Romeo and Juliet by William

Shakespeare
Society and Culture
Stoican Cosmina
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (26 April 16! " 2# April 1616$ %as an &n'lish poet(
o)ten called &n'land*s national poet( play%ri'ht( actor( and ar'uably the most )amous
%riter o) all time+ ,e is kno%n as the -ard o) A.on or the S%an o) A.on/ the latter
%as in.ented by -en Jonson in a poem he %rote+ 0he phrase re)ers to the s%ans on the
Ri.er A.on at Strat)ord( %here Shakespeare %as born/ )urthermore( accordin' to an
ancient 1reek concept( the souls o) poets pass into s%ans+
2ery little is kno%n about the poet*s childhood+ ,is )ather %as a success)ul
leather merchant %ho once held the public position o) alderman+ Shakespeare %as the
third si3 children( includin' t%o older sisters and three youn'er brothers+
,e 're% up in Strat)ord4upon4A.on and li.ed in a house %ith his )amily on
,enley Street+ ,e %ent to the local 'rammar school %here he learned about poetry(
history( 1reek and 5atin+
At the a'e o) 16( William married Anne ,atha%ay( %ho %as ei'ht years older
than him+ 0hey had three kids( a 'irl named Susanna and t%ins named ,amnet and
Judith+
A)ter William and Anne had the t%ins( there are no records o) the ne3t se.eral
years o) the poet*s li)e+ ,istorians o)ten re)er to these years as the lost years+ 0here are
many theories and stories about %hat William %as doin' durin' this time+ 7n any e.ent(
he and his )amily e.entually ended up in 5ondon( %here William %as %orkin' at the
theatre+
Shakespeare %as part o) an actin' company called 5ord Chamberlain*s 8en+
0here %ere typically around ten actors in a company includin' a lead actor( character
actors and some comedians+ 9emale characters %ere usually portrayed by youn' boys(
since %omen %ere not allo%ed to act+
Shakespeare %rote plays )or the company but he %orked as an actor as %ell+ ,is
plays became .ery popular in 5ondon and soon the 5ord Chamberlain*s 8en %ere one o)
the most popular actin' companies in the city+ Some o) the Shakespeare*s early plays
include 0he 0amin' o) the Shre%( Richard 777( Romeo and Juliet and A
8idsummer :i'ht*s ;ream+
<n)ortunately( the o%ner o) the land decided to lock the theatre %here these
early plays %ere put on at and re)used to let the actors to per)orm+ 0he actors tried to
make the o%ner chan'e his mind but it %as impossible( so they had do )ind an alternati.e+
0hey build a ne% theatre called the 1lobe 0heatre( %hich turned out to be a 'reat success+
8any o) Shakespeare*s 'reatest plays %ere %ritten in the last hal) o) his career+
0hese included ,amlet( =thello( >in' 5ear and 8acbeth+ ,is success in the
theatre( as %ell as his in.estments in land and the 1lobe( made Shakespeare a %ealthy
man+
Shakespeare also became )amous )or his poetry+ ,is most )amous poem o) the
time %as 2enus and Adonis+ ,e also %rote poems called sonnets+ A book o) 1! o)
Shakespeare?s sonnets %as published in 16@A+
William retired to his home in Strat)ord and died on his )i)ty4second birthday+
Romeo and Juliet
0he play be'ins %ith a lar'e )i'ht bet%een the Capulets and the 8onta'ues( t%o
presti'ious )amilies in 2erona( 7taly+ 0hese )amilies ha.e been )i'htin' )or Buite some
time( and the Crince declares that their ne3t public bra%l %ill be punished by death+ When
the )i'ht is o.er( Romeo*s cousin -en.olio tries to cheer him o) his melancholy+ Romeo
re.eals that he is in lo.e %ith a %oman named Rosaline( but she has chosen to li.e a li)e
o) chastity+ Romeo and -en.olio are accidentally in.ited to their enemy*s party/ -en.olio
con.inces Romeo to 'o+
At the party( Romeo locks eyes %ith a youn' %oman named Juliet+ 0hey
instantly )all in lo.e( but they do not realiDe that their )amilies are mortal enemies+ When
they realiDe each other*s identities( they are de.astated( but they cannot help the %ay that
they )eel+ Romeo sneaks into Juliet*s yard a)ter the party and proclaims his lo.e )or her+
She returns his sentiments and the t%o decide to marry+ 0he ne3t day( Romeo and Juliet
are married by 9riar 5a%rence/ an e.ent %itnessed by Juliet*s :urse and Romeo*s loyal
ser.ant( -althasar+ 0hey plan to meet in Juliet*s chambers that ni'ht+
Romeo .isits his best )riend 8ercutio and his cousin -en.olio but his 'ood
mood is curtailed+ Juliet*s cousin( 0ybalt( starts a .erbal Buarrel %ith Romeo( %hich soon
turns into a duel %ith 8ercutio+ Romeo tries to stop the )i'ht but it is too lateE 0ybalt kills
