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Review the information about the characters in Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. Do you agree or disagree with the character analysis being presented? What are your thoughts about the characters (provide textual evidence)?

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An article about Romeo and Juliet in the modern world

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If you're currently reading this article and don't know the story of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, you should probably just stop reading. No? All right, if thou doth persist. The timeless classic tells the story of young lovers Romeo and Juliet whose respective families are locked in a perpetual feud. Their love goes through multiple trials until they finally find peace in committing suicide in each other's arms.

Just about everyone has been told this story, so what makes a production of the play stand out is how the story is told. The School of Drama's production of Romeo & Juliet, directed by voice and speech professor Don Wadsworth, definitely takes an interesting and relevant approach to the time-tested tale.

This Romeo & Juliet is set in the modern day, and this setting helps bring forth many of the central themes of the play. Phone cameras and Facebook statuses figure prominently in the characters' actions, and costuming and music choices firmly establish the play in the present. By setting the 500-year-old tale in the ecstasy-fueled, individualistic culture of today's youth, this production conveys the continued resonance of Romeo and Juliet's story and illustrates why this show will never die.

Romeo and Juliet perfectly capture the rush of being in love and the desire to make that feeling, that one moment in time, last forever despite daunting circumstances. The violence of the play also speaks volumes about the needlessness of the deaths in today's society, especially since it all occurs amongst youth. Just as with the recent explosion of mass shootings around the country, the youth of Romeo & Juliet die for reasons completely unknown to them, and that makes their drive to fulfill their lives all the more powerful.

As with most School of Drama productions, the acting as a whole is top notch. Senior acting major Brian Morabito takes full advantage of the extroverted Mercutio, turning him into a whiskey-swigging, coke-sniffing loose cannon. Senior acting major Marquis Wood's Tybalt perfectly complements Morabito by matching that level of energy, but with laser-sharp focus. Senior acting major Alex Spieth's Nurse kept the audience in stitches throughout with her sharp comic delivery and occasional sips from a flask.

And of course, it wouldn't be Romeo & Juliet without a Romeo and a Juliet. Senior acting major Adam Hagenbuch and senior acting major Grace Rao support the entire play as the title characters, and each does a great job at avoiding the usual pitfalls that accompany the roles (e.g. being whiny, foolish, immature, etc.). Senior acting major Lachlan McKinney takes the role of Friar Lawrence and does a lot of great things with it. McKinney expertly swings from providing comic relief to portraying a man helplessly watching everyone's lives fall apart, and he does it with all the commitment and energy that makes people forget they're watching an actor pretend to be someone else.

The set is minimally decorated but encompasses multiple levels, allowing the action to occur in numerous places. The actors all inhabit a space that's closed in on three sides by chain-link fence, a set that highlights the urban environment in which the play is set, as well as the characters' feeling of entrapment, both in their inability to love each other due to the feud and their inability to change their fate and eventual demise.

The decision to incorporate modern-day music into the production is an interesting one, but the music was occasionally distracting. At times it drowned out the actors or made the production feel a little bit too cinematic. That being said, when it worked (such as the use of "What I've Done" by Linkin Park at the conclusion of the first half) it made the play really hit you in the gut.

Romeo & Juliet is a tough play to do because just about everyone knows how it's going to end (Shakespeare even lays it all out in the opening prologue, though this production leaves those lines for the end). For a production to have any resonance for the audience, the story must be told in a new and exciting way that they haven't seen before. The School of Drama definitely found a good way to showcase both the talents of its students (everything from acting to set design to lighting) and prove that a play written during the Elizabethan era can still pack a punch and be relevant today. Romeo & Juliet is a play that perfectly embraces what it's like to be young and in love, and that's a feeling that anyone can somehow relate to.

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If you're currently reading this article and don't know the story of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, you should probably just stop reading. No? All right, if thou doth persist. The timeless classic tells the story of young lovers Romeo and Juliet whose respective families are locked in a perpetual feud.

