This document provides a study guide for William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It includes lists of major and minor characters, a brief overview of the plot and setting, and descriptions of key themes like love, death, and violence. It also discusses symbols in the play such as darkness and light, flowers, and the family feud between the Montagues and Capulets. The guide is intended to help students summarize and understand the most important elements of the famous tragedy.

1. Romeo + Juliet
FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE

2. William Shakespeare’s
List of Major Characters
Romeo + Juliet
List of Minor Characters
Setting
Themes
Symbolism
No Fear Shakespeare
Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare and the English Renaissance and Poetic Literary Terms

3. ROMEO AND JULIET
“Two households, both alike in dignity
In fair Verona where we lay our scene” . . . . .

4. PLAY BACKGROUND
o Was one of Shakespeare’s
earliest plays
o It is a tragedy—there will
not be a happy ending
o It is the most famous love
story of all time, BUT it is
just as much about hate as
it is about love
o The action takes place in 5
DAYS!

5. Montague Capulet
Lord Capulet Lady Capulet
Juliet
TybaltParis
Nurse
Mercutio
Lady Montague
Friar Lawrence
Benvolio
Romeo
Lord Montague

6. Minor Characters
Abram Rosaline
Friar John
Prince Escalus
Peter
Sampson & Gregory
The Apothecary
Balthasar

7. Lord Montague
• Romeo’s father and the head of the Montague clan
• He is a bitter enemy of the Capulet family.
• Lord Montague is very concerned about Romeo’s
melancholy mood.
• At the end of the play, Lord Montague has an awakening
about the family feud between his family and the Capulets.

8. Lady Montague
• Romeo’s mother, as Romeo is her only child.
• She expresses concern for Romeo’s sorrows with her
husband, Lord Montague and nephew, Benvolio.
• She dies of grief after Romeo is exiled from Verona.

9. Romeo
• The only son of Montague and Lady Montague.
• Romeo is a teenager filled with sensitivity, intellect, and very
handsome.
• Because of his young age, he is somewhat immature and
impulsive, but because of his passionate ways he is a very
likeable character.
• At the beginning of the play he is in love with a lady named
Rosaline, but once he sees Juliet he falls in love with her and
forgets about Rosaline.
• Nothing else besides being with Juliet matters to Romeo,
especially the family feud.
• He will stop at nothing to be with her for eternity.

10. Benvolio
• Benvolio is Lord and Lady Montague’s nephew and Romeo’s
cousin.
• He is also a very good and thoughtful friend to Romeo.
• Benvolio takes on the role of being more of a peacemaker,
especially when he tries to defuse the fight between the Montague
and Capulet servants.
Back to Family Trees

11. Balthasar
• Montague servant, dedicated to Romeo
• Tells Romeo the news of Juliet’s death
• He is unaware that her death is just a ruse

12. Abram
• Montague servant
• Fights with Sampson and Gregory (Capulet servants) in the
first scene

13. Friar Lawrence
• A Franciscan friar, friend to both Romeo and Juliet.
• He is a kind and civic-minded.
• Friar Lawrence secretly marries Romeo and Juliet in hopes
that the union might eventually bring peace to Verona.
• Friar Lawrence is also an expert in the use of seemingly
mystical potions and herbs.
Back to Family Trees

14. Friar John
• A Franciscan friar charged by Friar Lawrence with taking the
news of Juliet’s false death to Romeo in Mantua.
• He is held up in a quarantined house, and the message never
reaches Romeo.

15. Escalus–Prince of Verona
• A kinsman of Mercutio and Paris.
• The seat of political power in Verona.
• He is concerned about maintaining the public peace at all
costs.

16. Paris
• Paris is the Prince’s kinsman.
• He is Juliet’s suitor that Lord Capulet prefers.
• When Lord Capulet promises Juliet’s hand in marriage to him
he begins to act like the two of them are already married.
• Paris meets his fate with Romeo in the final act.

17. Mercutio
• He is a kinsman to the Prince, and Romeo’s close friend.
• He is not related to the Montagues, but because of his friendship
with Romeo, he is acquainted with them.
• Mercutio doesn’t understand Romeo’s deep feelings of love and it
seems like Mercutio is incapable of those feelings.
• He is murdered by Tybalt and says one of the famous quotes, “A
plague on both your houses.”
• Mercutio can be hotheaded, and hates people who are affected,
pretentious, or obsessed with the latest fashions.

