ONLiNE RESOURCES
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ABOUT BELL Bell Shakespeare is Australia’s national theatre company specialising in Shakespeare SHAKESPEARE and the classics. The company was founded by John Bell AO in 1990 with the aim of making Shakespeare and live performance accessible to all Australians, regardless of geographic location or socio-economic disadvantage. Bell Shakespeare is proud to deliver Australian theatre’s most comprehensive and wide-reaching education program, which operates in 89% of Australian electorates and is delivered to more than 80,000 students and teachers face to face each year. The national program includes in-school performances by The Players, student workshops, Artist in Residence, community and outreach work, engagement with refugee and Indigenous communities, the Regional Teacher Mentorship, scholarships for regional students, work experience, and a renowned Juvenile Justice program. Bell Shakespeare uses Shakespeare as a vehicle for self-reflection and transformation: as Ophelia says in Hamlet, “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”
ABOUT After the smash-hit collaboration Just Macbeth! with popular Australian children’s JUST ROMEO author Andy Griffiths, Bell Shakespeare is thrilled to work with Griffiths for the AND JULIET second time on Just Romeo and Juliet! Once again we follow trusty characters Andy, Danny and Lisa in their quest to conquer Shakespeare, with mixed results. After taking on Macbeth, this time they tackle Shakespeare’s greatest love story, Romeo and Juliet, with Lisa at the helm as director. Andy begrudgingly decides to audition for the play so that he can impress Lisa. But when Danny is cast in the leading role of Romeo, opposite Lisa as Juliet, Andy does all he can to derail the love story with hilarious results. Filled with Shakespeare’s classic text and characters, the play cleverly mirrors the action and themes of the original play. Classic tragedy collides with side-splitting comedy in this entertaining introduction to Shakespeare for students. The play has been adapted from Andy Griffiths’ book, Just Doomed!, by playwright Joanna Erskine. Terry Denton, Griffiths’ collaborator and illustrator, has provided the illustrations for the set banner. Just Romeo and Juliet! will tour to all states and territories across Australia, including metropolitan cities, regional towns and remote communities.
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CREATIVE TEAM
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CAST TEAM HAMNET
ELENI RYAN CAITLIN
TEAM JUDITH
WILL NICOLA ANGELA
CREATIVES SCRIPT DIRECTOR AND CREW Originally by Sophie Kelly William Shakespeare MOVEMENT Messed around with by DIRECTOR Andy Griffiths By Joanna Erskine Nigel Poulton BANNER DESIGN VOICE AND TEXT COACH Illustrations by Terry Denton Jess Chambers Design by STAGE MANAGERS Christopher Doyle & Co Paisley Williams Kirsty Walker
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BANNER DESIGN Illustrations by Terry Denton Design by Christopher Doyle & Co
See page 46 for a black and white banner design ready for colouring in!
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BACKGROUND
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FUN FACTS Despite his popularity, very little is known for certain about William Shakespeare’s ABOUT WILLIAM life. Here are some facts that we do know about him, his plays, the Globe Theatre SHAKESPEARE and Elizabethan England: • Shakespeare was from a town called Stratford-upon-Avon, in the English countryside. It was named this because it lies on the banks of the River Avon. • He was believed to have been born and died on the same date, 23 April. • Shakespeare was baptised on 26 April, 1564, 3 days before an outbreak of the deadly plague. • He was one of eight children, only five of whom survived into adulthood. • John Shakespeare, William’s father, had a number of different jobs during his life which included a glovemaker, leather worker, statesman (like a local politician), Mayor of the town, and even ale taster! • John Shakespeare got into trouble with the law four times for trading in wool and money-lending. • Shakespeare went to school until he was about 15 years old, like many boys in his time. Girls were far less likely to go to school or be educated, though some were. • In 1582, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. She was eight years older than him. • Shakespeare had three children with Anne. Susanna, and twins Judith and Hamnet. The twins were named after Shakespeare’s neighbours. • There is no evidence for what Shakespeare did between 1585 and 1592. These are known as the ‘lost years’. There is a great deal of speculation about what he might have done during these years, but no actual evidence. • Shakespeare is sometimes called ‘The Bard of Avon’ – a bard is another word for a poet. • Shakespeare wrote 37 plays. • He also wrote 154 sonnets, which are love poems. Every sonnet has 14 lines, and follows a very specific poetic structure. • Some of Shakespeare’s best-known plays are Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Hamlet. • His plays were performed for Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. • The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations says that Shakespeare wrote about one-tenth of the most quotable quotations ever written or spoken in English. • Although Shakespeare is usually considered an Elizabethan playwright, much of his greatest work was produced after James I took the throne, so Shakespeare can also be called Jacobean. • By 1597, Shakespeare’s company the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, leased The Theatre, but the owner wouldn’t renew the lease. On 28 December 1598, the actors and about a dozen workers pulled the theatre apart and rebuilt it on the other side of the Thames. The new theatre became known as the New Globe.
