Unit 2: Romeo and Juliet — Notes

Question 1

What has made William Shakespeare one of the most beloved writers?

Answer 1

Shakespeare’s universal themes and his insight into human nature, coupled with his masterful command of language, have made him one of the most beloved writers in the world

Question 2

What was William Shakespeare’s life?

Answer 2

William Shakespeare was born in the small town of Stratford-upon-Avon in England in 1564. Many records of his life have been lost in the nearly 400 years since his birth, but he probably attended a grammar school. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he has three children. By the 1590s, he was living in London and was both writing and acting for his own plays. He not only shared in the profits of his plays, but his theater company, the King’s Men (previously called the Chamberlain’s Men), had its own theaters, the Globe and the Blackfriars, built on the outskirts of London. Toward the end of his life, Shakespeare returned to Stratford-upon-Avon, where he passed away in 1616

Question 3

How many plays, sonnets, and narrative poems has Shakespeare written?

Answer 3

36, plays, 154 sonnets, and 2 narrative poems

Question 4

What is Shakespeare’s alleged date of birth?

Answer 4

April 23, 1564

Question 5

How did Shakespeare compare to his siblings in terms of age? Who were his parents?

Answer 5

Shakespeare was the third of eight children, and was the eldest son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden

Question 6

What year was Shakespeare married?

Answer 6

1582

Question 7

What caused Shakespeare to leave Stratford-upon-Avon?

Answer 7

He left Stratford-upon-Avon after being caught poaching in the deer park of Sir Thomas Lucy

Question 8

How many periods is Shakespeare’s dramatic career divided into?

Answer 8

4

Question 9

What does Shakespeare sometimes do with verbs and nouns?

Answer 9

Shakespeare sometimes puts the verb before the noun

Question 10

True or False: Shakespeare loved to play with the meaning of words through puns and plays on words

Answer 10

True

Question 11

True or False: Shakespeare uses very archaic or obsolete words and expressions

Answer 11

True

Question 12

What is a reason we read Shakespeare to this day?

Answer 12

Shakespeare had a gift of expressing a range of human experiences and emotions, and his characters and themes are quite modern

Question 13

True or False: Many words and common expressions were first used in Shakespeare’s plays

Answer 13

True

Question 14

What should you do first when reading a play?

Answer 14

First, read any introductory material. This gives background information to read the play

Question 15

What are helpful features when reading a play?

Answer 15

Helpful features: list of dramatis personae (characters), any notes about the setting, stage directions, and explanatory notes in the margins or at the bottom of the page

Question 16

What are the characteristics of blank verse?

Answer 16

Blank verse does not rhyme but follows a specific pattern of meter or rhythm, called iambic pentameter

Question 17

When and why is iambic pentameter used in Shakespearean plays?

Answer 17

In Shakespeare’s plays, iambic pentameter is used when an important character is speaking or to express strong emotion

Question 18

True or False: Iambic pentameter is similar to regular speech

Answer 18

True

Question 19

What does iambic pentameter mimic in Shakespearean plays?

Answer 19

The usage of iambic pentameter is to mimic normal, emphatic speech

Question 20

True or False: plays consist of one or more acts and scenes

Answer 20

True

Question 21

In what types of plays may a parallel plot be found? What is a parallel plot?

Answer 21

In longer plays, there may be a parallel plot, in which more than one conflict is developed

Question 22

What does a comedy consist of?

Answer 22

A comedy consists of action that moves toward a happy ending. The playwright may poke fun at society in a comedy, but the tones and themes are generally on the lighter side

Question 23

True or False: A tragedy is not just a sad story. The plot of a tragedy follows a specific pattern

Answer 23

True

Question 24

What does a Greek tragedy consist of?

Answer 24

In Greek tragedy, the play tells a story of an admirable, noble, tragic hero who moves towards their downfall, due to a tragic flaw in their character or a mistake they make. Often their downfall is portrayed as inevitable

Question 25

How is Shakespearean tragedy similar to Greek tragedy? How is it different?

Answer 25

Shakespearean tragedy is similar to Greek tragedy but the hero is more humanized, has more control over his fate, and we can see his thoughts and feelings through dialogue

Question 26

True or False: Speech in drama advances the plot and helps readers understand characters. It also develops theme and gives clues about setting

Answer 26

True

Question 27

Why do playwrights use monologue?

