Romeo and Juliet in “Verona”
Read Marianne Novy’s “Violence, Love, and Gender in Romeo and Juliet” and write 600-800 words on the following topic—Romeo and Juliet: the world of the play. Romeo and Juliet, as perhaps all lovers do, try to create their own world. Nevertheless, they live and love in the “real” world, which is to say in a dramatic construct formed by language that Shakespeare chose to call “Verona.” Define as closely as possible what Shakespeare’s Verona is like and how Romeo and Juliet fit, or fail to fit, into it.
Ask yourself some questions as you prepare to write.
- What kind of people inhabit this world? What are their concerns, beliefs, and ideas?
- What kinds of activities seem popular in Verona? Is the world of this play one thing or several things?
- How do Romeo and Juliet relate to this world? How does the world relate to them?
- Can it be said that Romeo and Juliet die because, to a greater or lesser extent, they fail to understand or come to terms with the world they live in?
Be sure to cite specific scenes, characters, and actions in the play that support your understanding of the nature and purpose of “Verona” in Romeo and Juliet.
Word Count: 600-700
No. of Pages: 4