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• The Globe burned to the ground in 1613 during a performance of Shakespeare’s Henry VIII. A real cannon was used for special effects, which set fire to the thatch roof! • In 1603, Shakespeare’s company became the official players for King James I and renamed themselves The King’s Men. • In 1608, Shakespeare’s company The King’s Men opened the Blackfriar’s Theatre, the template on which all later indoor theatres are based. • Shakespeare’s stole lots of his ideas from other writers before him. Many of his plays are based on others’ earlier plays, histories, and poems. This was quite common at the time for writers to do. • In Shakespeare’s time theatres had no lights, no curtains, and used little or no sets and costumes. They therefore had to perform in broad daylight and describe settings using words to create images in the minds of the audience. • Elizabethan theatregoers in William Shakespeare’s time could buy food and fruit to eat during the show. These snacks were sometimes thrown at the actors if people didn’t like the show or characters! • Shakespeare’s plays contain the first-ever recordings of 2,035 English words, including such words as bump, bubble, manager, organ, relevant, critical, excellent, assassination, and countless more, including the word ‘countless’! • Hundreds of excellent phrases, now commonly used by us in our modern speech, occured first in Shakespeare’s plays. These phrases include ‘one fell swoop’, ‘vanish into thin air’, ‘play fast and loose’, ‘in a pickle’, ‘foul play’, ‘tower of strength’, ‘flesh and blood’, ‘cruel to be kind’, and ‘wild goose chase.’ • In 1616, Shakespeare revised his will. His signatures are shaky, suggesting that he was sick. • In his will, Shakespeare left his ‘second best bed’ to his wife, Anne. • Shakespeare is buried in the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon. The stone over his tomb includes the following inscription, believed to have been written by Shakespeare himself: Good friend, for Jesus’ sake forebeare To dig the dust enclosed heare; Bleste be the man that spares these stones, And curst be he that moves my bones. • Shakespeare’s plays were published together in 1623 for the first time in one big book called The First Folio after Shakespeare had died, by two of his actor friends - John Heminges and Henry Condell. 18 of Shakespeare’s plays would otherwise have been lost. • About 280 of Shakespeare’s First Folios still survive today. There is only one copy in Australia, and it is housed at the State Library of NSW.
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• Some people claim that Shakespeare did not write his plays. However, there is more evidence that Shakespeare did write his own work than there is that he did not. • Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, died in 1596. His daughter Susanna died in 1649. His youngest daughter Judith had three children, but all died before their mother and without children of their own. His granddaughter Elizabeth, daughter of Susanna, died childless in 1670 so Shakespeare has no ancestors.
William Shakespeare, Chandos Portrait
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SYNOPSIS Just Romeo and Juliet! focuses on the key journeys of Romeo and Juliet and OF ROMEO does not cover all plot points in the original play. However, it is useful to be AND JULIET familiar with the original play’s synopsis before seeing the performance… There is a violent brawl on the streets of Verona in Italy, arising from the long-simmering tension between two noble families, the Montagues and the Capulets. Tired of seeing them endanger the populace, Prince Escalus bans further confrontation on pain of death. The young heir of the Montague family, Romeo, cares little for all this. He is obsessed with his love for a girl called Rosaline who will have nothing to do with him. His cousin Benvolio and friend Mercutio attempt to cheer him up. They encounter a servant of the Capulet household who unwittingly shows them an invitation to a masquerade ball at the Capulet house that night. When they read that Rosaline is attending the party, Benvolio and Mercutio suggest they all attend the party in disguise. They tell Romeo that he can then compare Rosaline with other young women, and discover there are many more women in the world to desire. Romeo doesn’t want to attend at first as he has had a foreboding dream, but Mercutio cleverly makes light of his fears and Romeo decides to go.
At the Capulet household, Paris, a young relative of the Prince and an eligible bachelor, expresses interest in marrying the Capulet’s only child, Juliet. Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet, shows Paris respect, but expresses that he feels Juliet is too young to marry just yet – she is only thirteen. However, he tells Paris to woo Juliet and invites him to meet her at the party. Juliet’s mother, Lady Capulet, approves of the union, and she and Juliet’s Nurse tell Juliet about Paris’ intentions and plan for marriage. They encourage her to meet Paris at the party and see what she thinks of him. Juliet does not show interest in Paris or the idea of marriage at all, but promises to give Paris a chance, with her parent’s approval.
At the ball, Romeo and Juliet see each other for the first time. They feel an instant attraction, share witty banter and have their first kiss, before even finding out who the other is. It is only later that they find that they are from rival families. Juliet’s cousin Tybalt recognises Romeo and is enraged that a Montague is at the Capulet party, but Lord Capulet forbids Tybalt from causing trouble and disrupting the party. Later, Romeo sneaks back into the Capulet grounds and overhears Juliet, at her window, declaring her love for him. Romeo jumps out of his hiding spot and declares his love for her as well. They decide to marry the next day. Romeo and Juliet are married in secret by their friend and adviser, Friar Lawrence. Juliet’s Nurse is the only other person who knows about their union.
Later that afternoon, Romeo encounters Tybalt, who is still furious that Romeo was at the party and tries to pick a fight with him. When Romeo refuses to fight, secretly protecting his new wife, this angers Tybalt. Mercutio fights with Tybalt on Romeo’s behalf, and is killed. Enraged by the death of his friend, Romeo kills Tybalt. The Prince then banishes Romeo to Mantua and says that he must never return to Verona again.
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Unaware of this, Juliet prepares to receive Romeo in her room for their wedding night. Friar Lawrence instils courage in the broken Romeo and tells him he should spend the night with Juliet, and escape to Mantua at dawn, where he will arrange for Juliet to follow. The Friar hopes that they may then start a new life together, away from Verona and the feuding families. The Nurse tells Juliet about Tybalt and Mercutio’s death, and Romeo’s banishment. Romeo and Juliet spend the night together, before he leaves early in the morning for Mantua.
Juliet is distraught, and her parents mistake her weeping for Romeo for grief about Tybalt’s death. To bring her some joy, Lord Capulet decides to arrange Juliet’s immediate marriage to Paris. Juliet reacts in disbelief and anger, appealing to her father and mother to delay the wedding. Lord Capulet violently threatens to disown his daughter if she does not agree to the marriage. Juliet asks the Nurse for her advice, and she tells Juliet to marry Paris and forget Romeo.