18. Lord Capulet
• Lord Capulet is the head of the Capulet family, husband of
Lady Capulet, and the father of Juliet.
• He is the enemy of the Montagues.
• While Lord Capulet loves Juliet, he believes he knows what is
best for his daughter, which would be her to marry Paris.

19. Lady Capulet
• Lady Capulet is Juliet’s mother and wife of Lord Capulet.
• She does not have well developed maternal instincts as she
has the Nurse raise Juliet.
• She is overly eager for Juliet to marry Paris even though she
knows it is not what Juliet wants.

20. Juliet
• The beautiful aristocratic daughter of Lord and Lady
Capulet.
• She quickly falls in love with Romeo, the son of her family’s
rival family.
• Juliet is very close to her nurse and confides in her about her
love for Romeo.
• Juliet is supposed to marry Paris and she is determined to
not allow that to happen.

21. Nurse
• Juliet’s nurse has cared for her since Juliet was a baby, even
breast-fed her.
• She is a comical character and also sentimental.
• She has Juliet’s heart in her best interest and is Juliet’s
faithful confidante.

22. Peter
• A Capulet servant who invites guests to Capulet’s feast
• He escorts the Nurse to meet with Romeo.
• He is illiterate (cannot read or write), and a horrible singer.

23. Tybalt
• Tylbalt is Juliet’s cousin.
• Tybalt is very vain, aggressive, and quick to become violent.
• He is very skilled with his sword.
• He despises the Montagues.
• Romeo kills Tybalt which leads to Romeo’s exile.

24. Sampson & Gregory
• Servants of the Capulets
• Despise the Montagues
• Beginning of the play, they provoke the Montague men into a fight

25. Rosaline
• Romeo is initally infatuated with this woman
• We never see Rosaline
• She is supposedly very beautiful
• Sworn to a life of chastity

26. The Apothacary
• An apothecary in Mantua.
• Sold Romeo the poison he took to commit suicide.
• Values money over morals

27. Setting
Verona Mantua
Elizabethan Era

28. Verona
• The main setting of Romeo and Juliet
• Located in Northern Italy

29. Mantua
• Where Romeo was exiled to
• Located 30 miles south of Verona
• ROME — It could be humanity's oldest story of doomed love.
• Archaeologists have unearthed two skeletons from the Neolithic
period locked in a tender embrace and buried outside Mantua, just
25 miles south of Verona, the romantic city where Shakespeare set
the star-crossed tale of Romeo and Juliet.
• Buried between 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, the prehistoric lovers are
believed to have been a man and a woman and are thought to
have died young, as their teeth were found intact, said Elena
Menotti, the archaeologist who led the dig.

30. Themes
Love
Death
Violence
Fate vs. Free Will
Marriage

31. Violence
• A few main violent images brought about by the work is that
it is unfair, universal, and overpowering, yet it also ultimately
serves as a sense of hope and rebirth.
• "civil blood makes civil hands unclean" (prologue).
– Violence is effecting the citizen of Verona who are not involved
in the feud
• “fire-eyed fury be my conduct now” (III, i, 123)
– Romeo stated, instead of rationally thinking
– As a result of saying this, the feud remains, and the battle continues.
• “poor sacrifices of our enmity” (V, iii, 303)
– The violent deaths of Romeo and Juliet is what opens up the eyes of their
two fathers, as Lord Capulet looks at Romeo and Juliet’s lifeless bodies
– Thus the only way that they learn is through the horrible deaths of their
children, which ultimately serves to end the feud.
– This sickening and depressing image turns violence into a vision of hope
almost--in that after war comes peace, and after violence comes rebirth.

32. Death
• Lady Montague dies of grief
• Mercutio is killed by Tybalt
• Romeo kills Tybalt and Paris
• Romeo and Juliet commit suicide
• Death is considered a part of life
• These deaths were considered foolish and unnecessary
• Death is used to teach the lesson that the family feud
between the Montagues and Capulets was foolish and it took
death, which is the ultimate price living being pay, to teach
the families that the feud needed to end

33. Marriage
• Romeo and Juliet marry for love, a choice that is standard
today. But in the world of the play, marriage for love, rather
than money or social position, was a radical and dangerous
choice. Romeo and Juliet, the children of rival families, fall in
love against their parents' wishes and marry in secret. Their
union reflects a new focus on individual passion and inner
conviction – and in the play, it comes dangerously in conflict
with social and familial expectations. Romeo and Juliet pay a
heavy price for marrying for love – their clandestine union
propels the lovers towards their tragic deaths.

