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William Shakespeare:
Life and Background to Romeo and Juliet
Who was Shakespeare?
Shakespeare’s
Childhood
• William Shakespeare is often referred to as “the
Bard” (Bard = poet)
• Born April 23rd, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, in
England
• William Shakespeare’s father was a merchant
• Because of his father’s social standing, William
was able to attend Stratford Grammar School
until the age of fourteen for free. He studied
Latin and Greek extensively in school.
• When he was 18,
Shakespeare married
Anne Hathaway
• She was 8 years older
than him, and they had
3 children together
Early Career
• William Shakespeare eventually left his family
behind and moved to London where he joined
Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a successful theater
company.
• This company changed its name to The King’s
Men in 1603. Shakespeare stayed a member of
this company until he retired in 1610. While in
the company, Shakespeare made his living
three ways: he was part owner of the Globe
theatre, he was an actor, and he was a
playwright.
• During this time very little scenery was used on
stage, but was accomplished by dialogue or
conversation between characters.
The Globe Theater: Fast Facts
•Built in 1598 in the Bankside district of London
•Open-air octagonal amphitheater that could seat up
to 3,000 people
•All shows occurred during the day (no lighting at
night)
•Performances dramatically increased in the summer–
the theater was susceptible to bad weather in winter
•No scene changes (props and costumes used)
•Costumes were usually the same, regardless of the
play– masks and props were used to indicate time
period, setting, etc.
•The “pit” was the floor surrounding the stage where
“one-penny” spectators, or “groundlings,” stood
•Theater brought together social elite and the poor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3PIhGgtWTs
The Globe
Theater
• People called “groundlings” stood in the pit
directly below the stage, while wealthier
seats, while the upper class sat in seats or
the balcony.
• Like all other theaters in Elizabethan
England, the Globe employed only male
actors because women were not allowed
to act. Most female roles were played by
adolescent (young) boys.
The Globe Theater
• In 1613, the Globe burned down during a
performance of Henry VIII. A canon was
accidentally shot into the thatched roof and the
whole theater was set ablaze.
• The theatre was rebuilt in 1614 without
Shakespeare, because he had retired.
Shakespeare died in 1616 at age 52. About 30
years later, Puritans assumed power in England
and had the theater torn down.
Elizabethan
Culture
• Shakespeare was alive during the late Renaissance, which in
England is referred to as the Elizabethan era. This era is named
after Queen Elizabeth, who was Britain's first female monarch and
ruled from 1558-1603.
• The Renaissance was a time when the pursuit of scientific
knowledge and celebration of the arts, such as theatre and music,
flourished. It was also a time of violent punishment/torture. People
were routinely killed for crimes as petty as stealing and
trespassing. Thus, violence often plays an important role in
Shakespeare’s works.
The Rack
The Wheel
The Pillory
Thumb
Screws
Drama: Tragedy vs. Comedy
When we study William Shakespeare's
plays, we usually categorize them into
three genres: comedy, tragedy, and
history. Shakespeare was well known for
his word play (punning), or which is a
technique that uses vocabulary that has
more than one meaning. Romeo and
Juliet, which was written in Shakespeare's
early years (between 1595-1597), is
considered a tragedy– it ends with death
and destruction.
Background to Romeo
and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet, however, is not an
original story; Shakespeare retells
a story that can be dated back to
as early as fourth century Greece.
Shakespeare uses a narrative
poem called "Tragicall Historye of
Romeus and Juliet," which is
written by Arthur Brooks, to get
most of his information for his play.
Shakespeare sets his Romeo and
Juliet in the made-up town of
Verona, Italy.
Romeo and Juliet:
Fast Facts
•Set in Verona, Italy (exact time
period unknown)
•Written between 1595-1597
•The story itself was not written by
Shakespeare– based on an Arthur
Brooks poem
•Vendetta: a family feud; honor
requiring death
THEMES:
•the nature of love and loyalty,
•the role of family in shaping one’s
life and decisions,
•youth and naïve decision-making
• the nature of fate and decisionmaking