Romeo and Juliet

SUMMARY

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564.
Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets and around 40 plays.
Shakespeare's plays were performed at a large, open-air theatre called the Globe. The Globe accommodated for people from all walks of life, meaning that anyone could watch a performance there. If you were poor, you could only afford tickets to the ground floor where there were no seats and you were exposed to the cold, wind and rain that came in through the open top. If you were rich, you could afford to sit in the higher-level, covered galleries in a comfy seat – away from the smelly poor people below!
Some phrases that Shakespeare wrote in his plays are things we still say today, and he remains one of the most famous playwrights of all time.

Shakespeare wrote different kinds of plays, all of which could be divided into three categories:

Usually have a happy ending that end in marriage or reunions.
Tend to focus more on situations, rather than characters.
May involve common-born or middleclass main characters.
Common elements include: The theme of love and marriage, mistaken identities or misconceptions and complex plotlines.

Generally have an unhappy ending, usually with the death of the main character.
Tend to focus more on the main characters, their flaws, thoughts and feelings, and consequences of their actions.
Main characters are noblemen with wealth and power.
Common elements include: Themes such as good vs . evil, revenge, greed and ambition; the downfall of a tragic hero; supernatural elements; hamartia(tragic flaw).

Two powerful families, the Montagues and the Capulets, in Verona in Italy have been feuding for so long that they can’t remember why they started fighting in the first place!
Two teenage members of the families, Romeo (Montague) and Juliet (Capulet), fall in love at a party, but have to keep it a secret because of their feuding families. They even get married without telling them!
In a street fight Tybalt (Juliet’s cousin) kills Mercutio (Romeo’s close friend). In revenge Romeo kills Tybalt and he is banished from Verona.
Aided by Friar Laurence, Juliet plans to rejoin Romeo and a scheme is hatched to convince everyone that she has died. She sends a letter to Romeo to tell him of the plan, but her message never reaches him. Romeo finds Juliet and she appears lifeless. Thinking she really is dead, Romeo kills himself. Juliet wakes up, finds Romeo lying beside her and takes her own life.
Finally, the two families are reunited, due to the tragic events.

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