Transcript Romeo and Juliet - Mr. Harris English Class

The Tragedy of
Romeo and Juliet
Play Background
*Glencoe Literature Course 4
Romeo and Juliet Background
Shakespeare’s main source was the Tragical History of
Romeus and Juliet (1562), a narrative poem by Arthur
Brooke.
Shakespeare changed Brooke’s version in several way.
He gave more detail to some characters such as the
Nurse, Benvolio, and Mercutio.
Juliet’s age dropped from 16 to 13.
Instead of taking place over several months, the action
of the play occurs within a single week.
Setting
The events of the play
take place during the
summer in Verona and
Mantua, two cities in
northern Italy, in the
1300’s.
Parents and Marriage
In Romeo and Juliet, parents are the biggest obstacle to
the couple’s marriage.
During the Renaissance, young people need
permission from their parents or guardians to be
married.
Parents commonly arranged marriages for their
children, especially in the upper-class.
Arranged marriages usually required the bride’s consent.
Girls could legally get married at age 12, but they were
usually 15 or 16 when they married.
Influence of Astrology
Romeo and Juliet are described as “a pair of star-cross’d
lovers” in the play’s prologue, or introduction.
This suggests that their tragic downfall was influenced
by the position of the stars and planets at their birth.
Belief in astrology was widespread during Elizabethan
England.
Physicians often studied their patients’ horoscopes
before deciding on a diagnosis or treatment.