Juliets father the permission to marry her daughter and he answers that she is too young for a wedding and answers to conquer the heart of the girl at the party, organized at Capulets home. A servant invites Romeo at the party, without knowing his identity, and Benvolio persuades him to go there and see his Rosaline. Before the party, Lady Capulet tells Juliet that is the moment to get married because she will be 14 in less time and that Paris is in love with her and if she wants to accept the wedding with him, and the funny nurse tries to convince her to know him at the party. During this event Romeo, dressed as a pilgrim and with Benvolio and Mercutio, sees Juliet dancing with Paris and instantly fells in love wit her, but Tybalt recognizes him and wants to kill him but Lord Capulet stops him. Romeo kisses Juliet but she discovers that he is the son of Montague but him, who loves she really deeply, remains at the house and goes to the garden; here he looks at the balcony and sees Juliet appearing; he praises her beauty and she says the famous words: Oh Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny the father and refuse thy name. Or, if thou will not, be but sworn my love, and Ill no longer be a Capulet. The young lovers exchange the promise of love and decide to get married next day, and Romeo goes to friar Laurence and tells him that he wants to get married with Juliet and he accepts to marry them because wants a reconciliation of the families. The friar celebrates the wedding but after it Tybalt wants to challenge to a duel Romeo but he refuses and Mercutio fights and is killed by Tybalt, so Romeo, to avenge Mercutio, kills Julies cousin too. Rush Capulets, Montagues and the Prince, who decides to exile Romeo in Mantua. Romeo fleeces into friar Laurences cell and the nurse goes there to talk to Romeo and tell him to spend the night with Juliet and try to comfort her. In palace Lord Capulet accepts the proposal of Paris and organizes the wedding shortly, but Juliet doesnt want to get married but the father threat her. Juliet goes to friar Laurence and there meets Paris who tells her that she will be his wife and Juliet, desperate, asks to the friar something to not marry the nobleman and he gives her a vial that contains a potions that will give an apparent death for 42 hours, in the night, alone, she drinks the potion to Romeo. The next day the nurse finds Juliets body dead in the bed and the family bring her in the churchyard. Balthazar comes in Mantua and tell Romeo about Juliets death and he asks to the apothecary a poison to kill himself; this happens because of the plague, in fact in Verona the messenger of friar Laurence couldnt go to Mantua to tell Romeo that Juliet was alive and that she only drunk a potion, because he had to visit ill citizens. In the churchyard come Paris who sees also Romeo there so they fight and Paris, hit, dies and tell Romeo to bury him next to Juliet and Romeo does it but after he drinks the poison and looking at the least and taking the last embrace, dies with a kiss. Juliet wakes up and finds the dead body of Romeo and the potion, so pulls out his dagger and kills herself. Lord Capulet and his wife listen to the noise made by the citizens and finds the bodies of Juliet Romeo and Paris, so comes also Lord Montague who wants to know which kind of disaster happened to his family, because his wife died when Romeo was exiled. The friar tell all about the young lovers story and Capulet and

Montague finally shake hands as a peace sign and Lord Capulet gives Juliets dowry to Montague and he will make a statue on memory of Juliet, at the end decide with the Prince to bury Romeo and Juliet together, and the Prince says: For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Structure and style:

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet was made and represented between 1594-97 and published two years later; is a tragedy with some funny elements like the nurse, who is typical popular person who talks a little vulgarly in contrast with the noble characters . The tragedy is composed of 4 acts, written in rhyme, and each act has his own prologue written in sonnet with two quatrains and two triplets with chained rhyme; also the meeting of Romeo and Juliet is a sonnet and is the example of the courtly love and submission of man to woman, like Romeo kneels in front of Juliet as a pilgrim kneels in front of the Madonna. An important factor is the light, Juliet is the light, and her beauty fairs Romeo; but their love blooms at night and ends in a dark crypt; the dark is seal of their love and here it triumphs. The story takes place in Italy, that in that time was divided and the states were at war wit each other and with Papal states, especially Verona. In UK, when Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, Queen Elizabeth I was the head of the Protestant Church of England so in the tragedy is described the climate of fears diffused there for the separation of the Queen: this is the first step of English gothic in the Elizabethan theatre