Romeo and Juliet - Other Knowledge

Romeo and Juliet - Other Knowledge

1. Genre/Conventions

   • Shakespearean Tragedy
     • Protagonists are in conflict with an overpowering force (love vs. feud of the families)
     • Both protagonists are tragic heroes (high status, sympathetic, their fatal flaws contribute to inevitable downfall)
     • 5 part-structure:
       • 1) Exposition - Initial Accident
       • 2) Rising Action - Growth in the Tension
       • 3) Climax - High Point of the Action
       • 4) Falling Action - Plot begins to unravel
       • 5) Denouement - Ending/Resolution to the Drama

2. Key Terms

   • Hamartia
     • A fatal flaw - leading to the downfall of a tragic hero
   • Hubris
     • Exalted pride of the protagonist - leads to their defiance of authority
   • Peripeteia
     • A sudden negative reversal of fortune/change in circumstance - leading to downfall

3. Structure

   • Contrast
     • Scenes often contrast strongly with the one that follows them - highlights the theme of conflict
   • Timeframe
     • The play begins on a Sunday and ends before daybreak on the following Thursday - creates a rapid pace of action
       • Events in the present are results of events from the past - 'from ancient grudge break to new mutiny'
       • The Friar offers constant reminders for events to slow down ' Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast' - accelerating the pace of action therefore increases sense of urgency and inevitability
   • Foreshadowing
     • Romeo and Juliet's downfall is hinted at throughout the play - increasing suspense for the audience
   • Dramatic Irony
     • Some things are revealed to the audience before the characters - increases tension
   • Juxtaposition
     • The placement of 2 ideas/statements/events near each other to invite comparison/contrast
       • Moments of light vs. moments of shade
       • Scenes of hectic confusion are placed next to quieter, intimate love scenes - makes dramatic contrast
         • Eg. Capulet's feast (A1S5) alongside R+J's declaration of love (A2S1) OR R+J's wedding (A2S6) next to the street brawl (A3S1) and followed by Juliet's speech while waiting for Romeo, unaware of the pervious violence (A3S2)
       • Creates dramatic tension and makes tragic events more compelling to watch
   • Blank Verse/Prose
     • Dialogue is presented as blank verse - a type of poetry that does not rhyme, but has a pattern of 10 syllables per line
       • Creates rhythm
       • Higher status characters speak in blank verse, lower status characters speak in ordinary prose (sounds like natural dialogue)
   • Soliloquy
     • A speech that a character makes alone on the stage - presents a deeper insight into the characters/ shows character's innermost thoughts/feelings at key moments

4. Symbolism

   • Light
     • Juliet's beauty, overwhelming power of R+J's love, hope, optimism
   • Darkness
     • The secrecy of R+J's love, impending/inevitable death
   • Poison
     • In the power of human hands/human will to extract the potential evil/fatal harm from an object/thing