Romeo+and+Juliet

=Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare=

  

Setting
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet takes place during the Renaissance, or early 13th or 14th century. The Renaissance was a time when people were fascinated by renewal and revival. Art became very popular in this time. Romeo and Juliet takes place in Verona and Mantua.

Verona is a city in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Verona is about 65 miles away from Venice. The ruler of Verona during the time period of this play was Bartolomeo della Scalla, who died in 1304. When Romeo is banished from Verona he travels to Mantua. Mantua is in northern central Italy and borders Switzerland. It’s west of the Vento region, and just south of the Swiss border.

**__Historical Context__**
//The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet// was written approximately around 1591-1597 (near the end of the sixteenth century). It is set in the northern Italian city of Verona, somewhere east of Venice. It so happens that both the play of //Romeo and Juliet// and Shakespeare were born in the Renaissance, a period of rebirth and revival in cultural arts which began in the fourteenth century and drew-out into the seventeenth. Events that occurred during this time period are clearly portrayed in the play and are probably represented through the houses of Montague and Capulet.
 * __The Renaissance__**

The Renaissance not only brought a renewal of the arts originating from Greece and Rome, it also involved reforms concerning socialism, politics and intellectualism. With these reforms naturally came differences in opinion on a myriad of issues. The Roman Empire presided over Italy up until around 400 A.D. The once powerful domain became weak and was unable to maintain its control over the territory it governed for so many years. Ultimately, the empire broke up into two separate divisions: the governmental faction ruled by the emperor and the spiritual faction, often referred to as the “Christendom”, ruled by the pope.

This division led to alliances formed between the supporters and the pope and other separate alliances formed with the emperor. Corruption and violence exploded in Italy as it gradually split into the two belligerent sections. Disturbance also existed within the borders of the city of Verona.

__**Astrology**__ Astrology was a crucial component to the Roman civilization during this era. Many used the art of this study to discern the futures of their families and daily affairs alike. Parents would rush their children to astrologers to gain knowledge of the child’s horoscope. Astrologers were also summoned by government officials to act as advisors in determining the process of actions to be taken in dealing with any governmental issues. This study became so popular that is was also incorporated into topics such as the formation of religions and the bases of wars.

Star and planet gazing was thought to be very closely related to human behavior and the outcome of their actions. This belief is explained within the prologue of //Romeo and Juliet.// It describes the two as “star-cross’d lovers”, referring to their conflicting horoscopes. “The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,…” refers again to the inevitable doom each will ultimately encounter in the end because of the astrological signs.

The Bubonic Plague was a terminal wide-spread disease that claimed the lives of over one-third of Europe’s population in 1348. The disease was horrific, but killed with terrible speed. It was capable of killing one person in roughly five days. Boccaccio, the Italian writer, stated that victims “ate lunch with their friends and dinner with their ancestors in paradise.” Famine resulted from the plague and it prompted more violence between the two rival church and state sections of Verona.
 * __The Bubonic Plague (Black Death)__**

The dilemma the plague poses for the characters in the Shakespearean play is blatant. Friar Lawrence dispatched Friar John on a mission to deliver a message to Romeo at the gates of Mantua. The message would inform him of the plan he and Juliet had conspired in order to evade her marriage to County Paris. However, the completion of Friar John’s assignment was hindered by officials in Verona who feared that he and a colleague were infected with the plague. Both were quarantined and forbidden to leave the premises. Ergo, as fate would have it, Romeo’s obliviousness to the scheme would lead to his and Juliet’s irrevocable demise. 