Determined to find another option, Juliet turns to Friar Lawrence. He gives her a potion to drink that will make her appear dead for 42 hours. He promises to send word to Romeo in Mantua to come and fetch her from the Capulet vault, where her family will lay her. Juliet drinks the potion and, believed dead by her family, is placed in the Capulet vault. But the Friar’s messenger fails to reach Romeo, who hears only that Juliet is dead. He visits an Apothecary to collect a poison so that he can return to Verona and die beside Juliet.
Romeo travels by night to the Capulet tomb where he encounters Paris, who is mourning for Juliet. They fight and Paris is killed. Romeo breaks into the Capulet vault and sees Juliet, believing her dead. He drinks the poison and dies beside her. The Friar, who has discovered that his letter did not reach Romeo, hastens to rescue Juliet, who wakes as he enters. He tells her what has happened and that Romeo has killed himself. The Friar urges Juliet to leave with him, but she will not leave Romeo. Friar Lawrence flees. Wanting only to follow Romeo, Juliet stabs herself with his dagger and dies. The Prince arrives with the Montague and Capulet families where they find Romeo and Juliet dead. The Friar explains what has happened. The families finally realise the devastating impact of their generational war and prejudice, and the Montagues and Capulets say they will reconcile, once and for all.
Romeo and Juliet, Director Peter Evans @ Daniel Boud
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BACKGROUND Romeo and Juliet was Shakespeare’s second tragedy and was most likely written TO ROMEO between 1594 and 1596. It is arguably one of Shakespeare’s best-loved and AND JULIET best-known plays, spawning four centuries of spin-offs, including Sergei Prokofiev’s beautiful classical music, countless sculptures and paintings, at least 24 operas, a number of musicals including West Side Story, pop songs and film versions. While there is no proof that the story is in fact true, in the thirteenth century there were certainly two feuding Italian families of similar name. The Montecchi of Verona and the Capelletti of Cremona were locked in a political struggle. These two families are referred to in Dante’s Purgatorio, Canto VI. It is not known if they had children named Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet borrows from a tradition of tragic love stories dating back to antiquity. One of these is Pyramus and Thisbe, from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, which contains parallels to Shakespeare’s story. A sleeping potion to avoid unwanted marriage appeared in such stories in 4th Century AD, added by Greek novelist Xenophon. Italian writer Masuccio of Salerno added the idea of the lovers being star-crossed in 1476 and another brilliant Italian author, Luigi da Porto, set this scene in Verona and named the two feuding families (Montecchi and Cappellati) in 1530. As you can see, this story of two young, star-crossed, Italian, lovers had a huge journey before it landed in the hands of Shakespeare. Dramatists in Shakespeare’s time were incredible bower-birds: borrowing and even outright stealing from other sources. Shakespeare stole plots, dialogue, character names and titles. But this was common: to Elizabethan playwrights, plots and characters were public property. There were no copyright laws at the time and there was only a loose sense of intellectual property. It is known that Shakespeare based his play on a poem published two years before his birth. The poem was an English translation of the French translation of the original Italian. The English translation was The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet (1562) by Arthur Brooke, a poem of 3020 lines. It was based on Boaistuau’s French translation of a novella in Italian by Bandello. Examining what Shakespeare kept, what he changed, and what he omitted from the original sources, is telling with regard to his values as a dramatist. He has many verbal parallels with Brooke, and has absorbed the atmosphere of an Italian summer with warm nights and sudden thunder storms. However, the original poem is now considered highly didactic, taking the moral position of the parents and standing as a warning to youth who disobey their elders. In Brooke’s address ‘To the reader’ prefacing his work he states: And to this end, good Reader, is this tragical matter written, to describe unto thee a couple of unfortunate lovers, thralling themselves to unhonest desire; neglecting the authority and advice of parents and friends; conferring their principal counsels with drunken gossips and superstitious friars (the naturally fit instruments of unchastity);
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attempting all adventures of peril for th’ attaining of their wished lust; using auricular confession the key of whoredom and treason, for furtherance of their purpose; abusing the honourable name of lawful marriage to cloak the shame of stolen contracts; finally by all means of unhonest life hasting to most unhappy death. Shakespeare managed to move beyond this, endowing the young lovers with independence and importance, revealing how adult fallacies can impact their own children’s fate. As Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet draws to a close, Juliet’s father Capulet looks at the bodies of the two young lovers and states that they are “poor sacrifices of our enmity”. Shakespeare does not act as a moralist, judging youthful choices. He simply presents us with three-dimensional characters living real lives, and allows their humanity to unravel: as Harold Bloom states, ‘Shakespeare stands back from assigning blame’. The plight of young lovers has always appealed to writers and audiences alike. Throughout history many young people have fallen in love against their parents’ wishes. Shakespeare’s version of this story has survived as one of the most loved and respected because he allows us to see the world through the young lover’s hearts and minds.
The First Folio, Romeo and Juliet
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FAMOUS LINES Two households, both alike in dignity, FROM ROMEO In fair Verona, where we lay our scene... AND JULIET Prologue
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
Abraham, Act 1, Scene 1
What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee
Tybalt, Act 1, Scene 1
O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you.
Mercutio, Act 1, Scene 4
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
Romeo, Act 1, Scene 5
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.
Romeo, Act 1, Scene 5
But, soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Romeo, Act 2, Scene 2
O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2
What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet
Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2
My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.
Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2
Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow That I shall say good night til it be morrow.
Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2
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For this alliance may so happy prove, To turn your households’ rancour to pure love.
Friar Lawrence, Act 2, Scene 3
Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.
Friar Lawrence, Act 2, Scene 3
A plague o’ both your houses! They have made worms’ meat of me!
Mercutio, Act 3, Scene 1
O, I am fortune’s fool!
Romeo, Act 3, Scene 1
Give me my Romeo, and, when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night, And pay no worship to the garish sun.
