ROMEO AND JULIET

SOURCES

The main source for Shakespear's Romeo and Juliet was a poem by Arthur Brooke called "the tragicol historye of Romeus and Juliet"

Brooke's poem was based on Italian versions of Luigi da Porto in 1530s and by Matteo Bandello in 1550s and on a later french version by pierre Boaistuau

PLOT:

The action take plays in verona where there is a fight between the Capulets and the Montagues

Romeo (a Montague) goes to the Capulet's party and sees Juliet (a Capulet)

Romeo and Juliet Fall in love

In the second act they decide to marry in secret by Friar Lawrence that hopes their marriage will make peace between the two families

in the third act during a fight Mercutio, Romeo's friends, is mortally wounded by Juliet's cousin Tybald

Romeo kills Tybald and is banished from Verona

In the fourth act Juliet's father wants her to marry a Count called Paris

the Friar Proposes a solution which estabilished that Juliet will take a slepping potion and will look dead to avoid marriage

the Friar will explain the plot to Romeo in a letter but Romeo doesn't receive the letter and when he sees juliet dead he kills himselfs

After Juliet wakes up, she sees Romeo dead and she kills herselfs

THEMES

the battle between private desires and responsabilities imposed by social conventions

Family and paternal power

The relationship between love and hate that push characters to killing and death

Love: that is a force, a powerful emotion and a dangerous feeling

there isn't comuniction between parents and children

fate: that controlls all the events of the play

CHARACTERS:

Romeo

Juliet

is a fully rounded character because he grows during the play

a passionate young man

impulsive

loyal to Juliet

is an unconventional heroine

At the beginning she appears obedient and shy

she becomes mature and indipendent

she is a real woman and she refuses to be idealised

STYLE:

The play contains a combination of tragic and comic elements

Why is a Comedy?

Why is a tragedy?

because the main theme is love

it is ispired by italian novellas

there are disguise and jokes

the play starts as a comedy

the love potrayed is dark

fate has a important role in the play

there are irrational forces

the plays ends with the death of Romeo and Juliet

after the death of Romeo and juliet the two families are reconcilied