Answer 27

Playwrights use monologue to reveal a lot of information about one character

Question 28

What is a soliloquy? How is it different from a monologue?

Answer 28

A soliloquy, like a monologue, is an extended speech by a single character. It develops the character and often elaborates on major themes. The difference between a monologue and a soliloquy is that a a monologue is delivered in the presence of other characters. A soliloquy is delivered by a single character, alone, on stage. For this reason, soliloquies are mainly used to express a character’s innermost thoughts and feelings

Question 29

What is an aside?

Answer 29

An aside is a brief comment a character makes that is not intended to be heard by other characters. Like soliloquies, asides often reveal important information that other characters on stage are not aware of

Question 30

How were choruses used in Greek tragedies? How has the use of a chorus evolved?

Answer 30

Greek tragedy often includes a chorus—a group of actors that comments on the events of the play, sometimes in song. The chorus may function like a narrator, providing an explanation of what is happening. Over time, the role of the chorus in drama became less important, and modern plays do not usually include a chorus

Question 31

True or False: In drama, the protagonist usually has the most lines

Answer 31

True

Question 32

In drama, what are supporting characters?

Answer 32

Supporting characters in a play or drama are other characters who play major or minor roles

Question 33

In a drama, what is a foil?

Answer 33

Some plays include a special kind of supporting character called a foil. A foil is a character whose personality sharply contrasts with another character

Question 34

In Romeo and Juliet, what point of view does Shakespeare use?

Answer 34

In a dramatic work, or play, the point of view is a bit different because there is very limited narration. Most of the story is communicated through the words of the characters. You could say then that Shakespeare uses an objective point of view and lets the audience (or reader) form it’s own opinion

Question 35

In Romeo and Juliet, what form is the prologue in?

Answer 35

The prologue is in the form of a fourteen-line sonnet

Question 36

What is a sonnet?

Answer 36

A sonnet is a poem of 14 iambic pentameter lines

Question 37

Extra: What is the history of sonnets?

Answer 37

Sonnets have been written in various rhyme schemes, but the most durable pattern has been the Italian, or Petrarchan, sonnet. It consists of an octave (8 lines) rhyming “a b b a a b b a” and a sestet (6 lines) using two or three rhymes in various combinations

Question 38

What was the original topic of a sonnet? What subjects do sonnets discuss now?

Answer 38

The original topic of a sonnet was love of a mistress, yet the form has since been used for a variety of subjects

Question 39

The word sonnet comes from the Italian word meaning:

Answer 39

“Little Song”

Question 40

Soliloquy Definition

Answer 40

A long speech by a character alone on stage, usually revealing his or her inner thoughts

Question 41

Monologue Definition

Answer 41

A long speech by one character, but it may be in the presence of other characters

Question 42

Dialogue Definition

Answer 42

Speech or conversation between two or more characters

Question 43

Aside Definition

Answer 43

Words spoken to the audience by a character

Question 44

What is the structure of a Five-Act play in terms of plot?

Answer 44

Act l — Exposition 
Act ll — Rising Action or Complication 
Act lll — Climax
Act lV — Falling Action
Act V — Resolution

Question 45

In accent Greek tragedies, what is pride known as?

Answer 45

“Hubris”

Question 46

True or False: Aristotle said that through tragedies, the audience could experience a “catharsis”, or internal cleansing and emotional purification, and feel enriched

Answer 46

True

Question 47

Malapropism Definition

Answer 47

the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with an amusing effect

Question 48

What is the setting of Romeo and Juliet? Why did Shakespeare most likely choose this setting?

Answer 48

The likely setting for Romeo and Juliet is Northern Italy between the 13th and 16th centuries. Shakespeare probably chose this setting for the romantic connotations it had for the people of England in his time

Question 49

Meter Definition

Answer 49

A set rhythm pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables

Question 50

Foot Definition

Answer 50

A set number of syllables per line

Question 51

What are the characteristics of blank verse?

Answer 51

— Unrhymed lines

— A set rhythm pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables (meter)

— A set number of syllables per line (foot)

Question 52

What does pentameter mean?

Answer 52

Pentameter means there is a group of five feet, or five iambs