Juliet, Act 3, Scene 2
I must be gone and live, or stay and die.
Romeo, Act 3, Scene 5
These violent delights have violent ends.
Friar Lawrence, Act 2, Scene 6
Is it even so? then I defy you, stars!
Romeo, Act 5, Scene 1
O true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.
Romeo, Act 5, Scene 3
O happy dagger!
Juliet, Act 5, Scene 3
All are punished.
Prince, Act 5, Scene 3
For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
Prince, Act 5, Scene 3
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ROMEO AND JULIET – A GLOSSARY
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GLOSSARY Asunder – apart Homely – be direct with someone Bedeck – decorate Idolatory – worship Beguiled – cheated Ill-divining – expecting evil Benedicite! – Bless you Immortal part – soul Bent of love – intentions of love Jocund – cheerful Bescreened – hidden Jove – God of Oaths Beshrew – curse Mickle – great Blaze – announce Minstrels – hired musicians Bounty – generosity O’erleap – jump over By and by – soon Orisons – prayers Conceit – imagination Passado – sword manoeuvre Conduit – fountain Plague – curse or punishment Consort – associate Post-haste – speedily Doff – take off Presage – foretell, promise Doom – sentence Prick-song – printed music Doting – infatuated Profane – treat with disrespect Dram – unit of measurement Rate – scold or tell-off Ducats – gold coins Shrift – confession Ere – before Sojourn – wait or stay Fain – gladly Solemnity – celebration Fair – beautiful Tallow – pale Forbear – stop Tardy – late French Slop – baggy trousers Unbruised – inexperienced Good Den – Good afternoon Vestal – chaste, pure Hams – legs Vexed – angered or troubled Heaviness – sadness Wanton – uncontrolled Hie! – hurry up Wherefore – why Holy Physic – religious medicine Zounds – God’s Wounds
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CHARACTERS
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NOBILITY Prince Paris Mercutio
Romeo Juliet Benvolio Tybalt Lord & Lady Lord & Lady Montague Capulet
Friar Lawrence
SERVANTS
Balthasar Nurse Abraham Peter Sampson Gregory
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CHARACTERS BY ANDY GRIFFITHS ANDY Andy is a young student and his best friend is Danny. He really likes a girl called Lisa. In Just Romeo and Juliet! Lisa directs her own production of Romeo and Juliet. Andy auditions to try to impress her, but he is instead cast in a series of minor roles. He is prepared to do all it takes to be noticed by Lisa, even Shakespeare! Andy is a character in many of Andy Griffiths’ books. DANNY Danny is Andy’s best friend. In Just Romeo and Juliet! he auditions for the production of Romeo and Juliet and is cast in the lead role of Romeo. This angers his best friend Andy, as it means that Danny will get to act alongside Lisa who plays Juliet. Danny is a character in many of Andy Griffiths’ books. LISA Lisa is a classmate of Andy and Danny, and the director of the production of Romeo and Juliet in the show. Lisa loves Shakespeare and has high expectations of herself and the production. She chooses to play the lead role of Juliet herself, alongside Danny as Romeo. Lisa is a character in many of Andy Griffiths’ books.
CHARACTERS BY SHAKESPEARE ROMEO Did my heart love til now?
Act 1, Scene 5
Romeo is the only son of Lord and Lady Montague, enemies of the Capulet family. Romeo meets Juliet while in disguise at the Capulet ball, and the two instantly fall in love and marry in secret the next day. He has many friends including Benvolio and Mercutio, and is close to the Friar. Romeo is not interested in the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues, he is more interested in love, even before he meets Juliet. However he gets caught up in the feud nevertheless, when Tybalt murders Romeo’s best friend, Mercutio. Romeo murders Tybalt in revenge and is banished from Verona. While he is banished, Romeo hears that Juliet has died, not knowing that she has in fact faked her own death. He returns to Verona and takes his own life at Juliet’s side, before she awakes. JULIET A rose by any other word would smell as sweet
Act 2, Scene 2
Juliet is the only daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet, enemies of the Montague family. She is just 13 at the opening of the play and is not interested in love or marriage. Her parents arrange for Paris, an eligible young bachelor in Verona, to woo Juliet and they eventually insist she marry him. While she is not interested in marriage, she falls for Romeo instantly and they arrange to wed the next day.
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Unlike Romeo, Juliet has no friends of her own age. She is isolated and sheltered within the world of the Capulets. Juliet does however have a very close relationship with the Nurse who has cared for her since birth. Over the course of the play she grows quickly from young, innocent girl to a brave, strong-willed woman. When Romeo is banished, she makes a plan with the Friar to fake her own death so that she and Romeo can run away together. However the message does not reach Romeo and he takes his own life, thinking that Juliet is dead. When Juliet awakes, she finds Romeo dead and takes her own life as well. FRIAR Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.
Act 2, Scene 4
The Friar (Friar Lawrence) is a holy man and a close friend and mentor to Romeo. Romeo is able to confide in him in a way that he cannot with his friends, and only tells the Friar about his love for Juliet. The Friar also provides counsel to Juliet when she is deserted by her Nurse. He has an intimate knowledge of plants and their medicinal powers, and creates the herbal sleeping potion that is crucial to Romeo and Juliet’s plan. The Friar shows compassion in his willingness to support the young lovers, in both marrying them and assisting with their escape. The Friar hopes that Romeo and Juliet’s union may bring peace between the Montagues and Capulets. BENVOLIO I do but keep the peace.
Act 1, Scene 1
Benvolio is from the Montague family, and is Romeo’s cousin and friend. The name Benvolio derives from the Latin root meaning benevolent, good and charitable. He is a thoughtful character who tries to keep the peace between the Montagues and the Capulets. Benvolio tries several times in the play to stop the two families fighting in the streets. PRINCE All are punished.
