Romeo and Juliet

• Context: Fate and astrology

  Fundamental in Elizabethan society- Queen Elizabeth 1 had her own personal astrologer - interpreted her fate through stars

  Term: ‘star- crossed lovers’ coined by Shakespeare + stems from inherent belief Shakespeare‘s generation had about the immense powers of celestial bodies ( seen in prologue where themes of fate and determination are prominent)
• Effect of fate and astrology in the play

  Play has nihilistic (the belief that everything is trivial, and nothing matters) attributes as lovers cannot escape their fate illustrating Shakespearean belief of fate being insurmountable (cannot overcome) therefore highlighting the immense power of the stars

  Juliet born on Lammas Eve making her a Leo, exemplary Leo as she is fiery and determined - reinforces power celestial bodies have over humans.
• Context: The Petrarchan Lover

  Describes a Man who is hopelessly an unrequitedly in love, with a woman he cannot have.

  A Petrarchan lover idolises the objects of his love, placing her on a pedestal and lamenting that he cannot have her in melancholic ramblings.
• Romeo, as a Petrarchan lover in the play

  A1 S1 Romeo unrequitedly loves Rosaline, who made a vow of chastity

  Shakespeare satirises(ridiculing) the Petrarchan lover as Romeo abandons supposed, passionate love for Rosaline when seeing Juliet

  Through Romeo, the Petrarchan lover lacks grounding in his love, often loving an idolised version of the woman + objectifies the women which Shakespeare also ridicules
• Context: Catholics vs Protestants

  Shakespeare wrote play after Protestant reformation. Play set in Italy so many were Roman Catholic (characters in play)

  The move from Catholicism to Protestantism undermined the concept of religion, and showed it to be open to change and often subject to public opinion
• Religion within the play

  Friar Lawrence led by Catholic desire to do good and dissolve hatred, marries Romeo and Juliet believing it will end the family feud. Yet, his religious aspiration for peace, won’t be able to overcome power of fate.

  Play feels like a critique of Catholicism, as it is shown to be fallible(capable of making mistakes or being wrong)
• Context: Ovid’s Metamorphoses

  The concept of lovers prevented from being together by fate had been told of long before Shakespeare’s time with the trope seen in Ovid’s Pyramus and Thisbe, a tale in his Metamorphoses published around eighth century, AD

  Shakespeare’s play is considered a retelling of Ovid’s as it is a very similar storyline.
• Where can Ovid’s Metamorphoses be seen in the play?

  The play’s ending is notably similar to that of Pyramus and Thisbe’s

  Both plays contain the trope of star-crossed lovers, serving to magnify the play’s tragedy genre

  PURPOSE: the retelling of a tragic tale, serves to re-emphasise the themes of the two tales, which is the destructive nature of feuds the tragic how love should surmount(overcome) hate
• Context: Italy

  Shakespeare’s set seven of his play’s in renaissance, Italy.

  By setting his play in another country, Shakespeare is able to make commentaries and criticism that he could claim were not related to Elizabethan society

  Italy was far enough away and different enough politically that he could make this claim, but close enough and similar enough to people could make links between the society he criticises
• Link about Italian culture in play

  Prince Escalus wields a lot of power, but still manages to allow two murders and a suicide to happen under his reign

  interpretation: criticism of royalty on Shakespeare’s part, yet, the fact, the play is set in Italy makes it seem like a critique of Italian royalty. Thus, rendering Shakespeare blameless in any accusation of treason.
• Why set the play in Italy?

  Italy believed to be a romantic, wild country - Women were sexually promiscuous and men were violent and prone to duels - more exciting than England

  link to play: Juliet‘s lustfulness and sexual promiscuity and Tybalt’s fiery, easily provoked nature, demonstrates the stereotypes
• Context: The great chain of being


  Belief that God created the world with a clear hierarchal structure encompassing all matters of life. Monarchs on top and men were believed to be further up than women, which is why women were expected to be subordinate to their male counterparts. This was considered as a fact for life.
• How is the great chain of being disrupted in the play?

  Romeo and Juliet are both punished through their violation of natural order (the great chain of being) They both try altering their position through their relationship with one another.

