Romeo and Juliet Important Info
L I T CHA R T S
TM
GET LIT
TM
Romeo and Juliet
Protagonists: Romeo and Juliet Antagonists: There are many antagonists to Romeo and Juliet’s love. The most important include the feud between the Capulets and Montagues; Tybalt; the Prince, citizens, and laws, of Verona; and fate.
w w w. L i t C h a r t s . c o m
Background Info
Author Bio
Full Name: William Shakespeare Date of Birth: 1564 Place of Birth: Stratford-upon-Avon, England Date of Death: 1616 Brief Life Story: Shakespeare’s father was a glove-maker, and Shakespeare received no more than a grammar school education. He married Anne Hathaway in 1582, but left his family behind around 1590 and moved to London, where he became an actor and playwright. He was an immediate success: Shakespeare soon became the most popular playwright of the day as well as a part-owner of the Globe Theater. His theater troupe was adopted by King James as the King’s Men in 1603. Shakespeare retired as a rich and prominent man to Stratford-upon-Avon in 1613, and died three years later. and Juliet’s wedding day occur on the same day that Romeo is banished. But just as important in creating the ecstatic intensity of Romeo and Juliet is the unparalleled power of Shakespeare’s language. In addition to its similarity to earlier versions of the Romeo and Juliet story, Shakespeare’s play is also similar to the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, which was best told by the Roman poet Ovid in his Metamorphoses. Shakespeare was not only aware of the similarity between the stories of Romeo and Juliet and Pyramus and Thisbe, he explicitly references Pyramus and Thisbe within Romeo and Juliet. Historical Context: Unlike many of Shakespeare’s other plays, Romeo and Juliet does not contain any real overt or even hidden references to the day and age in which Shakespeare lived.
Historical and Literary Context
When Written: early to mid 1590s Where Written: England When Published: 1597 Literary Period: The Renaissance (1500-1660)
TM
GET LIT
TM
Romeo and Juliet
Protagonists: Romeo and Juliet Antagonists: There are many antagonists to Romeo and Juliet’s love. The most important include the feud between the Capulets and Montagues; Tybalt; the Prince, citizens, and laws, of Verona; and fate.
w w w. L i t C h a r t s . c o m
Background Info
Author Bio
Full Name: William Shakespeare Date of Birth: 1564 Place of Birth: Stratford-upon-Avon, England Date of Death: 1616 Brief Life Story: Shakespeare’s father was a glove-maker, and Shakespeare received no more than a grammar school education. He married Anne Hathaway in 1582, but left his family behind around 1590 and moved to London, where he became an actor and playwright. He was an immediate success: Shakespeare soon became the most popular playwright of the day as well as a part-owner of the Globe Theater. His theater troupe was adopted by King James as the King’s Men in 1603. Shakespeare retired as a rich and prominent man to Stratford-upon-Avon in 1613, and died three years later. and Juliet’s wedding day occur on the same day that Romeo is banished. But just as important in creating the ecstatic intensity of Romeo and Juliet is the unparalleled power of Shakespeare’s language. In addition to its similarity to earlier versions of the Romeo and Juliet story, Shakespeare’s play is also similar to the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, which was best told by the Roman poet Ovid in his Metamorphoses. Shakespeare was not only aware of the similarity between the stories of Romeo and Juliet and Pyramus and Thisbe, he explicitly references Pyramus and Thisbe within Romeo and Juliet. Historical Context: Unlike many of Shakespeare’s other plays, Romeo and Juliet does not contain any real overt or even hidden references to the day and age in which Shakespeare lived.
Historical and Literary Context
When Written: early to mid 1590s Where Written: England When Published: 1597 Literary Period: The Renaissance (1500-1660)