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

CrashCourse
29 Nov 201212:41
EducationalLearning
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TLDRIn this Crash Course English Literature episode, John Green deconstructs the iconic 'Romeo and Juliet' by William Shakespeare, often hailed as the greatest love story ever told. Green humorously points out the irony of celebrating a romance that ends in tragedy, with multiple deaths, including the titular characters. He reviews the plot, the original sources Shakespeare drew from, and the significant changes he made, adding depth and complexity to the story. Green discusses the play's exploration of love, fate, societal norms, and family feud, while also touching on its poetic structure, the Elizabethan context, and Shakespeare's enduring influence on literature and culture.

Takeaways
  • 📚 Romeo and Juliet is often considered the greatest love story, despite its brief romance and tragic ending.
  • 📖 Shakespeare did not invent the story of Romeo and Juliet but added significant narrative complexity and depth to it.
  • 📕 The original source for Shakespeare's play was a narrative poem by Arthur Brooke, which portrayed the story as a cautionary tale.
  • 🖤 Shakespeare's adaptation encourages empathy for the young lovers, contrasting with earlier versions that moralized their story.
  • 📘 The play's setting in Verona, Italy, allowed Shakespeare to explore themes of morality, family loyalty, and social order safely distanced from England.
  • 🤔 Romeo and Juliet's actions reflect stereotypes of passionate and impulsive Italians, a common perception in Shakespeare's time.
  • 📚 The structure of Romeo and Juliet follows Aristotle's definition of tragedy, with noble characters brought low by their errors.
  • 📙 Shakespeare's use of language, especially iambic pentameter, enriches the text and reflects natural speech rhythms.
  • 🎶 The play was performed in theaters like the Globe and the Curtain, which were far from the quiet, refined spaces of modern theaters.
  • 🙂 Shakespeare skillfully navigated between high and low culture, making his works both entertaining and intellectually stimulating.
Q & A

  • What makes Romeo and Juliet a 'strange' love story, according to the speaker?

    -The speaker finds it strange to call Romeo and Juliet the 'greatest love story of all time', given that it features only one off-stage sex scene and seven on-stage fatalities.

  • What are some key changes Shakespeare made to the original Romeo and Juliet story?

    -Shakespeare introduced more narrative complexity to the story, offered a more compassionate portrayal of Romeo and Juliet, and made Juliet much younger (13 years old) compared to other versions.

  • What are the central themes explored in Romeo and Juliet?

    -The play explores themes of individuals' responsibilities to their own interests versus their families and the larger social order, as well as the conflict between fate/destiny and free will.

  • How does the play's setting in Verona, Italy contribute to its themes?

    -Setting the play in a foreign location like Verona allowed Shakespeare to explore moral and political issues more safely, without directly criticizing English society.

  • What is the significance of the play's structure as a tragedy?

    -Romeo and Juliet follows the Aristotelian structure of tragedy, where noble characters make errors that lead to their downfall, but Shakespeare introduces complexity by portraying their mistakes as born of love and ultimately leading to peace.

  • How does Shakespeare's use of language contribute to the play's impact?

    -Shakespeare's use of iambic pentameter reflects the natural rhythms of speech while heightening them, and his manipulation of language allows readers to appreciate its genius and enter his world.

  • What were the conditions of Elizabethan theaters like during Shakespeare's time?

    -Theaters like the Globe were partially open-air, with standing room in the pit for poorer audience members. They were noisy, dirty, and lacked modern amenities like lighting and microphones.

  • How did Shakespeare navigate between high and low culture in his plays?

    -Shakespeare's plays catered to popular tastes of the time while also grappling with profound questions, allowing them to appeal to both nobles and common people.

  • What literary influences can be seen in Romeo and Juliet?

    -The play was influenced by sources like Ovid's Metamorphoses, Arthur Brooke's poem 'The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet', and the love poems of Petrarch.

  • What is the significance of the speaker's advice to 'actual lovers' at the end of the script?

    -The speaker cautions against trying to invent or embellish 'star-crossed' obstacles in real-life relationships, as it can be unhealthy, and suggests it's better to simply allow happiness.

Outlines
00:00
📕 Romeo and Juliet: Shakespeare's Tragic Love Story

This paragraph introduces the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare as the greatest love story, but also highlights its tragic elements, including multiple deaths. It summarizes the plot, where two young lovers from feuding families, Romeo and Juliet, fall in love, get married, but ultimately commit suicide due to a series of unfortunate events. The paragraph questions the romanticization of this tragic story.

05:01
🎭 The Complexity and Influences in Romeo and Juliet

This paragraph examines Shakespeare's sources and influences for Romeo and Juliet, such as Arthur Brooke's poem and the works of Petrarch. It discusses how Shakespeare introduced complexity to the story, portraying Romeo and Juliet more compassionately and encouraging empathy. The paragraph also explores the play's political undertones, reflecting the tensions between individual desires and societal responsibilities in Elizabethan England. It delves into the play's structure, following Aristotle's concept of tragedy, while acknowledging Shakespeare's added nuances.

