Reading activities:
Describe the setting of "Romeo and juliet".
Speculate about possible reasons for the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets.
Characterize both Romeo and Juliet in an explicit and implicit way.
Find examples of puns, images and oxymorons. (words containing two contradictory words like "loving hate" )
Summarize one szene.
what are themes in "Romeo and Juliet" ? Refer to the text.
In how far can young people identify themselves with the plot?
What are Questions arise after reading this work of literature?
The story plays in the late years of the15th century in the Italian city
Romeo
He is the hero and one of the protagonists of the story. He is the son of Old Montague and a young man of about sixteen, Romeo is handsome, intelligent, and sensitive. When he meets Capulet's daughter Juliet, he falls in love with her and becomes passionate and impulsive.
Juliet
She is the heroine and one of the protagonists of the story. She is the thirteen-year-old daughter of Capulet. She begins the play as a naive child who has thought little about love and marriage, but she is a happy, romantic, and an innocent girl who falls in love with Romeo.
4. oxymorons
romeo seeing the signs of the brawl : "Why then, o brawling love, o loving hate
O any thing of nothing first create!
O heavy lightness, serious vanity,
Misshapen chaos of well seeming forms,
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,
Still walking sleep, that is not what it is!
(Act one, Scene one, lines 167-172)
at the end of the balcony scene, Juliet : "parting is such sweet sorrow"
images
used by romeo and julia about each other :
- O she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheeks of night
As a rich jewel in a Ethiop´s ear
(act one, scene five, lines 43-45)
- The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp
(act two, scene two, lines 19-20)
- For here lies Juliet and her beauty makes
This vault a feasting presence full of light.
(act five, scene three, lines 85-86)
Puns
Romeo: I dreamt a dream tonight.
Mercutio: And so did
Romeo: Well, what was yours?
Mercutio: That dreamers often lie.
Romeo: In bed asleep, while they do dream things true.
Here, the word 'lie' is meant to mean one thing by Mercutio and taken to mean another by Romeo. Mercutio means that dreamers tell things that aren't true. Romeo thinks Mercutio is saying that they lie in beds and also lie
Mercutio says this after he is fatally injured by Tybalt and Romeo asks him if he is alright. Here, he means grave as sad, but also that by tomorrow he'll be dead, in his grave.
Act 2, Scene 2: In Capulet's garden Romeo sees Juliet coming to her window. He is entranced by her beauty and listens as she tells the night that she loves Romeo and wishes that he had another name. Romeo surprises her by offering to take another name for her love. At first, Juliet worries for Romeo's safety and then she worries that he may be a deceiver, but he wins her over with passionate views of love. They pledge their love to one another and then Juliet is called away by the Nurse. Answering the call of the Nurse, Juliet goes into the house, then comes right back out and tells Romeo that the next day she will send a messenger to find out when and where she would be to meet and marry him. Juliet is again called back into the house, and Romeo starts to leave, but Juliet again comes back out, to set a time that her messenger should go to Romeo. Romeo tells her that the messenger should come at nine in the morning. They say goodbye, and after Juliet is gone, Romeo says that he will go to the cell of Friar Laurence to get his help.
Themes and Topics
love, relationships, family, tragedy, impetuousness, feuds, style, setting,
puns, nuance
Love, in its many forms, is an important theme in the play. Romeo and Juliet is the most famous love story in the English literature. True love can conquer all, as shown through Romeo and Juliet who defy unbelievable problems to be married.
Romeo's love for Rosaline is simply superficial, childish infatuation. Paris represents a contractual love. He does not actually know Juliet, just her family and what she represents. He is marrying a name, not a person. Juliet questions Romeo at first as to his intentions, the type of love he has to offer. The love between Romeo and Juliet is a spiritual, romantic love. They die for their love!
Their suffering and deaths are tragic however, without them, their families would not have stopped feuding.
There is also a theme
of revenge and dedication as demonstrated through the brawl between Mercutio,
Tybalt and Romeo. Tybalt was getting revenge on Mercutio for whatever reason
the Montagues and Capulets hated each other, and Romeo killed Tybalt out of
dedication for his family and revenge for Mercutio's death.