  Juliet strong and fiery nature could also be seen to be a pre-version of the great chain of being as in terms of the structure. She would have violated her role as a woman by not being submissive as she disobeyed her father, the patriarch’s order to marry Paris.
• Key words in Romeo and Juliet

  Iambic pentameter- characters speak in meter showing that characters are of high status but also use alongside Romeo to compound his effeminate nature within his speech

  determinism- Roman Juliet, affect themes of determinism as the prologue shows the lovers are inextricably bound to their fate

  Hamartia- Romeo and Juliet’s hamartia‘s are their, extreme impulsiveness, and rash nature, accelerating their descent to tragedy

  dramatic irony- establish from the prologue as audience now know how play will end but characters, do not
• Precedence

  Quality of being superior
• Generational feuds


  • Shakespeare shows the dire implications of generational feuds
  • This can detrimentally impact one's mental and physical health
• Abstract noun

  • The abstract noun, "passion" as to the semantic field of love
  • Yet as it is non-tangible, this could showcase how their love is not based in reality, but is a fantastical non-tangible idea
• Double entendre


  • Word or phrase that could have two possible interpretations
  • For example, "father" is a double entendre in the play because there is the religious definition and also there is a paternal definition
• Toxic masculinity

  Tybalt’s toxic masculine makes him fiery and quick to anger. This toxic masculinity taints every male in the play, including the more emotional Romeo. Romeo’s obsession with protecting his reputation, and thus his hubris derives from the toxic masculinity that plagued society.
• Mercutio

  • Chauvinistic male view of the era
  • ceaseless objectification and oppression of women in his speech- epitome of an egotistical man of patriarchy
• Mercutio addressing Romeo in Act 1 Scene 4

  “Gentle Romeo” - adj. “gentle” sounds condescending, often prone to jest at Romeo’s expense - bringing Romeo down
• Mercutio describing Romeo


  Says Romeo is a “a lover [and he should] borrow Cupid’s wings” - his tone is deterministic in a way he labels Romeo as a “lover” which sounds rather cynical, as people are set and have no freedom. Cupid was actually blind in Roman mythology, making arrows of love that he shoots seem somewhat random and ruled by chance which is a pessimistic view of something traditionally romantic. “Borrow” connotes stealing,diminishing Cupid’s power. Mercutio makes love synonymous with something pessimistic and scathing of this
• Comparison between Romeo and Mercutio

  Mercutio is far more violent and expressive with his language, compared to Romeo, which furthers his role as Romeo’s foil in the play. He’s also Bawdier (sexual), than Romeo, which can be linked to his view of love being superficial.
• Mercutio’s view on love

  Mercutio’s view on love, seems more objective because we never seen him have any love interest in the play that he is not blinded by love and can speak about it with far more objectivity than Romeo can
• Mercutio’s view on Love, part two

  M advises Romeo should “be rough with love “and “prick love for pricking“ indicating that he views that love is something to be conquered and not worth being gentle with. There is a huge juxtaposition between the words “love” and “rough”, especially as up to this point in the play we have only seen Romeo who is so gentle and tender, speak of love. M is complex and secretive often blending his true feelings into jokes, whereas Romeo is direct and open with his emotions. Therefore, M is a foil to R.
• Who is Queen Mab?

  The fairies midwife and create dreams in people’s minds based off their desires. M contorts this and makes it appear nightmarish emphasising, how these dreams are an extension of fantasy and imagination.
• Mercutio’s queen mab speech

  “When maids lie on their backs [she]/ Presses them and learns them first to bear” - personifies love through Queen Mab. He speaks of love as a corrupting influence(characterised by Romeo), he slanders Queen mab, and turns her into a villain, doing so of love by extension. Sex was a taboo topic (religious society) and thus queen Mab, who introduces “maids“ to it is thus villainous (audience may trust M less as a result)
• M insulting R

  “Madman, Passion, Lover!” - M suggesting that they are semantics, speaks as though “madman” and “lover” are synonymous. Mocking + directly ridiculing Romeo and shows his distaste for love. The use of epithets and exclamation mark proves he is constant ridiculing
• Petrarchan Lover


  A man hopelessly in unrequited love with a woman.
• Iambic Pentameter


  Metrical form with ten syllables and five feet.
• Petrarchan lover example


  Romeo is presented as a patriarchal lover in act one scene one
• Iambic pentameter example


  Often the character speak in iambic pentameter
• iambic pentameter quote


  Two households both alike in dignity

  Indicates high status
• prophesied


  A future that's been predicted for someone
• prophesied example


  Romeo and Juliet's death was prophesied in the prologue
• Determinism


  All human actions are predetermined and we ultimately have no choice over the decisions we make as they are all predetermined
• Determinism example


  The prologue shows the lovers are bound to their fate no matter the love they have for each other they cannot overcome fate
• Hamartia


  Fatal flaw that leads to a characters downfall
• Harmartia example


  Romeo and Juliet harmartia is there extreme impulsive and rash nature. This accelerates their descent to tragedy.
• Celestial body's


  Astronomical object such as planet stars and the moon