34. Marriage (Cont)
• Romeo and Juliet marry for love, a choice that is typical of
today’s marriages and was considered radical and
dangerous
• In Shakespeare’s time, marriage was a choice that was made
for the purpose of money or social position.
• Romeo and Juliet fall in love against their parents' wishes
and marry in secret, which is a dangerous conflict with their
social and family expectations.
• Their marriage reflects a new focus on individual passion
and inner conviction.
• Romeo and Juliet pay a heavy price for marrying for love,
which ultimately leads to their death (another theme of
Romeo and Juliet).

35. Fate
• Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed”—that is to say that fate (a power often
vested in the movements of the stars) controls them (Prologue.6). This sense of
fate permeates the play, and not just for the audience. The characters also are
quite aware of it: Romeo and Juliet constantly see omens.
• When Romeo believes that Juliet is dead, he cries out, “Then I defy you, stars,”
completing the idea that the love between Romeo and Juliet is in opposition to
the decrees of destiny (5.1.24). Of course, Romeo’s defiance itself plays into the
hands of fate, and his determination to spend eternity with Juliet results in their
deaths.
• The mechanism of fate works in all of the events surrounding the lovers:
• The feud between their families (it is worth noting that this hatred is never
explained; rather, the reader must accept it as an undeniable aspect of the
world of the play);
• The horrible series of accidents that ruin Friar Lawrence’s seemingly well-
intentioned plans at the end of the play
• The tragic timing of Romeo’s suicide and Juliet’s awakening.
• These events are not mere coincidences, but rather manifestations of fate that
help bring about the unavoidable outcome of the young lovers’ deaths.

36. Love
• The play focuses on romantic love, specifically the intense passion
that springs up at first sight between Romeo and Juliet.
• In the course of the play, the young lovers are driven to defy their
entire social world:
– families (“Deny thy father and refuse thy name,” Juliet asks, “Or if
thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, / And I’ll no longer be a
Capulet”);
– friends (Romeo abandons Mercutio and Benvolio after the feast in
order to go to Juliet’s garden); and ruler (Romeo returns to Verona
for Juliet’s sake after being exiled by the Prince on pain of death in
2.1.76–78).
– Love is the overriding theme of the play, but a reader should always
remember that Shakespeare is uninterested in portraying a prettied-
up, dainty version of the emotion, the kind that bad poets write
about, and whose bad poetry Romeo reads while pining for
Rosaline.
– Love in Romeo and Juliet is a brutal, powerful emotion that captures
individuals and catapults them against their world, and,
at times, against themselves.

37. Symbolism
PoisonFlowers
Darkness & Light
Thumb biting
Sacred Garden
Queen Mab
Stars Birds

38. Darkness & Light
• When Romeo initially sees Juliet, he compares her
immediately to the brilliant light of the torches and tapers
that illuminate Capulet's great hall: " O, she doth teach the
torches to burn bright!" (1.4.46). Juliet is the light that frees
him from the darkness of his perpetual melancholia.
• In the famous balcony scene Romeo associates Juliet with
sunlight, "It is the east and Juliet is the sun!" (2.2.3), daylight,
"The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars/As
daylight doth a lamp" (2.2.20-1), and the light emanating from
angels, "O speak again bright angel" (2.2.26).
• In turn, Juliet compares their new-found love to lightening
(2.2.120), primarily to stress the speed at which their
romance is moving, but also to suggest that, as the
lightening is a glorious break in the blackness of the
night sky, so too is their love a flash of wondrous
luminance in an otherwise dark world -- a world where
her every action is controlled by those around her.

39. … more Darkness & Light
• When the Nurse does not arrive fast enough with news about
Romeo, Juliet laments that love's heralds should be thoughts
"Which ten times faster glides than the sun's beams/Driving
back shadows over lowering hills" (2.5.4-5). Here, the heralds
of love that will bring comforting news about her darling are
compared to the magical and reassuring rays of sun that
drive away unwanted shadows.
• Juliet also equates Romeo and the bond that they share with
radiant light. In a common play on words, she begs Romeo to
"not impute this yielding to light love/Which the dark night
hath so discovered" (2.2.105-6), again comparing their mutual
feelings of love to bright and comforting light .
• Having no fear of the darkness, Juliet proclaims that
night can “Take [Romeo] and cut him out into
little stars, And he will make the face of heaven
so fine That all the world will be in love with
night And pay no worship to the garrish sun.”
(3.2.23-6)

40. Thumb Biting
• Act I, Scene I
• The equivalent of today's "flipping the bird," "thumb-biting"
was seen as a juvenile gesture, showing that the one making
the gesture thought very shallowly about the situation at
have. In can be assumed that such a person did not think to
the consequences or much past that on their actions.
• The pointless gesture helps to show how foolish the feud is.
It's thought that this was Shakespeare's way of saying that
such feuds, and possible violence in general, was an
immature practice.
• Shakespeare never mentions why the Capulets and
Montagues are feuding over. That in itself is symbolic
of showing how they have been fighting so long
nobody can offer up a reason for their fighting. They
may not even know why they are fighting.

