romeo and juliet context Flashcards
when did shakespeare write this?
during the renaissance where there was an expansion of artistic expression free from restrictions of the previous centuries. R+J is suspected to be written at the beginning of his career
why were shakespeare’s plays written?
they were an incredibly popular and central medium of entertainment. they were written to entertain first and foremost but also have political messages as undertones?
who was the audience?
“cross class” audience as both poor(groundlings) and rich watched.
who usually played womens roles?
pre pubescent boys as women couldn’t act.
what is a Senecan tragedy?
a set of ancient roman tragedies which were bloody and sensationalist. parts of the violence can be seen in R+J.
how does the setting Verona affect the audience?
it is geographically and temporally distant from the audience. the distance gives the audience a sense of safety to feel catharsis as the audience doesn’t have to worry that the issues will infect their lives. (England-verona)
how does the foreign setting affect Shakespeares writing?
hot weather in Verona is associated with passion. The foreignness allows shakespeare to explore new ideas with ease. He could critique society and monarchy without being accused of treason as it was in foreign lands. he could explore subversive themes like suicide, war and hostility in a safe space.
how would the setting affect the audience’s perception of the friar?
italy was a catholic country which was viewed as overly passionate and corrupt by Protestant England. Anti catholicism was at its height due to the war with Spain so the frair would be viewed with some suspicion or as an untrustworthy character. (you could be sent to prison in England for being catholic)
how is religion viewed differently today compared to the elizabethan era and how does it affect audience perception?
modern-religion is something one does
elizabethan-religion was something one was. Would view suicide as a grave sin. They sin a lot from Juliet not obeying her father (against 10 commandments), couple epitomises the sin of hubris and can embody pride, lust and greed. the ending may be a manifestation and reassurance of traditional Christian divine justice.Is shakespeare showing the audience that the christian dogma will always prevail.
what is the great chain of being?
the belief that their was a hierarchal ordering of all creation. breaking the hierarchy would inevitably precipitate chaos.
what is the harmony of the spheres?
taught the movement of the planets (heavenly spheres) were predictable and perfectly in balance.
what did astronomy teach elizabethan era and what does it show about Juliets allusions to the stars/heavens?
Astronomy taught earth was the centre of the universe surrounded by spheres which was supported by religious teachings of the time. when Juliet talks about the universe she may believe they are extensions of the central earthly power of which they are the centre.
why were women viewed as less than?
they were thought to have a greater propensity to sin (eve is the mother of sin) and the aristotelean idea that women were deformed men so lower on the great chain of being.
how were women viewed and who owned them?
property and the closest male owned them. they were also viewed as sexual objects to satisfy their husbands.
how were girls used in noble families?
given away in marriage to form alliances with other noble families. cpas and monks weren’t noble but are mercantile families who follow similar practices.
