ROMEO AND JULIET

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

• Born in Stratford-Upon Avon in 1564
• Married at 18 and moved to London to work as an actor, writer, and playwright
• Eventually became partial owner of The Lord Chamberlain's Men, a play company
• He wrote 38 plays, grouped as comedies, histories, and tragedies
• Helped build the Globe Theatre, the first playhouse built by actors for actors

THE GLOBE THEATRE

• Open on top, and circular in shape with balconies and stadium-style seating
• At the base of the stage, there was an area called the "pit"
• It cost a penny for people to stand in the pit, and they were called "groundlings"
• They had trap doors, hidden entrances, and balconies to help the special effects
• The original theatre burned down, but it has been rebuilt and still exists in London

ROMEO AND JULIET BACKGROUND

• This play was among Shakespeare's most famous, even in his lifetime
• Written between 1591-1595- published in 1597
• It is a tragedy with much comic relief
• One of Shakespeare's most performed and widely adapted plays