Act 5, Scene 3
The Prince (Prince Escalus) holds the position of political power in Verona and is therefore concerned with maintaining public peace and order at all costs. He has dealt with the ongoing Montague and Capulet feud for many years and will no longer tolerate violence in the town. He banishes Romeo from Verona for killing Tybalt. The Prince is related to Mercutio and Paris, and so expresses that the Montague and Capulet feud has affected him personally, after both die.
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MERCUTIO Prick love for pricking and you beat love down.
Act 1, Scene 4
Mercutio is Romeo’s quick-witted friend and a relation of the Prince. He is a clever and playful character, constantly making witty and often rude jokes to the delight of his friends. He mocks Romeo for being so consumed with love, and makes light of romance. Mercutio is quick to fight, and so when provoked by Tybalt he fights him against Romeo’s wishes. When Romeo tries to intervene, Mercutio is killed by Tybalt. Mercutio jokes and entertains his friends (and the audience) until his final moments, playing the joker to the end. However, just before Mercutio dies, he turns to Romeo and curses the feuding families. Mercutio’s death is the key catalyst for Romeo’s downfall, and a major narrative turning point for the story. TYBALT What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.
Act 1, Scene 1
Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin and the beloved nephew of the Capulet household. He is fiercely loyal to the Capulet family, and referred to as the ‘Prince of Cats.’ Tybalt is renowned for being a skilled fighter, always willing for a fight, and long to hold a grudge. Much is noted of Tybalt in regards to his temper – characters refer to him as “fiery”, and his actions are always driven by his hot-headed passion and anger. He despises the Montagues, and his comments reflect a blind hatred, giving the audience no insight into the origin of the Capulet and Montague feud. He even says that he hates the word ‘peace.’ Tybalt kills Mercutio in a street brawl and is, in turn, killed by Romeo. PARIS Paris is an eligible bachelor in Verona, and the man Capulet and Lady Capulet would like Juliet to marry. He is young, wealthy, handsome, of noble stature in society, and also related to the Prince. Paris is disheartened when Capulet initially tells him that Juliet is too young to marry, yet honours Capulet’s decision. After Tybalt’s death, Paris is overjoyed to hear that Capulet has changed his mind and has arranged Juliet’s immediate marriage to him. Paris visits Juliet in the Capulet tomb in Act 5, Scene 3 where he encounters Romeo. Paris is enraged to see a Montague at the Capulet tomb and challenges Romeo to a fight. Paris is stabbed in the scuffle, and before he dies, he asks Romeo to lay him next to Juliet in the tomb. THE NURSE Go girl, seek happy nights to happy days.
Act 1, Scene 3
The Nurse has known Juliet since birth and is her primary caregiver. Though she is employed by the Capulet family she is also Juliet’s friend and confidante. She is
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the person closest to Juliet and is the only member of the household who knows about her relationship with Romeo. While initially very excited at the idea of Paris as a match for Juliet, the Nurse goes to great lengths to help organise Juliet’s secret union with Romeo, defying the Capulet family. However, when Romeo is banished and Juliet’s parents insist she marry Paris, the Nurse sides with the Capulets. She withdraws her original support and advises Juliet to listen to her parents, signaling the end to their close relationship, unbeknownst to the Nurse.
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OTHER ADAPTATIONS
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OTHER The best-known cinematic versions of Romeo and Juliet are those directed by ADAPTATIONS Franco Zeffirelli in 1968 and by Baz Lurhmann in 1996. However, also available OF ROMEO is the BBC Shakespeare version of 1978 and the 2013 version directed by AND JULIET Carlo Carlei, the latter with a certain amount of script adaptation by Downton Abbey writer Julian Fellowes. This story has inspired all kinds of adaptations, variations, parodies and responses, as people for centuries have been so captivated by these characters and their tale of passion. Some of the most well-known include: The ballet version by Prokofiev, which was a much-loved vehicle for the famous dancers Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev; Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, a musical set in 1950s New York. It premiered on Broadway in 1957, and the film version was released in 1961; John Madden’s 1998 film Shakespeare In Love, imagines a romantic story about the writing of the play. It was co-written by British playwright Tom Stoppard; Romeo Must Die, a 2000 action film about rival Chinese and African-American families, starring Jet Li; The Canadian TV series Slings & Arrows includes the rehearsal of a production of Romeo And Juliet as its season 2 subplot; Joe Calarco’s Shakespeare’s R&J, which was performed by Bell Shakespeare in 2001; The Irish play A Tender Thing imagines Romeo and Juliet living into old age together; Gnomeo and Juliet (2011), an animated children’s comic adaptation about garden gnomes; Warm Bodies (2013), a love story between a zombie named R and a girl named Julie, with tongue-in-cheek allusions to the original play, and even a balcony scene; Ryan North has written the excellent novel Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable-Path Adventure (2016), offering myriad opportunities to retell the story; A Bollywood adaptation Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela is set in a fictional India where violence is an everyday occurrence. The son of a gun-running family falls in love with the daughter of a rival family. It is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali; Romeo and Juliet have been the inspiration for countless artworks, with artists often portraying the young lovers at Juliet’s balcony; and There are also countless songs and artworks that make reference to the lovers, from Dire Straits’ song of the same title to Taylor Swift’s Love Story.
