ROMEO AND JULIET: Prologue

A. The characters’ names:

Escales, prince of Verona

Paris, a young nobleman, kinsman to the prince

Montague, Capulet, head of the two houses, they dislike each other

Romeo, son to Montague

Mercutio, kinsman to the prince, and friend to Romeo

Benvolio, nephew to Montague, and friend to Romeo

Tybalt, nephew to Lady Capulet

Friar Lawrence, a Franciscan

Friar John, of the same order

Balthasar, servant to Romeo

Sampson, Gregory, servant to Capulet

Peter, servant to Juliet's nurse

Abraham, servant to Montague

Lady Montague, wife to Montague

Lady Capulet, wife to Capulet

Juliet, daughter to Capulet

Use this list of characters to complete the genealogical tree:

B. The Prologue: Scene : Verona; Mantua

1. Cherchez la définition du mot "prologue" en français.

2. Voici un extrait du prologue de Roméo et Juliette, auquel on retiré cinq mots, à vous de les replacer.

A pair of star- crossed lovers ; death-marked love ; households ; mutiny ; unclean

Chorus,

Two---------------- both alike in dignity,

(In fair Verona where we lay our scene)

From ancient grudge, break to new ---------------,

Where civil blood makes civil hands---------------

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes,

------------------, take their life:

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows,

Doth with their death bury their parents'strife.

The fearful passage of their-----------------------

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.

3. Maintenant, relis le prologue en entier, et avant d'en lire la traduction réponds à ces quelques questions.

1/ In this context, what's the French for a "Chorus"?

2/ Guess what are the names of the two households?

3/ Do they like each other? (cite le texte pour justifier)

4/ Guess what are the names of the two lovers?

5/ Find all the vocabulary connected with death in the prologue.

6/ In your opinion, the play "Romeo and Juliet" has / hasn't a happy end?

Romeo and Juliet: Act I, scene 1: At the ball...

Summary: Romeo is desperately in love with Rosalind and rather depressed. His best friend Mercutio decides to take him to a ball at the Capulets in order to cheer him up. As they are not invited, they go under disguise...

A. Excerpt from “Romeo and Juliet”, Franco Zefirelli, 1968.

1. Watch the entire scene and put the following sentences back in order :

n° Romeo and Juliet look at each other from a distance.

n° Tybalt sees Romeo

n° Romeo and Juliet dance together

n° Romeo ask Juliet for a kiss

n° Capulet refuses to make a scandal by throwing Romeo out of his house

n° Romeo sees Juliet for the first time

n° Tybalt speaks to his uncle

n° Juliet realizes Romeo is a Montague

n° Romeo approaches Juliet

n° Romeo learns that Juliet is a Capulet

2. Listen to Romeo and Juliet’s conversation and fill the blanks with the following words:

pilgrim, lips, hands, kiss, saints, prayer, sin, devotion

Vocabulary:

Holy = saint (adjectif)

pilgrim = pélerin

palm = paume de la main

faith =foi

sin = péché

Romeo: If I profane with my unworthiest _______ 1

This holy shrine, the gentle ___________ is this;

My _________, two blushing _____________, ready stand

To smooth that rough touch with a tender ___________.

Juliet: Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hands too much, 5

Which mannerly _____________shows in this;

For ___________ have __________that pilgrims’ hands do touch,

And palm to palm is holy palmers’ _______________.

Romeo: Have not saints ________, and holy palmers too?

Juliet: Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in __________________. 10

Romeo: Oh, then, dear saint, let ___________ do what _________ do;

They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.

Juliet: Saints do not move, though grant for ____________’ sake.

Romeo: Then move not, while my prayers’ effect I take

Thus from my __________, by thine, my ____________ is purged. 15

( he kisses her)

Juliet: Then have my _________ the ____________ that they have took.

Romeo: ___________ from my lips? O trespass sweetly urg’d!

Give me my ___________ again.

(he kisses her again)

Juliet: You ______ by the book. 19

3. Read the excerpt again and answer the questions:

a. Write down the words referring to religion: ....................................................................................................

b. How does Juliet call Romeo? ........................................................................................................................

c. How does Romeo call Juliet? ........................................................................................................................

d. lines 1 to 4: Romeo apologizes for toughing Juliet’s hand right wrong

Romeo apologizes for kissing Juliet right wrong

Romeo proposes to kiss Juliet to be forgiven right wrong

e. lines 5 to 9: Juliet compares Romeo to a pilgrim and herself to a saint right wrong

Juliet compares Romeo to a saint and herself to a pilgrim right wrong

f. lines 9 to 15: Romeo and Juliet compare hands joined in prayer to lips joined in a kiss right wrong

g. lines 16 to 19: Why do they kiss an second time?.........................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

h. A quoi correspondent:

thine:

thou:

B. Excerpt from “Romeo + Juliet”, Baz Luhrman, 1995

Watch the second excerpt and compare the two versions.