41. Flowers
• "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
– Juliet compares Romeo to a rose. If Romeo’s last name was not a
Montague he would still be a sweet person.
– Use of personification.
– Juliet indicates that if a rose was called by another name, it would still be
a rose.
• Paris is compared by Lady Capulet and the Nurse as a
flower that is so beautiful that even summer can't offer up a
flower that is that beautiful.
• Shakespeare compares Romeo and Paris to flowers
– They are Juliet’s suitors
– Romeo is further symbolized by a specific flower.
– Paris is further symbolized by just being any type of flower.
He is not special enough to Juliet.

42. …and more Flowers
• “bud of love” --------- “beauteous flower”
– Juliet compares her affection for Romeo
– Symbolic of her affection growing from an immature point to a fully
developed point
• “a serpent hid with a flowering face”
– The flowering face symbolizes the Romeo Juliet fell in love with but
the image of the serpent is symbolic of the man that is capable of
killing her cousin.
• Juliet’s bridal flowers
– Paradox: a statement or concept that contains conflicting
ideas.
– What was once her bridal flowers are now her funeral
flowers

43. Queen Mab
• Queen Mab is the leader of the fairy realm.
• Mercutio delivers tail about the fairy queen and the dreams
that she brings to sleepers. In these dreams she indulges
them in whatever vices they have whether it be greed,
violence, or lust.
• Emphasis is put on Queen Mab's very small size.
• Queen Mab is symbolic of fantasies, day dreams, and
desires, it's easy to that Shakespeare views these as equally
tiny and fantastic because of her size.
• Queen Mab is nothing but "bad news,“ and that fantasies, day
dreams, and desires are also negative.
• Romeo and Juliet’s lust for each other is bad news
because of the resolution of the play.

44. Poison
• Poison is seen in three ways:
– Love as infectious poison
– Poison as a physical poisoning
– Poision of money that affects societal values and boundaries
• “take thou some new infection to thy eye, And the rank
poison of the old will die.”
– Symbolic of foreshadowing the love Romeo and Juliet will share
and the events to come
– Benvolio offers this up as advice: “move on from Rosaline”
– Foreshadows Romeo taking up a new love and she will
“infect” his life.
– The concept of poison used through love shows how
Romeo will not be rational when it comes to love

45. Sacred Garden
• The significance of the balcony scene in Shakespeare's play Romeo and
Juliet is mainly to illustrate an important tragic flaw the lovers possess,
which is impulsiveness. A tragic flaw is a personality weakness that
leads to the death or destruction of a character. This scene shows how
young and impulsive Romeo and Juliet are and how this impulsiveness
leads to their untimely deaths. The moment Romeo and Juliet meet to the
time they perish all occurs within five days. That's it. In the balcony
scene, they have met only moments before at Lord Capulet's party. They
meet up again after the party in Juliet's garden and immediately profess
their love for each other and decide to marry. They have just met and
have already decided to marry the next day. This scene shows just how
young and impulsive the two young lovers are. It also sets the stage for
the “Sacred Garden,” the only place that Romeo & Juliet are able to find
solace.
During the play, Paris is compared by Lady Capulet and the Nurse as a
flower that is so beautiful that even summer can't offer up a flower that is
that exquisite. Shakespeare brilliantly uses the flower and the rose as
symbols for the two suitors for Juliet's hand. Romeo is given the symbol
of a specific flower and Paris just a flower. As a result it symbolizes that
Juliet sees Paris as just one flower in the garden rather than "thee" flower
for her.