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West Side Story, 1961
Romeo + Juliet, 1996
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Warm Bodies, 2013 Romeo and/or Juliet, 2016, Ryan North
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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FOR EDUCATION The best version of Romeo and Juliet for school students to use is the Cambridge School edition: Robert Smith / Rex Gibson / Vicki Wienand / Richard Andrews (Eds), Cambridge School Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet (2014, Cambridge University Press) However, the RSC version is also excellent and simple to follow, and the Arden is more thorough yet more challenging as the support material is very dense. Books with good exercises for teachers to use to introduce Shakespeare: Bayley, P., An A-B-C Of Shakespeare (1985, Longman Group) Gibson, Rex, Stepping Into Shakespeare (2000, Cambridge University Press) Gibson, Rex, Discovering Shakespeare’s Language (1998, Cambridge University Press) Winston, Joe and Miles Tandy, Beginning Shakespeare 4–11 (2012, Routledge) This is aimed at teachers of younger children, but the principles still apply for secondary students.
FUN ADAPTATIONS North, Ryan, Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable-Path Adventure, Riverhead Books, 2016 (choose to follow the original story or a series of mad-capped fictional plots) Astbury, Kelly (dir.), Gnomeo And Juliet, Touchstone Pictures, 2011 (a sweet animated adaptation best suited for young students) Madden, John (dir.), Shakespeare In Love, Miramax Films, 1998 (a fictional story following Shakespeare’s own romance while he was writing Romeo And Juliet, with fun echoes of the original) Levine, Jonathan (dir.), Warm Bodies, Mandeville Films, 2013 (a loose adaptation of the story, involving a romance between a zombie named R and a girl named Julie. Great for senior students)
WATCHABLE THINGS There are countless film versions of Romeo and Juliet available, including Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 classic, Baz Lurhmann’s 1996 modern adaptation, the musical West Side Story (1961), a 2013 film written by Downton Abbey’s Julian Fellowes starring Hailee Steinfeld, and other adaptations as listed above. Bell Shakespeare collaborated with ABC Splash on a series of high quality videos featuring performances and commentary, including scenes and explainers from Romeo and Juliet: http://education.abc.net.au/home#!/digibook/1403896/shakespeare-unbound
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The second series of Shakespeare Uncovered includes an episode on Romeo and Juliet narrated by Joseph Fiennes: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/shakespeare-uncovered/uncategorized/ joseph-fiennes-romeo-juliets-famous-balcony-scene/ The BBC’s Shakespeare Unlocked series includes material on this play: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/484GwDBByzcGTGCy5bvmhLF/ romeo-and-juliet
WEB RESOURCES Shakespeare’s Globe in London, which has a very comprehensive Education section: http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/education/teachers/teaching-resources The Royal Shakespeare Company, which has plot summaries and production records: http://www.rsc.org.uk/education/ The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has some fun blogs and other bits and pieces: http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/students-and- enthusiasts.html The Touchstone database is very UK-focused, but has some amazing images from a huge number of productions of all Shakespeare’s plays: http://traffic.bham.ac.uk Sonnet Central will provide you with everything you could possibly want in model sonnets: http://www.sonnets.org Article on the three sonnets in Romeo and Juliet: https://letterpile.com/books/Three-Sonnets-in-Romeo-and-Juliet
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PRE-SHOW ACTIVITIES
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ACTIVITY ONE: CLASS DISCUSSION PREPARING FOR We recommend preparing your students to see the performance by having a THE PLAY class discussion about the upcoming experience, especially for primary students. Some students may have seen plays before, but often we find that students have never had a live performance experience, let alone seen Shakespeare! Regardless, it’s helpful to recap knowledge, understand their expectations, and explain what is going to happen. Try asking questions like: 1) Has anyone seen a play before? • Where did you see it? (was it in a theatre, outside in a park, in your school hall, etc) • What play did you see? • What was the story about? • What did you like about the play? 2) Has anyone not seen a play before? • Are you excited? Do you know what to expect? 3) Does anyone know the story of Romeo and Juliet? What do you remember about it? There is no need for students to be familiar with the story before seeing the show, but it is useful to test their prior knowledge and they may feel more comfortable with some idea of the story before they see it. Try asking: • Who wrote the play? • Where is the story set? • When was the story set? • Who are the main characters? • What happens in the story? 4) Has anyone read books by Andy Griffiths before? • Which ones? • What do you like about his writing? • How do you imagine the world of Andy Griffiths and the world of Romeo and Juliet colliding?
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5) What kinds of things do you need to do when you are an audience member? This is a great question to ask as a lead into a discussion about audience etiquette. We suggest telling your students the following, pre-show: • When we are an audience, the actors are putting on a show just for us! It is very important that we be the best audience we can be. • Feel free to laugh, cry (!) and answer questions, but please try and keep chatting with your friends until after the show. It can be very distracting for the actors. • If you think of any questions during the performance, remember them. You will have time to ask the actors after the show in the Q&A. • Most importantly, have fun, open up your imaginations, and enjoy the show!
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ACTIVITY TWO: RESEARCH, COMPREHENSION, VISUAL ART WHO WAS If your students have not encountered William Shakespeare before, this is a WILLIAM great opportunity to do some background research. SHAKESPEARE? 1) First, ask the class if they have heard of William Shakespeare before. What do they know already? Facilitate a class discussion. Write what they know on the board. 2) Set a research task to gather general information around the following questions: • When was William Shakespeare born? • What country and town did he live in? • What was the period of history called, that he lived in? • What was Shakespeare’s occupation/s? • Did Shakespeare have a family? If so, what were their names? • What are five plays that Shakespeare wrote? • What kind of stories did Shakespeare write? • What was the Globe Theatre? How was it different to our theatres today? • Find three different portraits of William Shakespeare. Which one do you like the best, and why? 3) Create a quiz, find-a-word or crossword using your fun facts about William Shakespeare. Students can test them out with their classmates, other classes, other teachers, or even their parents! 4) Print out some pictures of William Shakespeare, his home, the Globe Theatre, and any other relevant historical pictures. Set a visual art task which might be one or more of the following: • Draw a portrait of William Shakespeare • Draw the Globe Theatre • Draw the stage of a play, including actors, costumes, props and set • Draw an Elizabethan costume that might have been worn on the Globe Theatre stage 5) If time allows, you may also decide to focus on Romeo and Juliet. Create work to showcase around your classroom using: • Characters from Romeo and Juliet • Famous lines from Romeo and Juliet • Costume designs for characters
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• Set designs (including Juliet’s balcony) • Draw or make props (such as masks for the Capulet ball) Put your found images and those of the students around the walls of the classroom in the lead up to the performance.
