THEA 80K Lecture 2: Romeo and Juliet -THEA80K
Document Summary
Shakespeare had been married for many years, had 3 children. Written next to midsummer night"s dream (a comedy) Shakespeare either set his plays in england hundreds of years ago, or in continental. At the time if playwrights wrote something that the monarchy didn"t like, they could cut off their hand or their ear setting the play in a foreign place avoided this issue. Most female characters in shakespeare"s play were young women, very few mothers. This was because he couldn"t cast women, and it was easier for young boys to play young women than old women. Male characters often had soliloquies to show their thoughts, for women they used (cid:1445)direct address(cid:1446) many female characters had a maid they would talk to and reveal their thoughts. Actors were responsible for bringing on their own props, but had elaborate costumes. Friar laurence hopes to unite the warring capulets and montagues by secretly marrying.