46. STARS
• Stars appear to the human eye as a distant twinkling realm that is
greater than them. In the prologue the audience is told that the lovers
are "star-crossed". It was believed that a person's destiny was
determined by the stars and by saying that Romeo and Juliet were
"star-crossed" Shakespeare is saying that the stars of destiny
worked against the two lovers.
• Right before attending the Capulet party Romeo indicates that he
feels that "my mind misgives some consequence hanging in the
stars". This again reinforces the symbolism of the stars controlling
the fates of the two lovers.
• Juliet at one point wishes that she could cut Romeo out in little stars,
because if she could everyone would be in love with night. Later
Romeo compares Juliet's eyes to two of the brightest in the heavens.
• As Juliet contemplates the dilemma of being married to Romeo, who
has been banished with being forced into a marriage with Paris, she
asks, "Is there no pity sitting in the clouds?" With this Juliet wonders
why the stars seem to be against them. She wonders why there is no
pity in the stars for the two lovers.
• Romeo receives word that Juliet has been laid to rest in the Capulet
tomb. Deciding to take control of his fate, Romeo says that he defies
the stars. No longer will he put his life in the hands of fate. This
symbolizes his plan to kill himself too.

47. Birds
• Another symbol from nature that Shakespeare incorporates in the play is
references to birds. Juliet is called a ladybird by the nurse.
• Mercutio excuses Romeo of playing with his words by sending his wits on a wild
goose chase.
• As Juliet waits for the Nurse's return with word from Romeo she describes that the
words of love are born by the dove who may not be the swiftest bird there is.
• With the unfortunate death of Mercutio, Romeo describes it as the day's "black fate".
• Another paradox Juliet uses to describe Romeo after he kills Tybalt is a doved
feathered raven. With this symbolism she once again portrays Romeo as appearing
sweet and innocent and being of a different character beneath those innocent
feathers.
• Shakespeare uses the symbolism of a nightingale and lark to symbolize night and
morning to the newly married couple. Juliet knows that if is the lark that she hears
that Romeo must leave.
• Shakespeare rightfully ends to play with the Prince using a light symbolism
• "A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo"
• Shakespeare brings the play full circle. It is right that he would end the play
indicating that a world without Romeo and Juliet had no sunrise for there never was
a tale of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

48. More Romeo & Juliet Notes
Know all of the following:
1) Romeo and his friends go to the Capulet party to disrupt it.
2) In the beginning of the play Romeo is in Love with Rosaline.
3) Prince Escalus promises death to anyone disturbs the streets again.
4) Know that Benvolio tries to end the fight between the Capulets &
Montagues in the beginning of the play.
5) In the beginning of the play who fights with Benvolio?
6) In the Prologue what does the Chorus explain?
7) Benvolio wants Romeo to go to the Capulet’s party to meet a
new girl so that he can forget about Rosaline.
8) In the Balcony Scene, Romeo and Juliet agree to do what?
9) Romeo compares Juliet to the Sun.
10] Mercutio makes fun of Romeo because Romeo is in love.
11] At the party who tells Romeo who Juliet is? Who tells Juliet who Romeo is?
12] Tybalt notices Romeo at the party and wants him to leave

49. More Romeo & Juliet Notes
Know all of the following:
13] Romeo and Juliet are only shown together in the darkness and are
always apart in the light. (With the exception of their daytime marriage
in the Friar’s chambers)
14] The story of Romeo & Juliet takes place in Verona Italy
15] The Chorus is a character that sings a Sonnet at the beginning of the play.
16] The heads of the Capulet and Montague families do not join in the fight
at the beginning of the play because their wives hold them back.
17] Romeo and Juliet is a Shakespearean Tragedy
18] When we first see Romeo, he is lovesick over Rosalind.
19] Juliet is 13 years of age
20]Lord Capulet wants Juliet to marry Paris
21]How does Friar Lawrence react to Romeo’s intentions to marry Juliet?
22] Friar Lawrence only helps R & J because he believes that their
marriage will bring the two families together.

50. More Romeo & Juliet Notes
Know all of the following:
23] Romeo doesn’t want to fight Tybalt because he has married into his family.
24] Mercutio fights Tybalt because he feels that Romeo isn’t himselfand can’t fight.
25] Benvolio tells the Prince the truth about what happened at the fight
26] The Nurse confuses Juliet Making her think that Romeo is dead
27] Juliet’s first reaction to Romeo killing Tybalt is hate for Romeo.
28) Romeo feels that banishment (exile) is worse than death
29] Lord Capulet Moves Juliet’s wedding date up to help her
get over her sorrow for Tybalt’s death.
30] The bird singing while Romeo stands below Juliet’s balcony is
important because if it is a Lark that sings, then it is early morning
and Romeo must leave before it becomes light outside.
31] Juliet refuses to marry Paris when she hears that the wedding plans have been moved up.
32] Juliet’s parents are furious at her because of her refusal to wed Paris