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ACTIVITY THREE: DRAMA, CREATIVE THINKING YES, LET’S! This game is a wonderful way to work together as an ensemble and start exploring ideas and stories from the performance. This way you aren’t spoiling the story for the students, but are allowing them to start exploring the world of the play and its characters. 1) Clear a space away from desks and get students up on their feet. Do a quick physical and vocal warm up: • Run on the spot, then knees up high • Jump up and down • Tickle your toes, scratch your back, reach for the stars • Say ‘To be or not to be’ with grand gestures, a few different ways • Ask students to keep repeating the line but control the volume of their voices with your hand, ie. down low is very soft, up high is very loud. • Try out other fun Shakespearean lines and words such as: ‘Part, fools!’, ‘Have at thee!’, ‘Hark!’, ‘Good morrow’, ‘Double, double, toil and trouble,’ ‘Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo,’ ‘A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!’ 2) Now that the students are warmed up ask them to start walking around the room, at a medium pace. It is very important that they don’t bump into each other. 3) Call out “Let’s all…” then add an action from the list below, or choose one of your own. Once you have said the direction, the students must respond in unison – “Yes, let’s!” Students then mime the task, without speaking. When you have finished the first direction, move through the list or add your own. • Audition for a play • Pretend we live in Italy • Wear a mask as a disguise • Fall in love at first sight • See our enemy in the street and look them up and down • Brandish a sword to fight our enemy • Show off our sword fighting skills and fancy footwork • Die a spectacular and silly death • Take a sleeping potion 4) As an extension, you may wish to allow students to add sound to their performances, and even interact with each other.
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ACTIVITY FOUR: DRAMA, CREATIVE THINKING, CRITICAL THINKING, COMPREHENSION THE PROLOGUE The Chorus gives a narrative view of the story in the prologue of Romeo and Juliet. In Greek Theatre the chorus was an ensemble who served as narrators of the story at key points during the performance. Interestingly, the chorus in reciting the prologue, gives away the ending of the story:
Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents’ strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
Act 1 Prologue
1) Read the Prologue aloud. Make a list of all the facts about the play, story and characters that we learn from the Prologue. 2) Underline any words that are unfamiliar. Look them up in a dictionary or a Shakespeare glossary such as Shakespeare’s Words (available online and in print). 3) If helpful, translate the Prologue into modern English for sense, and then reread in Shakespeare’s original language. 4) Physicalise all the different things (nouns) and ideas referred to in the Prologue as frozen images or tableaux. For example, ‘two households’ relates to the Montague and Capulet families. How might you dramatise this? Maybe have students play Lord and Lady Capulet and Lord and Lady Montague, show their nobility, maybe even enlist other students to play members of the family, servants, etc. Then move onto the next noun, ‘Verona.’ What is Verona like? Recreate Verona in your classroom. And so on.
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5) Once you have physicalised all the nouns and ideas, read the Prologue aloud again. This time as you mention each one, students will present their frozen images or tableaux as you read. By the end you have created the world and story of Romeo and Juliet in your own classroom. 6) Discuss the following question: Why do you think Shakespeare tells the audience that Romeo and Juliet will die in the story, in the opening prologue? How does it make us feel? Does it make the story more or less powerful?
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POST-SHOW ACTIVITIES
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ACTIVITY ONE: CRITICAL THINKING, COMPREHENSION POST SHOW Lead a post-show discussion with your class, to cement knowledge and promote DISCUSSION discussion, using the following prompts: 1) Retell the story as a class. See what students remembered, filling in the gaps as you go. You might start with… ‘Let’s retell the story of Just Romeo and Juliet! together. What can you remember, from start to finish? Why don’t we start with the auditions for the play…’ 2) Were there any parts that you didn’t understand? If so, discuss as a class, and make sure all students are confident with their level of understanding. 3) Which character was your favourite (Andy, Danny or Lisa), and why? Which Shakespeare character was your favourite and why? (Romeo, Juliet, Prince, Nurse, Tybalt, Mercutio, Friar, Paris) 4) What was your favourite moment or part of the story? Describe what happened. Why did you like that moment especially? 5) What can you remember from the show? (Make a list as a class!) • Props that were used • Costumes • Sound effects • Lines from Romeo and Juliet 6) Which character would you like to play in Romeo and Juliet if your school did a production? Why did you chose that character? What is a favourite line from that character? 7) Colour in the banner (print out copy on page 46). Take a look at the images on the bottom of the page – what does each image tell us about the story of Romeo and Juliet?
