Of Pentameter & Bear Baiting - Romeo & Juliet Part 1: Crash Course English Literature #2

Summary

In this Crash Course video, John Green delves into Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet,' exploring its origins, themes, and structure. He discusses how the play, often dubbed the greatest love story, presents a tragic romance where impulsive decisions lead to death and reconciliation. Green highlights Shakespeare’s changes to earlier works, his portrayal of youthful love, and the cultural context of Verona. The video also touches on the technicalities of Shakespeare's language, the play's tragic arc, and the historical setting of Renaissance theater, all while engaging viewers with humor and insight into the timeless appeal of the story.

Takeaways

• 😀 Shakespeare's *Romeo and Juliet* is often called the greatest love story, but its plot involves more violence than romance, including multiple fatalities and suicides.
• 😀 The original source of *Romeo and Juliet* was Arthur Brooke's 1562 poem, *The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet*, which Shakespeare adapted and expanded with added complexity and narrative depth.
• 😀 Shakespeare made Romeo and Juliet more sympathetic compared to previous versions, portraying their mistakes as driven by love rather than mere lust.
• 😀 Unlike the original poem, Shakespeare's Juliet is much younger (13 years old), which influences how we view her actions and adds a layer of tragedy to her story.
• 😀 The setting of Verona, Italy, serves as a backdrop for exploring broader societal issues like loyalty, family duty, and individual desires, making it resonate beyond just a love story.
• 😀 *Romeo and Juliet* is both a love story and a political narrative, with the characters’ defiance of societal rules and their families' feud contributing to the tragic outcome.
• 😀 Shakespeare's tragedies, like *Romeo and Juliet*, follow Aristotle's model of tragedy, but Shakespeare adds complexity by exploring themes like sacrifice and the value of love, even when it leads to death.
• 😀 The characters' actions in *Romeo and Juliet* are influenced by a mix of fate, free will, and the intense passion that was stereotypically associated with Mediterranean cultures in the Elizabethan era.
• 😀 The structure of *Romeo and Juliet* follows the traditional format of Shakespearean tragedies, where a noble character's mistakes lead to their downfall, but in this case, the death of Romeo and Juliet brings about peace in Verona.
• 😀 The play’s use of iambic pentameter—where lines alternate between unstressed and stressed syllables—mirrors the natural rhythms of human speech, adding poetic depth and beauty to the dialogue.

Q & A

Why is 'Romeo and Juliet' often called the greatest love story of all time despite its tragic and violent plot?

The play is considered the greatest love story because of the intense, passionate love between Romeo and Juliet, which transcends family conflict and societal constraints. However, the play also depicts the destructive consequences of their love, which adds complexity to its romantic elements.

What are the key changes Shakespeare made to the source material of 'Romeo and Juliet'?

Shakespeare made the characters more sympathetic, especially Romeo and Juliet, and introduced greater narrative complexity. He also shortened the timeline and focused more on the emotions and decisions of the characters, unlike the source poem which portrayed them as foolish and punished them for their 'naughty' behavior.

How does Shakespeare portray the characters of Romeo and Juliet differently from the original narrative in 'The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet'?

In the original poem, Romeo and Juliet are portrayed as reckless, disobedient teenagers who die as a result of their bad choices. In Shakespeare's version, the characters are shown as more earnest and thoughtful, and their tragic deaths are seen as the result of a series of unfortunate circumstances, rather than mere youthful folly.

What role does fate play in the story of Romeo and Juliet?

Fate plays a crucial role in the tragedy. The term 'star-crossed lovers' indicates that the couple's love is doomed from the start due to external forces beyond their control, like family rivalry and ill-timed decisions. Their deaths ultimately lead to peace between their families, suggesting that their fate was a necessary sacrifice.

How does Shakespeare explore the theme of loyalty in 'Romeo and Juliet'?

The play presents the conflict between personal loyalty (to love) and familial loyalty (to family honor). Romeo’s loyalty to Juliet leads him to defy his family, and Juliet’s loyalty to Romeo causes her to challenge her parents' wishes. The ultimate question of loyalty to family, love, and authority is central to the tragedy.

What are the key elements of Shakespeare's use of iambic pentameter in 'Romeo and Juliet'?

Iambic pentameter is a metrical pattern used throughout the play, consisting of five 'feet' per line, each with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. This structure mimics the natural rhythm of speech and adds to the poetic quality of the play. Shakespeare occasionally manipulates the meter to emphasize emotional moments, as seen in famous lines like 'O Romeo, Romeo!'

What influence did Petrarch’s love poetry have on 'Romeo and Juliet'?

Petrarch’s influence is seen in the poetic language of love and the concept of love at first sight, which is central to the relationship between Romeo and Juliet. The characters' adoration for each other mirrors Petrarch’s idealized approach to unattainable love, though Shakespeare's characters are given more depth and emotional complexity.

Why does the setting of 'Romeo and Juliet' in Verona, Italy, matter?

Setting the play in Verona allows Shakespeare to distance the story from English norms and explore universal themes like love, loyalty, and family conflict. The Italian setting also evokes stereotypes of passionate, impulsive behavior, aligning with the characters' intense emotions and actions.

What does Shakespeare’s portrayal of the political environment in Verona contribute to the play?

The political environment, especially the authority of the Prince of Verona, highlights the tension between individual desires and social order. The Prince's decrees, which Romeo ignores, show the consequences of disobedience to authority, reinforcing the theme of responsibility versus personal freedom.

How does Shakespeare balance high and low culture in 'Romeo and Juliet'?

Shakespeare blends high culture (the poetic language of the main characters) with low culture (the bawdy humor and street scenes involving the servants and common people). This mixture ensures that the play appeals to both noble and lower-class audiences, making it accessible and entertaining for all.