Image:: Wikipedia public domain
Five fun facts about Romeo and Juliet:
In present day Verona, tourists line up to touch the bronze statue of Juliet, which is said to bring good luck in love.
The two underwater robots that explored the wreck of the Titanic were named Romeo and Juliet.
The image used in the background of Triad Ballet's Romeo and Juliet posters is a detail from Gustav Klimpt's "The Kiss" (1907-1908)
Gustav Klimt's The Kiss (1907–1908) Wikimedia public domain
Franco Zeffirelli’s first choice to play Romeo in his film was Paul McCartney. His 1968 Oscar-winning movie ended up with teenage lead actors Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey.
(In the world of cartoons) Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) features two families of feuding garden gnomes voiced by a star-studded cast (including James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Jason Statham, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Patrick Stewart and, Ozzy Osbourne, Dolly Parton and Hulk Hogan!?). There’s also a very loose retelling of R&J in a Simpsons episode (Rome-Old and Juli-Eh), where Grampa and Selma make an unlikely pairing.
Fun facts about William Shakespeare:
(BBC Radio 4 extended article)
Shakespeare certainly had his lighter side. He liked to put jokes in his plays, even in his tragedies, and he also made up phrases that we still use today, such as “melted into thin air”, “wild goose chase”, “I haven’t slept a wink”, and “break the ice”.
He survived a pandemic. You have more in common with Shakespeare than you think. Shakespeare lived through and survived a pandemic, one of a number of waves of the bubonic plague. Very sadly, however, his son Hamnet died of the plague, aged just 11. This affected William’s writing and themes like disease, death and grief ran through many of his plays. Although no one knows for certain, it’s likely that Shakespeare named his most tragic character, Hamlet, after his son.
Rude insults were his speciality. William was very handy with insults, conjuring up some fierce put-downs, such as:"Thine face is not worth sunburning." "Thou art as fat as butter." And who could forget:
You scullion! You rampallian! You fustilarian! I'll tickle your catastrophe! Falstaff in Henry IV Part 2, by William Shakespeare
He was a savvy businessman as well as being a creative writer. He co-owned his theatre company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, and the Globe, an outside theatre built in London in 1599. He even opened up a second theatre, a posh indoor one called Blackfriars.
The Globe's stage is set for a production of Romeo and Juliet in 2019
He hit the “big time” Shakespeare’s continuing success meant that, in 1597, he bought the biggest house in Stratford-upon-Avon, which had maybe as many as 30 rooms. Six years later, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men became The King’s Men, the official performers for the new King James I of England (and also King James VI of Scotland). William had officially made it big, and his family were granted a special family crest (below), meaning he was now a gentleman.
Thinking More About Romeo and Juliet...
Relevance Today
The themes of division, conflict, and the power of love and empathy in the face of such divisions make Romeo and Juliet perennially relevant. In a world marked by polarization and division, the play's exploration of the destructive nature of feuds, the outcomes of missed and miscommunications and the need for reconciliation through understanding and compassion resonates strongly today.
The Montagues and Capulets' bitter feud, which drives much of the play's tragedy, can be seen as a metaphor for various forms of division—whether it's between families, communities, or even nations. The play reminds us of the human cost of such conflicts and the importance of seeking common ground and empathy.
Romeo and Juliet's love, which transcends their families' hatred, speaks to the power of love to bridge divides and challenge entrenched hostility. Their story is a poignant reminder of the need for understanding and compassion, especially in times of conflict and division.
Influence Today
Image from an article by Andy McLean on bellshakespeare.com
Recent hits on Broadway (2015) and in Hollywood (1998)!
Shakespeare In Love,1998 (first cast, Julie Roberts before giving the part to Gwyneth Paltrow). Tony Award winning, Something Rotten, 2015, was most recently performed right here in Greensboro by Weaver Academy!
Romeo and Juliet (first published in 1597) has had a profound influence on literature, theater, and popular culture since its creation. Here are some examples of where it has inspired contemporary music.
"Taylor Swift's Love Story is probably the best known song today, but more than 30 years before Swift was born, Peggy Lee riffed on Romeo and Juliet in her sultry jazz classic, ‘Fever’. In 1989 (the actual year that Swift was born), Madonna sang about the pair on ‘Cherish’ and Lou Reed gave the story a sleazy twist on ‘Romeo Had Juliette’. Meanwhile, Arctic Monkeys dropped a reference into their 2006 hit ‘I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ (“There are ain’t no love, no Montagues or Capulets”). " — NoSweatShakespeare
From Thoroughly Modern Millie "Gimme Gimme" liyrics,
"My bags are packed, I'm first in line. Aphrodite, don't forget me. Romeo and Juliet me."
to ‘The Bottom Line’, Big Audio Dynamite (1985)
Romeo oh Romeo ya gotta have your say
Explore our Youtube playlist and see if you can spot all the references...
"...the movie soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet stole the hearts of an entire generation of teenagers in 1996. Today, it still sounds like a mix tape from heaven where pop bangers by The Cardigans and The Wannadies sit cheek to cheek with carnal electro by Garbage and Radiohead."— Bell Shakespeare
William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture
directed by Baz Luhrmann
1. “#1 Crush”, Garbage
2. “Local God”, Everclear
3. “Angel”, Gavin Friday
4. “Pretty Piece of Flesh”, One Inch Punch
5. “Kissing You”, Des’ree
6. “Whatever (I Had a Dream)”, Butthole Surfers
7. “Lovefool”, The Cardigans
8. “Young Hearts Run Free”, Kym Mazelle
9. “Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good)”, Quindon Tarver
10. “To You I Bestow”, Mundy
11. “Talk Show Host”, Radiohead
12. “Little Star”, Stina Nordenstam
13. “You and Me Song”, The Wannadies
The Romeo and Juliet soundtrack was released as two albums – William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture, and William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture 2. The first release contained only pop and indie songs, and the second release containing the original score to the film (composed by Marius de Vries, Nellee Hooper, and Craig Armstrong). – NoSweatShakespeare
William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture 2
1. “Prologue”
2. “O Verona”
3. “The Montague Boys”
4. “Gas Station Scene”
5. “O Verona (Reprise)”
6. “Introduction to Romeo”
7. “Queen Mab Interlude”
8. “Young Hearts Run Free (Ballroom Version)”
9. “Kissing You” (Instrumental)
10. “Balcony Scene”
11. “When Doves Cry”
12. “A Challenge”
13. “Tybalt Arrives”
14. “Fight Scene”
15. “Mercutio’s Death”
16. “Drive of Death”
17. “Slow Movement”
18. “Morning Breaks”
19. “Juliet’s Requiem”
20. “Mantua”
21. “Escape from Mantua”
22. “Death Scene”
23. “Liebestod”
24. “Epilogue”
Music from the ballet is by Sergei Prokofiev
Here is a classic production from 1966 of ROMEO AND JULIET with Rudolf Nureyev & Margot Fonteyn, music by Sergei Prokofiev, 1966
Our Spotify playlist (TO COME)
You and Shakespeare
Take this fun Quiz created by The Royal Shakespeare Company and the BBC, and discover which Shakespeare Character you are:
