Romeo And Juliet Context Flashcards
What was the Divine Right of Kings
It was a belief that the Royal family (monarchy) was chosen by God and that they had absolute freedom and power
How were women treated in the Elizabethan Era
• They had no rights
• They could not own any property, money or anything worth of value
• Their only purpose were to produce babies so they were expected to be married at a young age
What time period was Romeo and Juliet written in and what effect does this have on the location that the play is set in
It was set in The Renaissance Period so Verona (the location where the play was set in) was seen as glamorous and romantic
“A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life” - Prologue
What piece of context can you relate this to and what could this suggest
People used the stars to guide them and stars show fate so it could imply that Romeo and Juliet followed the stars to their death
Who could wealthy people hire during the Elizabeth era to raise their children and what does this do to their relationship between their children
Wealthy people often hired a nurse to raise their children therefore parents did not have a close relationship with their children. Husbands often beat their wives and their children
What did they believe about marriages during the Elizabethan Era
It was not unusual for women to be married at a young age and marriages were not legally binding until they were consummated (unless they had sex)
What did Shakespeare believe in and what did people believe this was a part of
Shakespeare believe in predestination by free will and that your fate was decided but you could make your own choices towards this. People believed that this predestination was part of God’s plan
Why did they believe that religion was important during the Elizabethan Era and what is the opposing idea to religion
Religion was central to family life so it was quite important and during the time humanism existed which was an interest in what it means to be human and not controlled by religion
What was common for men to do during the Elizabethan Era
Duelling and starting fights
What were 2 things that were considered a mortal sin during the Elizabethan Era
Suicide and bigamy
Why were puns favoured by the Elizabethan audience
The Elizabethan audience favoured them due to the intelligence of a play on word and the misunderstanding which occurred - creating humour
What could fathers do in the Elizabethan Era
They could beat their wives and children and they could force their children to marry others for money