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Background information on Shakespeare's inspiration for the play

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The Inspiration for Romeo and Juliet | Shakespeare Uncovered | PBS LearningMedia

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In this lesson from Shakespeare Uncovered, learn about the Arthur Brooke poem that inspired William Shakespeare to write Romeo and Juliet. This lesson is best used during or after a reading of Romeo and Juliet. Using video, text, graphic organizers, and text-dependent discussion questions, students will see Globe Theatre actors perform scenes from the Brooke poem to help them understand Shakespeare's creative inspiration.

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Antagonistic characters. Take the quiz after and share your results!

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What is a Foil Character?

A foil character is one that has traits that are opposite of another character - being melancholy to the other's happiness, for example, or extroverted to the other's introverted nature. Foil characters are sometimes used as comic relief, especially in tragedies such as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Foil Characters in Romeo and Juliet

The first foil character that appears in Romeo and Juliet never actually appears at all. She is mentioned, talked about, and bemoaned, but never sets foot on stage. Rosaline, the girl Romeo is in love with before he sees Juliet, is a foil for Juliet's character. Rosaline is aloof, quiet, and has sworn off marriage and pleasures of the flesh. She is uninterested in Romeo and his adoration. Contrast this with Juliet, who is neither quiet and remote, nor disinterested and chaste.

Similarly, Paris is a foil for Romeo. Paris is nobility and exemplifies the traits the Capulets find desirable in a husband for their daughter and an ally for their family. He is already a friend of Lord Capulet and is, in all ways, the opposite of Romeo. Paris is very proper and follows the rules of society, while Romeo is impetuous, effusive with his romantic proclamations, and ignores convention by approaching Juliet directly, rather than through family.

Juliet's nurse, who also appears early in the play, is often portrayed as a foil for Lady Capulet. While Nurse is strict, she is also loving and warm with Juliet and dotes on her. She encourages her to make her own choices and helps when Juliet experiences parental censure for refusing to marry Paris. Conversely, Juliet's mother is stiff and cool towards Juliet, seeming to care only about how Juliet will make the family look to others, treating her as a tool rather than a beloved daughter.

Tybalt, kinsman to Juliet, is a foil for Benvolio, who is kinsman to Romeo. Tybalt is 'king of cats,' quick to anger and act without thought, prone to act fast and violently if he feels insulted or dishonored. Benvolio is called a peacemaker (even his name is from the root of 'benevolent' or kind), and tries many times to soothe frayed tempers and hurt feelings. Benvolio is also asked by Romeo's parents to keep an eye on Romeo, and he is the one the Prince approaches to get to the bottom of the street fight between Romeo's friends and Capulet's supporters. Tybalt is the opposite in character, being unfriendly and self-serving.

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foil characters in romeo and juliet - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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Foil Characters in Romeo and Juliet - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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A foil character is one that has traits that are opposite of another character - being melancholy to the other's happiness, for example, or extroverted to the other's introverted nature. Foil characters are sometimes used as comic relief, especially in tragedies such as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

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Watch how characters interact on the stage

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Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Scene 5 | Shakespeare Learning Zone | Royal Shakespeare Company

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Lord Capulet argues with Juliet. The scene starts with Lady Capulet telling Juliet that Lord Capulet has arranged her marriage to Paris in four days’ time. We explore the scene with annotated text, production photos and video of the scene in performance.

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Character family tree

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A pivotal scene for the characters (with language translation)

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romeo and juliet free online study guide

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Romeo and Juliet: No Fear Translation | SparkNotes

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Read Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, with side-by-side No Fear translations into modern English.

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Some insight on Shakespeare's world of theater

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Shakespeare’s theater | Folger Shakespeare Library

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History of The Globe and other theaters in London where Shakespeare's company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, performed, audience experiences in playhouses, expectations for actors, costumes and other staging choices.