51. More Romeo & Juliet Notes
Know all of the following:
33] The Nurse tries to convince Juliet to marry Paris.
34] After hearing the Nurse’s advice, Juliet no longer considers her as a friend.
35] The Friar decides to help Juliet and tells her not to forget about
Romeo because he has devised a plan so that the two of them can be together.
36] Juliet fears that after taking the sleeping potion that she will wake up too soon.
37] The Nurse discovers Juliet's body still and lifeless on her bed
38] Romeo thinks Juliet is dead because Balthasar tells him so
39] Apothecary sells Romeo the poison because he needs the money.
40] Friar Laurence gives Friar John a letter for Romeo, but when Friar John arrives in Mantua
and goes to a convent of his brotherhood to get a companion, he is not allowed to leave
because a brother of the order had recently died of the plague. He can’t leave the city
because it is quarantined. Friar John, who doesn't know what is in the letter, is worried,
but thinks he can deliver the letter the next day, which is of course too late. Romeo never
gets the message and Balthasar tells him of Juliet’s death. (Remember, Juliet isn’t really
dead just sleeping but Romeo doesn’t know this. This is a great example of Dramatic
Irony where the audience knows something that the characters don’t.

52. More Romeo & Juliet Notes
Know all of the following:
41] Paris wants some time to grieve Juliet's death and wants to put flowers on the tomb
42} When the Friar arrives at the Tomb he tries to convince Juliet to leave with him. Later she
stabs herself. Lady Montague dies from grief over Romeo’s banishment.
43) The Friar goes before the Prince and explains the whole story from beginning to
end. Balthasar confirms the story and presents Romeo's letter to the Prince. The Prince
finds Romeo's letter to confirm the Friar's words, and he speaks harshly to the
Montagues and Capulets. Because of their hatred toward each other, they have
sacrificed their most beloved. The Prince forgives the Friar because he is a holy man. The
two families realize their wrong-doings, and join hands as they grieve. They make gold
statues in honor of their children. The Prince concludes the story by commenting on how
high a price has been paid for peace in Verona.
Six characters die during the play. Five of these die on stage.
Note: Some may have died in the fight scene in Act I, Scene 1;
Mercutio -- Mercutio is stabbed by Tybalt, in a public square in Verona.
Tybalt (Prince of Cats) -- Tybalt is stabbed by Romeo, in a public square in Verona.
Paris -- Paris is stabbed by Romeo, in front of the Capulet's tomb, at night.
Lady Montague -- "Grief" over her son's banishment "stopped up her breath."
Romeo -- Romeo drinks a poison, in the Capulet's tomb.
Juliet -- Juliet stabs herself, in the Capulet's tomb.

53. Elizabethan Era
• Under the reign of Queen Elizabeth of England
• Her ruling was from 1558-1603
• This time period was considered a golden age in history
• Great emphasis on poetry and music
• Also the age of William Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Theatre
• It was an age of exploration and expansion

54. The Italian
Renaissance
influenced the
English
Renaissance
Henry VIII is the King at the start of the English
Renaissance, his children ruled during most of this
period, the era ended soon after all of his children
were dead
William
Shakespeare was
born while
Elizabeth was
Queen and
became wealthy
through King
James I

55. THE ENGLISH
RENAISSANCE AND
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
How The Great Bard Was Born

56. “He was not
of an age,
but for
all time”Ben Johnson on William Shakespeare

57. WILLIAMSHAKESPEARECIRCA1609
The most famous
writer in history was
just as influenced by
the culture he was
born into as he
influences modern
culture. In learning
about his life and
reading his works, we
learn about ourselves
and about human
nature. It is no
mistake that every
high school student in
this country studies
Shakespeare. He is
quite simply the best
and you are about to
experience the power
of his writings.

58. Know the structure of a
Shakespearean Sonnet
a Two households, both alike in dignity,
b In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
a From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
b Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
c From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
d A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
c Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
d Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
e The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
f And the continuance of their parents' rage,
e Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
f Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
g The which if you with patient ears attend,
g What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
• Has to be 14 lines
• Contains 3 “quatrains”
• Every other line rhymes except the last two lines rhyme together.
Rhyming Scheme : ababcdcdefefgg
• Has a Rhyming Couplet at the end (lines gg)
• Contains Iambic Pentameter - An iamb is a metrical unit made up of one
unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable.

59. BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
April 23, 1564-April 23, 1616

60. Biography: William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was born in April 1564 in the town of
Stratford-upon-Avon, on England’s Avon River. When he
was eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway. The couple had
three children—their older daughter Susanna and the
twins Judith and Hamnet. Hamnet, Shakespeare’s only
son, died in childhood.
The bulk of Shakespeare’s working life was spent, not in
Stratford, but in the theater world of London, where he
established himself professionally by the early 1590s. He
enjoyed success not only as a playwright, but as an actor
and shareholder in an acting company. Sometime
between 1610 and 1613, Shakespeare is thought to have
retired from the stage and returned home to Stratford,
where he died in 1616.

61. Biography: William Shakespeare
Only two images of Shakespeare are considered reliable
likenesses: the Martin Droeshout engraving in the 1623
First Folio, and Shakespeare’s memorial bust at Holy Trinity
Church in Stratford.
* William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1564
* Growing up, Shakepeare's favorite collection of stories was Ovid’s Metamorphoses
* Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582
* Shakespeare's children are named Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet.
* Hamnet, his only son, died in 1596
* 1592- Shakespeare moves to London
* 1594- Shakespeare joins the Lord Chamberlain's Men, an acting troupe
* Shakespeare's sonnets, often viewed as the best example of English romantic
poetry, reveal an infatuation with a young man and a 'dark lady.'
* One theory is that some of the sonnets were written for the Earl of Southampton,
perhaps to convince him to have children

62. Biography: William Shakespeare
* Shakespeare could realistically only have gone back to stay with his family in
Stafford-upon-Avon during the 40 days of Lent
• When King James I ascended to the throne in 1603, Shakespeare's group of players
became The King's Men
• Shakespeare effectively retired in 1613 after the original Globe Theater burned down
• Shakespeare died in 1616, supposedly after overindulging in wine and pickled herring
• His will granted his wife ownership of 'his second best bed,' which has sparked
debate for years
* Ben Jonson, Shakespeare's strongest critic, competitor, and friend, helps publish the
First Folio, the earliest compilation of Shakespeare's plays, in 1623 the first film
adaptation of Shakespeare's work (King John) was produced in 1899

63. More Facts About William Shakespeare
Shakespeare: Wrote 37 plays 400 years ago and many Sonnets
Shakespeare: born and died on the same day of the month, April 23
Shakespeare: Many of his plays were put on in the Globe Theater, which is still
standing today. Plays were mainly performed at night, women couldn’t
be in the plays. His plays were made for the eyes and not the ears, so it
wasn’t uncommon for the audience to be noisy and comment out loud
about the play’s actions. Some critics believe that Shakespeare did not
write all of his plays.

64. SHAKESPEARE’S CAREER
• Wrote comedies, tragedies,
histories, and romances (not
what you think)
• Also wrote 154 sonnets and
several narrative poems all
dedicated to Sir Henry
Wriothesley
• He was an actor, writer,
director, and business man
• Became known for his
imaginative use of language
and timelessness

65. THE FIVE PROVABLE FACTS ABOUT
SHAKESPEARE
• He was baptized on April 26, 1564
– There were no such things as birth certificates at this
time. However, babies were usually baptized three
days after their birth—hence Shakespeare’s birth
date of April 23, 1564
• He was married at the age of 18 to 26 year old Anne
Hathaway (she was pregnant)
• He fathered three children (two girls, one boy)
– His son died young
• He was part owner of the Globe Theater
• He died on April 23, 1616

66. IT IS A MYSTERY . . .
• Everything else that is “known” about the world’s
greatest writer is speculation, best guesses, and agreed
upon facts.
• Due to the lack of actual evidence of Shakespeare’s life,
many people have questioned whether he really existed
or not.
– The collection of works credited to him are all too
similar to be the works of more than one person.
• Others argue that Shakespeare could not have been
smart enough to write such important literature.
– Pure genius is often misunderstood

67. EDUCATED GUESSES ON THE REST OF
SHAKESPEARE’S BIOGRAPHY
• William Shakespeare was one of seven children born to John Shakespeare
and Mary Arden
• He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon
• His family was respected and wealthy—but not noble
• He attended grammar school and learned Latin
– There is no evidence of further education beyond this
• By the early 1590’s Shakespeare had left his wife and three children in
Stratford-upon-Avon and traveled over 100 miles away to London to
pursue his acting and writing career. He lived there for most of his adult
life.
– His marriage was not great—he rarely went home to visit his wife and upon
his death, he willed Anne his SECOND-BEST bed. Everything else went to his
daughters.
• He became VERY wealthy in his life time which afforded him the chance
to buy his family’s coat of arms (a sign of nobility) and the largest estate
in Stratford.
• His patrons included Sir Henry Wriothesley and King James I