Romeo and Juliet: Act II, scene 5 (excerpts)

Juliet, alone

Juliet: The clock struck nine when I did send the nurse;

In half an hour she promise’d to return.

Perchance she cannot meet him: that’s not so!

(...)enter the Nurse

Juliet: O God! She comes. O honey Nurse! What news?

Juliet: (...) What says he of our marriage? What of that?

Nurse: Lord! How my head aches; What a head have I!

Juliet: (...)I’ faith, I’m sorry thou art not well.

Sweet, sweet, sweet nurse, tell me, what says my love?

Nurse: (...)Have you got leave to go shrift today? leave =permission

Juliet: I have. shrift = confession

Nurse: Then hie you hence to Friar Laurence’s cell,

There stays a husband to make you a wife

1. Questions:

a What time was it when the nurse left? ........................................................................................................

b. What time was she supposed to be back?....................................................................................................

c. What did Romeo tell the Nurse?.................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

2. Feelings:

a. How does Juliet feel? Justify by referring to the text....................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

b. How does the nurse feel? justify by referring to the text...............................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

3. Anticipation:

a. What will happen in the following scenes?...................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

4. Vocabulary:

a. Perchance est un faux-ami. Que signifie-t-il ?..............................................................................................

b. Que signifie “thou » ?.................................................................................................................................

Romeo and Juliet: Act III, scene 1 (excerpt)

A. The day after the wedding. A public place.

Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, Tybalt, Petrucchio, servants, Page

Tybalt: Romeo, the hate I bear thee can afford

No better term than this, ¾ thou art a villain.

Romeo: Tybalt, the reason I have to love thee

Doth much excuse the appertaining rage

To such a greeting; villain am I none,

Therefore farewell; I see thou know’st me not.

Tybalt: Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries

That thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw.

Romeo: I do protest I never injur’d thee,

But love thee better than thou can devise,

Till thou shalt know the reason of my love:

And so, good Capulet, which name I tender

As dearly as my own, be satisfied.

Mercutio: O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!

1. Compare Romeo and Tybalt’s attitudes, words and feelings..........................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

2. Explain Romeo’s attitude:...........................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

3. Explain Mercution’s reaction:.....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

4. Vocabulary:...............................................................................................................................................

D’après la réaction de Mercutio, que penses-tu de l’insulte: “villain”?...............................................................

B. VIDEO from Romeo + Juliet (fights: Tybalt kills Mercutio and Romeo kills Tybalt)

C. The judgement.

Benvolio: Romeo, away! Be gone!

The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain.

Stand not amaz’d: the Prince will doom thee death

If thou art taken: hence! Be gone! Away!

Romeo: O! I’m Fortune’s fool!

(exit Romeo)

(enter the Prince and citizens) (...)

Lady Capulet: Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live.

the Prince: Romeo slew him, he slew Mercutio;

What now the price of his dear blood doth owe? (...)

the Prince: (...) for that offence

Immediately we do exile him hence;

(...)Else when he’s found, that hour is his last.

1. What does Lady Capulet ask? ...................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

2. What is the Prince’s decision? ...................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

3. How does this scene change the tone of the play?.......................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

ROMEO AND JULIET: ACT 1V, SCENE 1

Romeo and Juliet have secretly celebrated their marriage. But Juliet is desperate because her parents oblige her to marry Count Paris. So, she asks Friar Laurence for help.

Read Friar Laurence's advice:

Friar Laurence: Hold then, go home, be merry, give consent,

To marry Paris: Wednesday is tomorrow,

Tomorrow night look that thou lie alone,

Let not the Nurse lie with thee in thy chamber:

Take thou this vial, being then in bed,

And this distilled liquor drink thou off,

When presently through all thy veins shall run,

A cold and drowsy humour: for no pulse

Shall keep his native progress but surcease,

No warmth, no breath shall testify thou livest,

The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade

To many ashes, thy eyes' windows fall:

Like death when he shuts up the day of life:

Each part depriv'd of supple government,

Shall stiff and stark, and cold appear like death,

And in this borrow'd likeness of shrunk death

Thou shalt continue two and forty hours,

And then awake as from a pleasant sleep.

