Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet.

Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet in the middle of the 1590s. Elizabeth the first was Queen of England. During her reign, the country had made great progress in many different areas- travelling by sea, exploration, war, music, architecture, drama and poetry.  England had become a major power in Europe and had defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588 when Philip the Second had attempted to invade the country.

 In all the arts, there was great influence from Italy. The Renaissance had begun in Italy and the English were very enthusiastic about Italian culture. Chaucer, the first important English poet, respected Dante as the greatest European poet. The most popular form of love poetry, the sonnet, was borrowed from Italian writers. Many of Shakespeare’s plays are located in Italy and based on Italian stories. For the English, Italy was the country of passion, vendettas, murder, suicide and deep emotion; When Shakespeare wanted to write a tragedy of love and death, he chose an Italian story.

The legend of Romeo and Juliet had been very popular in England for  along time. Shakespeare took the story, changed some of the details and made it into a great play with characters which live in the memory. He changed the age of Juliet; in his play, she is only thirteen years old. It was possible to get married at twelve or thirteen but most people in Elizabethan society waited until later Arranged marriages” were normal. In other words, the family decided who their sons and daughters should marry; There are many stories about the conflict between the wishes of the parents and the romantic feelings of their children.

 Romeo and Juliet has the reputation of being the perfect love story. But it is not only about love; It is also about the hate between the Montagues and the Capulets. It ends, not in marriage, but in death. The lovers are very young. Romeo changes his mind easily; at the beginning of the play, he loves Rosaline, not Juliet. He often acts without thinking and he kills two people. Juliet also changes her mind. he thinks she is too young to get married but when she sees Romeo!!!!

The story of Romeo has lived until the present day. Other writers and musical composers have produced their old interpretations of the old, old story. But Shakespeare was the first one to make a great work of dramatic art from the story of the “star-crossed lovers” who lived in renaissance Verona.

Tell if these statements are right or wrong. Correct the wrong ones. /6

Romeo and Juliet was written in the 1950s.

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In the arts, there was great influence from Italy.

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Dante respected Chaucer as the greatest European poet.

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All of Shakespeare’s plays are located in Italy.

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In his play, Juliet is only seventeen years old.

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Romeo and Juliet is about hate and love.

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The story ends happily.

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