68. EFFECTS OF THE MONARCHY
• Shakespeare had to adjust his
writings based on who was in
power in England.
• Under Elizabeth—women were
portrayed as strong, Catholicism
was mocked, marriage was not
made to be the ultimate goal for
characters
• Under James—the practice of
courtiership was mocked and
Shakespeare was freer to fully
develop his characters

69. Learn More about Shakespeare and his times by going to the
URLs listed below and reading Shakespeare's The Mini Page
http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cgi-bin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/minipage&CISOPTR=2963&CISOMODE=print
http://nieonline.com/coloradonie/downloads/minipage/minipage4.23.14.pdf
http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cgi-bin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/minipage&CISOPTR=2963&CISOMODE=print
http://nieonline.com/coloradonie/downloads/minipage/minipage4.23.14.pdf

70. THE RENAISSANCE PERIOD

71. THE RENAISSANCE PERIOD
Renaissance literally means “rebirth”
Rebirth of classical literature and art forms
A Renaissance occurs when life is good (people are not fighting for survival)
It is a high time for art and literature

72. ITALIAN RENAISSANCE
• Occurred from 1300-1550 A.D.
• Marked as high time in art
(THINK Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles—Michelangelo,
Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo)
• Authors: Petrarch (sonnets)
and Castiglione (courtier book)
• Influenced the English
Renaissance Period

73. ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
• Occurred between 1400-1600
A.D.
• Began with Henry VIII and ended
with King James I
• Highest point occurred during
Queen Elizabeth I’s reign
• High time in literature: Sidney,
Spencer, Marlow, Shakespeare
• Courtiers (professional kiss-ups)
were very important
• Social classes were strictly
enforced
• Theaters thrived but were
considered low-class

74. SOCIAL MOBILITY
• During this time period, it
was nearly impossible to rise
above your birth—if you
were born a peasant, you
died a peasant.
• Family name and nobility
were very important
• One way to try and rise
above your birth was
through the practice of
patronage—though how far
you could rise was pre-
determined by your family
name.

75. THE TUDORS
English Reformation and Renaissance

76. HENRY VIII
• From the Tudor line
• Had SIX wives: Catherine of
Aragon(divorced), Anne
Boleyn(beheaded), Jane Seymore
(died), Ann of Cleves(divorced),
Kathryn Howard (beheaded),
Katherine Parr (survived)
• Divorced the Catholic Church in
order to marry his mistress
• Wanted a male heir
• Fathered two daughters (Mary
and Elizabeth) and one son
(Edward)
• Was Catholic, Protestant, Catholic,
Protestant . . . .

77. PRINCE EDWARD
• The sole male heir to
Henry’s throne
• He was Protestant and
upheld this faith in the
country once in power
• Was ill and died shortly
after gaining the throne
• Left behind no heir (too
young to do so)

78. BLOODY MARY
• After Edward’s short reign
and early death, Mary took
the English throne.
• Devoutly Catholic and
looking to vindicate her
mother (Henry’s first wife),
Mary vowed to wipe out
Protestantism.
• Ordered the mass
execution of Protestants to
restore the Catholic faith.
• Died of cancer

79. QUEEN ELIZABETH I
• “Bastard” Queen, daughter of
Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
• Was both acknowledged and
disowned by her father when he
was alive
• Devoutly Protestant
• “Virgin Queen”—never married,
used her feminine wiles to gain
and maintain power
• The art of flirtation became a
lucrative enterprise during her
reign
• Encouraged poetry and theater
• Powerful, wise, and important
monarch
• Sustained many plots against her
life

80. KING JAMES I
• Was Queen
Elizabeth’s Godson,
inherited her throne.
• Patron of theater—
Shakespeare’s King’s
Men were his
favorite acting
troupe.
• Solidified the
Protestant faith with
the creation of the
King James Bible

81. VOCABULARY
Understanding the Five Types of Love
A) Unrequited love: Romeo for Rosaline, Paris for Juliet
B) Romantic love: Romeo and Juliet
C) Parental love: The Capulet for Juliet, The Montague for Romeo, Nurse for Juliet
D) Friendship: Romeo & Benvolio, Romeo & Mercutio, Romeo & Friar, Nurse & Juliet
E) love of family honor: Tybalt, Mercutio, Romeo

82. Know the following Literary Terms
Review Literary Term Definitions by going to the follow link:
http://abcusdcerritoshsmarzo.weebly.com/vocab.html
Also, you can study Literary Term Definitions at Quizlet
http://quizlet.com/43209225/poetic-literary-devices-flash-cards/