Romeo and Juliet: Context, Performance History, and Critical Concepts

Flashcards cover genres, performance history, societal context, literary concepts, and key adaptations related to Romeo and Juliet as described in the notes.

What are the three main genres into which Shakespeare’s plays are divided?

Histories, Comedies, and Tragedies.

Which acting company did Shakespeare write for, later known as the King's Men?

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men.

During which period did Shakespeare write, characterized by expanding artistic expression?

The Renaissance (14th–17th centuries).

Where was Romeo and Juliet first performed?

First performed at The Theatre, then The Curtain; later productions moved to The Globe.

What type of audience did Shakespeare write for, according to John Lennard?

A cross-class audience from lower and middle classes.

What central element governed Elizabethan marriages, as described in the notes?

The dowry—property or money added to the woman to attract suitors.

Which actor is noted for his role as the first Romeo and Hamlet?

Richard Burbage.

What belief system underpinned Elizabethan society with a hierarchical order of all creation?

The Great Chain of Being.

What concept links astronomy with harmony and order of the heavens in Elizabethan thought?

The Harmony of the Spheres (Musica Universalis).

What is predestination, as discussed in relation to Elizabethan religion?

The belief that God has a plan determining individual fate and salvation (Calvinist doctrine).

What is the term for the love archetype where the lover is resisted by the beloved?

Petrarchan love (Petrarchan lover).

What phrase describes the lovers Romeo and Juliet in terms of fate?

Star-cross’d lovers.

Which 1996 film by Baz Luhrmann is a modernized adaptation of Romeo and Juliet?

Romeo + Juliet.

What is Bernstein’s 1957 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, set in 1950s New York?

West Side Story.

How were audiences typically seated in Elizabethan theatres?

The poor stood in front of the stage; the richer sat higher; the richest could sit on the stage.

Who typically performed female roles in Elizabethan theatre?

Pre-pubescent boys.

What dramatic form accompanies Romeo and Juliet’s first encounter, often signaling love?

The sonnet (sonnet structure).

What is the First Quarto?

The 1597 edition of Romeo and Juliet, shorter than later versions.

What is the First Folio (1623)?

Shakespeare’s first official compilation of his plays, published posthumously.

Who is the critic cited in the notes for discussing Shakespeare’s treatment of violence?

R. A. Foakes.