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ACTIVITY TWO: CRITICAL THINKING, COMPREHENSION PLAY THE In this production, Lisa played the director of Romeo and Juliet. Imagine you get to DIRECTOR play the director yourself. How might you stage your own production? The director AND DESIGNER is responsible for the overall vision and concept of the play (in collaboration with designers), as well as directing the action on stage. To plan your production, answer the following questions: 1) Where are you setting your production? What period in history is it? What country? This will influence all other aspects of your production, so list as much as you know about your chosen time and location. 2) Where are you presenting your play? Is it in a theatre? An outdoor performance? In a school hall? Whatever you decide will influence your design choices. 3) Design your set. You could have an elaborate set or a very simple design. Will you use lighting? If so, what kind of lighting will you use? Think about what scenes you need to stage on your set – ie. How will you show the streets of Verona, Juliet’s balcony, or the Capulet tomb? 4) Design the costumes. These need to suit the setting you have chosen. Again they may be very elaborate or very simple. Remember, Romeo and Juliet is a very physical play with a number of fight scenes. You need to make sure your actors have full physical range, while in costume! 5) What is the sound design of the play? Do you need sound effects? Which ones and how will they be made? Do you need music? Will it be performed on stage or played via a recording? What kind of music do you need for each scene, ensuring you have music to suit both the comic and tragic moments in the play. 6) What props will you need? Make a list. What will they look like? For example, the masks for the Capulet ball. 7) Finally, cast your play. It could be using your friends as actors, or actors you know from film, tv or theatre. Who do you want to play Romeo and Juliet and why? Cast other key roles and be able to explain why you chose those specific actors. 8) Once you have answered all these questions, you have your production concept! Put it all to paper on a poster or in a director’s folio and present your ideas to your class. Note the many different ways your classmates have chosen to tell the same story.
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ACTIVITY THREE: DRAMA 32-SECOND This is a very fun way to consolidate learning and recap knowledge, while giving ROMEO AND students a dramatic experience of the play. This exercise was developed by the JULIET Folger Shakespeare Library, and we have created the script on the following page to use in your classroom. The script condenses the entire play into a 32-second performance, highlighting key lines and plot points. It is fun and silly and a great challenge to beat the clock. The competitive element of the exercise really motivates students. There are many variations to this exercise so feel free to play with what suits your students and classroom. 1) Have students break up into groups of nine (or ten if you want to assign a director) and assign a numbered character to each student. They must first work out which character they are playing from the lines they have been assigned. The students work as a group to create this short performance aiming for style, speed, clarity and characterisation. Each group are then to perform in front of the class whilst being timed. They must try to perform the entire script within 32 seconds. 2) A simpler version works well too. Choose nine students to perform at the front of the classroom, assign them each a numbered character. Have them read the scene, time them, and then finish with a class discussion about who each character was and what moments of the story were included. NB: In the script when certain characters die (indicated in brackets), the proceeding lines should continue as these deaths take place, not wait for them to finish. You can challenge the students on a performance level by awarding the most creative and dramatic death scenes!
EXTENSION ACTIVITY As an extended activity students can create their own 32 second/1 minute Romeo and Juliet, choosing what characters, lines and events they feel are important in the telling of this story. They can perform their own versions in front of the class focusing again on clarity, style, speed and performance.
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ACTIVITY THREE: 32-SECOND ROMEO AND JULIET 32-SECOND (Written by James Evans, with acknowledgement to the Folger Shakespeare Library) ROMEO AND JULIET Actor 1 Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Actor 2 I do bite my thumb, sir. Actor 3 On pain of death, all men depart! Actor 4 Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love. Actor 5 My lord, what say you to my suit? Actor 6 Woo her, gentle Paris. Actor 7 I’ll look to like, if looking liking move. Actor 8 Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance. Actor 4 My mind misgives. Actor 9 This is a Montague, our foe! Actor 4 She doth teach the torches to burn bright. Actor 7 O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Actor 4 Call me but love and I’ll be new baptised! Actor 9 Romeo... thou art a villain. Actor 8 A plague on both your houses! (8 dies) Actor 4 Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again! (9 dies) Actor 3 Immediately we do exile him hence. Actor 7 Romeo, I come – this do I drink to thee. Actor 6 Alack! My child is dead. Actor 4 I defy you stars! Actor 5 O I am slain! (5 dies) Actor 4 Thus with a kiss I die. (4 dies) Actor 7 Thy lips are warm. (7 dies) Actor 3 All are punished.
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ACTIVITY 4: CRITICAL THINKING, CREATIVE THINKING, CREATIVE WRITING, DRAMA A NEW ENDING At the end of Just Romeo and Juliet!, Andy, Danny and Lisa reimagine the ending of Shakespeare’s original play as inspired by the audience. As the play ends in great tragedy, it is important that students question the events that took place and reimagine other possibilities for the young lovers. This can be done in a fun and inventive way, and is a great opportunity for creative writing and drama. 1) Start with a ‘What if?’ exercise. Either as a class discussion, or individual creative writing, consider the following questions. • What if Juliet had never met Romeo? What could her life have been like? • What if Romeo had never met Juliet? What could his life have been like? • What if Mercutio didn’t step in for Romeo in the street fight? • What if Juliet didn’t have to marry Paris? • What if Romeo and Juliet had found out each other was from an enemy family before they fell in love? • What if Romeo and Juliet’s relationship had been found out earlier? • What if Romeo and Juliet decided to tell their families about their love for each other? • What if Romeo and Juliet were older? • What if Romeo hadn’t found Juliet after the ball? Climbed the orchard wall? Heard her private thoughts? • What if the Friar refused to marry them? • What if the Nurse told Juliet’s parents about her secret marriage to Romeo? • What if the Friar had a different plan than the sleeping potion? • What if Romeo had never been banished? • What would have happened to the two rival families had Romeo and Juliet lived? Would their feud have ended? 2) Choose a point in the story and rewrite the story. You might choose to start your story: • At the opening of the play • At the Capulet ball where Romeo and Juliet first meet • At Juliet’s balcony after the ball • At the Mercutio and Tybalt fight • At the Romeo and Tybalt fight • Just before Romeo gets to the Capulet tomb
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Or any other part in the play that you choose. 3) Write a scene from your story as a script, giving lines of dialogue to your characters. Make sure you include the setting and consider how each character speaks. You could write in modern English or give your script a Shakespearean flair! 4) Perform your new scene for the class with some friends. Afterwards, explain why you chose to rewrite the story in that way.
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