Now when the bridegroom in the morning comes,

To rouse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead:

Then as the manner of our country is,

In thy best robes uncovered on the bier,

Be borne to burial in thy kindred's grave:

Thou shalt be borne to that same ancient vault,

Where all the kindred of the Capulets lie;

In the meantime against thou shalt awake,

Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift,

And hither shall he come, and he and I

Will watch thy waking, and that very night

Shall Romeo bear thee from this present shame,

If no inconstant toy nor womanish fear,

Abate thy valour in the acting it.

Vocabulary:

A vial = a bottle A burial = enterrement ( cf. to bury)

Drowsy = sleepy A kindred = a relative

Surcease = répit A grave = a tomb

A vault = tombeau

To fade = to disappear In the meantime = pendant ce temps

Stiff and stark = raide et rigide Hither = here

A bridegroom = a fiancé (= Count Paris)

To rouse= to awake

A bier = cercueil

A. GENERAL COMPREHENSION:

1. Read the text and re-order these elements

A/ Juliet drinks Friar Laurence's liquor

B/ Juliet appears to be dead

C/ Romeo and Juliet will escape together to Mantua

D/ Romeo watches Juliet waking up

E/ Juliet is buried in the Capulet's vault

F/ Romeo receives a letter explaining the situation

G/ Juliet accepts the wedding with Count Paris

B. DETAILED COMPREHENSION:

1. The Action: lines 1-6

1/ When will the action take place?.................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

2/ Is it before or after the marriage with Paris?...............................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

3/ Where will the action take place?...............................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

4/ What will Juliet drink?................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

2. The Effects of the Drink: lines 6 -18

1/ Find all the vocabulary describing Juliet's body:............................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

2/ What will be the effects of the drink on Juliet?.............................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

3/ In your opinion, what kind of drink is it?.......................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

4/ How long will it last?..................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

3. The Consequences: lines 19 - end

1/ Will the Capulets believe Juliet is dead?.......................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

2/ How will Romeo know she is not really dead?.............................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

3/ What will happen to Juliet at the end?.........................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

4/ Will she marry Count Paris?.......................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

4. Comments:

1/ Does this story remind you of a well-known fairy-tale?................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

2/In your opinion, will Romeo and Juliet be re-united at the end of the play?......................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

5. Grammaire: Vous avez observé dans les questions l'utilisation de WILL.

1/ Soulignez-le. D'après sa place dans les questions, quelle est la nature de will ?..............................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

2/ Que signifie t-il? Pourquoi l'a t-on utilisé dans ce contexte?...........................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

ROMEO AND JULIET : Act V, scene 3

A. Look at the video document once and answer the questions. (Romeo and Juliet)

a. Who are the characters?............................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

b. Where are they?........................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

c. What happens?..........................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

B. Read this excerpt and answer the questions.

Prologue: A glooming peace this morning with it brings;

The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:

Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things:

Some shall be pardon’d, and some punished:

For never was a story of more woe

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

(exeunt)

a. What does this passage remind you of?.......................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

b. What is its function? .................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

c. Why won’t the sun come out? ...................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

d. Who do you think will be pardon’d and punished? .......................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

e. What does the Prologue suggests the audience does? ..................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

C. A staged version of Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare in love)

a. What is the originality of this document? Compare it with the other excerpts:

....................................................................................................................................................................

b. Fill this text. with the following words and expressions:

yard, stage, pillars, Gentlemen’s Rooms, Greco-Roman mythology, galleries, astrology, Heavens, balcony

· The stage wall, or Frons Scenae, is decorated with reference to ______________and "_______________________________

· On the ______________you might see musicians or members of the audience (in Shakespeare's day, the richer patrons, now mostly guests of the company).

· Left and right of the ______________on the middle gallery, are the ___________________________the Renaissance equivalent of corporate boxes, which also provide the most comfortable seating.

· The ______________ hold up the ______________and provide hiding-places for the actors and a rich symbolic framework.

· The three ______________offer benches and mostly good sightlines.

· In the "______________, for £5, the modern equivalent of the penny paid by Shakespeare's groundlings, you can stand and have the closest view of the actors that you will ever get in any theatre.

c. Watch the document again and fill this grid.

	The actors	The audience
Who?
Where?
Reactions and feelings	X
Reactions to the audience’s attitude		X

(Useful vocabulary: to clap: applaudir ; to take a bow: saluer)

d. Why is it interesting to see the audience?

.................................................................................................................................................................