10:02
🎪 The Elizabethan Playhouse and Shakespeare's Theatrical Genius

This paragraph describes the Elizabethan playhouses where Romeo and Juliet was likely performed, such as the Globe and the Curtain. It highlights the unique theatrical experience of the time, with the partially open-air theaters, the lack of lighting and microphones, and the rowdy audience. The paragraph also discusses Shakespeare's ability to cater to both high and low cultures, blending poetry with popular entertainment. It explores the use of iambic pentameter in the play's language and how Shakespeare's genius lies in his mastery of navigating between complex ideas and entertainment.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, often hailed as the greatest love story of all time. The play depicts the intense, tragic romance between two young lovers from feuding families in Verona, Italy. In the context of the video, it serves as the primary subject for analysis, exploring its plot, themes, and Shakespeare's adaptations from earlier tales. The script humorously summarizes the story, emphasizing the swift and tragic nature of the lovers' relationship and its dramatic conclusion.
💡Tragic romance
Tragic romance refers to a narrative centered around a romantic relationship that ends in disaster or sorrow. In the context of this video, Romeo and Juliet's love story is the epitome of tragic romance, characterized by their intense love and the insurmountable obstacles that ultimately lead to their untimely deaths. The video discusses how the theme of tragic romance is explored through the play's plot and how it resonates with audiences as a cautionary tale about the dangers of impulsive decisions and the consequences of family feuds.
💡Family feud
The family feud between the Montagues and Capulets is a central conflict in Romeo and Juliet, serving as a significant barrier to the love between Romeo and Juliet. The video highlights how this feud contributes to the tragedy, as the lovers' attempts to reconcile their love with their families' hatred leads to fatal consequences. It illustrates the destructive power of longstanding grudges and the impact of familial loyalty on personal choices.
💡Arthur Brooke
Arthur Brooke wrote 'The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet,' a narrative poem that served as Shakespeare's immediate source material for 'Romeo and Juliet.' The video discusses how Shakespeare adapted Brooke's poem, adding complexity and depth to the characters and their story. Unlike Brooke's cautionary tale about reckless teenage lust, Shakespeare's adaptation invites empathy for the lovers and examines the nuances of their relationship.
💡Narrative complexity
Narrative complexity refers to the intricate and multifaceted plot and character development within a story. In the video, this term is used to describe Shakespeare's enhancements to the Romeo and Juliet tale, distinguishing his play from earlier versions by deepening the emotional and thematic layers. Shakespeare's version adds moral ambiguity, empathy for the characters, and a richer exploration of their motivations and the societal pressures they face.
💡Petrarch
Petrarch was an Italian scholar and poet whose works are mentioned in the video as influencing Shakespeare, especially in the portrayal of love at first sight and the idealization of the beloved. Petrarch's love poems, dedicated to a woman he barely knew, emphasize the power and immediacy of visual attraction, elements that Shakespeare incorporates into Romeo and Juliet's instant love for one another.
💡Iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter is a metrical pattern used in poetry and drama, consisting of lines with five iambs (a pair of syllables, one unstressed followed by a stressed one). The video explains how Shakespeare employs iambic pentameter in Romeo and Juliet to mirror the natural rhythms of English speech while adding a lyrical quality to the dialogue. This technique also helps to differentiate between the characters' social statuses and the tone of their conversations.
💡Star-crossed lovers
Star-crossed lovers are a couple whose relationship is doomed to fail due to external circumstances. The term is explicitly used in the video to describe Romeo and Juliet, highlighting the role of fate and societal pressures in their tragic end. The video critiques the romanticization of such doomed relationships, suggesting that real-life love should seek happiness rather than emulate the destructive patterns of literary figures.
💡Shakespeare's language
Shakespeare's language refers to the Elizabethan English used in his plays, characterized by its rich vocabulary, inventive use of words, and poetic devices. The video addresses the challenge modern audiences face in understanding Shakespeare's language, emphasizing its beauty and the importance of slowing down to appreciate its nuances. It also mentions Shakespeare's impact on the English language, including coining new words and expressions.
💡Elizabethan theater
Elizabethan theater refers to the performance practices and venues of 16th-century England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The video describes the Globe Theatre and other contemporary venues where Shakespeare's plays were performed, noting the physical layout, the social dynamics of the audience, and the absence of modern amenities like lighting and sound amplification. This context helps viewers understand how Shakespeare's plays were originally experienced by their audiences.
Highlights

Introduction to Romeo and Juliet, often considered the greatest love story of all time, featuring an unusual mix of romance and fatalities.

Summary of Romeo and Juliet's plot, highlighting the rapid development of Romeo and Juliet's relationship amidst family feuds.

The concept of writing to Juliet in Verona as a testament to the story's lasting impact on popular culture.

Shakespeare's adaptation of Romeo and Juliet from earlier sources, adding complexity and empathy to the narrative.

Comparison of Shakespeare's compassionate portrayal of the young lovers to the cautionary tale of their source material.

Discussion on the influence of Petrarch's love poems on Shakespeare's portrayal of Romeo and Juliet.

Analysis of the political and moral themes in Romeo and Juliet, set against the backdrop of Verona, Italy.

Exploration of Shakespearean tragedy structure in the context of Romeo and Juliet, emphasizing the narrative complexity.

Insight into the use of iambic pentameter in Romeo and Juliet, reflecting natural speech rhythms.

The significance of naming and identity in the tragedy, exemplified by the line 'O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?'

The challenge of accessing Shakespeare's world through the evolution of the English language.

Comparison of Elizabethan theater practices to contemporary theater experiences.

Romeo and Juliet as a work that bridges high and low culture, engaging with both entertainment and serious themes.

Announcement of next week's exploration of themes in Romeo and Juliet, including the distinction between love and lust.

Closing remarks on the educational purpose of Crash Course, likening it to Shakespeare's intent to both entertain and provoke thought.

Transcripts

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