8ercutio+ Romeo( enra'ed( retaliates by killin' 0ybalt+ =nce Romeo realiDes the
conseBuences o) his actions( he hides at 9riar 5a%rence*s cell+
9riar 5a%rence in)orms Romeo that he has been banished )rom 2erona and %ill
be killed i) he stays+ 0he 9riar su''ests Romeo spend the ni'ht %ith Juliet( then lea.e )or
8antua in the mornin'+ ,e tells Romeo that he %ill attempt to settle the Capulet and
8onta'ue dispute so Romeo can later return to a united )amily+ Romeo takes his ad.ice(
spendin' one ni'ht %ith Juliet be)ore )leein' 2erona+
Juliet*s mother( completely una%are o) her dau'hter?s secret marria'e to Romeo(
in)orms Juliet that she %ill marry a man named Caris in a )e% days+ Juliet( outra'ed(
re)uses to comply+ ,er parents tell her that she must marry Caris and the :urse a'rees
%ith them+ Juliet asks 9riar 5a%rence )or ad.ice( insistin' she %ould rather die than
marry Caris+ 9r+ 5a%rence 'i.es Juliet a potion %hich %ill make her appear dead and tells
her to take it the ni'ht be)ore the %eddin'+ ,e promises to send %ord to Romeo 4
intendin' the t%o lo.ers be reunited in the Capulet .ault+
Juliet drinks the potion and e.erybody assumes that she is dead F includin'
-althasar( %ho immediately tells Romeo+ 9riar 5a%rence*s letter )ails to reach Romeo( so
he assumes that his %i)e is dead+ ,e rushes to Juliet*s tomb and( in deep 'rie)( drinks a
.ial o) poison+ 8oments later( Juliet %akes to )ind Romeo dead and kills hersel) due to
'rie)+ =nce the )amilies disco.er %hat happened( they )inally end their bitter )eud+ 0hus
the youn'sters? deaths brin' the )amilies to'ether+
Society and Culture
Accordin' to sociolo'ists( a society is a 'roup o) people %ith common territory(
interaction( and culture+ Culture consists o) the belie)s( beha.iors( obGects( and other
characteristics common to the members o) a society+ 0hrou'h culture( people and 'roups
de)ine themsel.es( con)orm to society?s shared .alues( and contribute to society+ 0hus(
culture includes many societal aspectsE lan'ua'e( customs( .alues( norms( mores( rules(
tools( technolo'ies( products( or'aniDations( and institutions+
When talkin' about society and culture( it is .ery important to kno% the settin'
o) the play+ As %e can see( the action takes place in 2erona and 8antua( %hich are cities
in the northern 7taly( durin' the Renaissance ()ourteenth or )i)teenth century$+
We are introduced to a typical society )or that period o) time( %hich is a )amily4
oriented one+ 7t is ob.ious that each character in the play stands up )or its relati.es and
tries it best to keep the )amily united+
;urin' the Renaissance( marria'es %ere )reBuently arran'ed/ as it is sho%n in
the play( Capulet*s %ish re'ardin' his dau'hter*s marria'e %ith Caris is more important
than Juliet*s )eelin's )or the boy (the characteristic )amily o) the period %as under the
)ather*s authority$+
0he Church %as a maGor institution )or the Renaissance society+ 9riar 5a%rence
is not only an important character in the play( but he also portrays the importance o) 0he
Church )or people back then+ 0he t%o prota'onists choose to share %ith him their
)eelin's( their thou'hts and their stru''le as he is a trust)ul and %ise man+ -ecause o)
him( Romeo and Juliet mana'e to marry and to make their lo.e story possible and also(
because o) him( the t%o )amilies are brou'ht to'ether+
7n terms o) art and culture( %e can )ind in Romeo and Juliet the idea
accordin' to %hich sincere lo.e poetry can be a po%er)ul and authentic mode o) human
e3pression+ 0hrou'hout the play there are many sonnets bet%een the t%o prota'onists+
Romeo and Juliet in art( music and on screen
ArtE
Juliet Statue in 8unich
Romeo and Juliet by 9ord 8ado3 -ro%n
;eath o) 8ercutio by &d%in Austin Abbey
Romeo and Juliet by 9rank ;icksee
Romeo and Juliet by 9rancesco ,ayeD
0he )ei'ned death o) Juliet by 9rederic 5ei'hton
0he Reconciliation o) the 8onta'ues and Capulets o.er the ;ead -odies o)
Romeo and Juliet by 9rederick 5ei'hton
Romeo and Juliet by 9raschetti &nrico
-alletE
Romeo and Juliet( Croko)ie.
8usicE
Romeo and Juliet( 0chaiko.sky
Romeo and Juliet( ;ire Straits
Romeo and Juliet( 0he >illers
8o.iesE
West Side Story
Shakespeare in 5o.e
many other Romeo and Juliet adaptations
-iblio'raphy
httpEHH%%%+ducksters+comH
httpEHHoald6+o3)ordlearnersdictionaries+comH
httpEHHen+%ikipedia+or'
httpEHH%%%+cli))snotes+comH
httpEHH%%%+sparknotes+comH
httpEHH%ps+ablon'man+com
httpEHH%%%+shmoop+comH