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List of characters and some character analysis

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Romeo

One of the protagonists of the play, along with Juliet. He is the male heir to the dynasty of House Montague, which is in a long-standing feud with House Capulet. At the start of... read analysis of Romeo

Juliet

One of the protagonists of the play, along with Romeo. She is the female heir to the dynasty of House Capulet, which is in a long-standing feud with House Montague. At only 13, Juliet... read analysis of Juliet

The Nurse

Juliet's nurse is the main source of comic relief throughout the play. Forgetful, long-winded, bawdy, and seemingly immune to embarrassment, the nurse is happy to share cringe-worthy stories from her own past and Juliet's... read analysis of The Nurse

Prince Escalus

The Prince of Verona. An imposing man who nonetheless struggles to control the violent, unruly members of House Montague and House Capulet as they feud and brawl endlessly in Verona's streets, spilling blood and disturbing... read analysis of Prince Escalus

Friar John

A Franciscan friar tasked with delivering a letter explaining Friar Laurence and Juliet's scheme of faking Juliet's death to Romeo. However, he is held up en route, and never manages to get the... read analysis of Friar John

The Chorus

A chorus who introduces the action and sometimes comments upon it throughout the play. Adaptations of Romeo and Juliet throughout the years have interpreted and portrayed the chorus's commentary in a wide variety of ways... read analysis of The Chorus

Montague's nephew and Romeo's cousin. Benvolio is more levelheaded, calm, and also more of a rule-follower than Romeo and Mercutio. He struggles to keep the peace and obey the law in the face of his kinsmen's hot-blooded temperaments.

A handsome count who is a kinsman of Prince Escalus. Paris is boring, pompous, and obsequious-but he is wealthy, and Capulet believes that if Juliet marries him, their family's fortunes and social standing will advance.

Romeo's father and the head of House Montague, which is in a long-standing feud with House Capulet. A stoic leader, Montague bitterly hates his rival, Capulet, and is insistent upon continuing the feud between them through his house's descendants, including Romeo and his kinsman Benvolio.

Montague's wife and Romeo's mother. She appears very little in the play, and, at the end, it is revealed that she died of grief after learning of Romeo's exile to Mantua.

A friend of Tybalt who is also part of House Capulet.

Two servingmen of House Capulet.

An illiterate servingman of House Capulet.

A poor apothecary in Mantua who sells Romeo a vial of poison. Though selling poison is illegal, the apothecary is self-admittedly desperate for any money he can get his hands on.

Rosaline, who never appears onstage, is, at the start of the play, Romeo's latest romantic obsession despite the fact that she has taken a vow of chastity. When Romeo meets Juliet, however, he forgets all about his unrequited love for Rosaline.

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One of the protagonists of the play, along with Juliet. He is the male heir to the dynasty of House Montague, which is in a long-standing feud with House Capulet. At the start of... read analysis of Romeo One of the protagonists of the play, along with Romeo.

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Quizlet character digital tool

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Romeo & Juliet-Character Knowledge Flashcards | Quizlet

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Show your knowledge about the characters from Romeo & Juliet Learn with flashcards, games, and more — for free.

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Watch a brief character synopsis of the play

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Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare | Characters

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A take on individual character choices

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Romeo & Juliet: Consequences of Individual Decisions

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Romeo & Juliet: Consequences of Individual Decisions Romeo & Juliet Romeo Being the main characters, we follow Romeo and Juliet as they fall in love and decide to marry. But coming from rival families they must keep it a secret. Tybalt Though they're love appears real, it cannot

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A discussion on fate as a theme

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As Mercutio dies, he curses the Montagues and Capulets. He says:

Their fighting has ended in his death. The dramatic irony for the audience is that they know the deaths of Romeo and Juliet are ahead.

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Fate - Themes - KS3 English Revision - BBC Bitesize

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As Mercutio dies, he curses the Montagues and Capulets. He says: Their fighting has ended in his death. The dramatic irony for the audience is that they know the deaths of Romeo and Juliet are ahead.