Romeo and Juliet: Context

Elizabethan England

Romeo and Juliet is set in Elizabethan England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th and early 17th century.
During this era, the Church of England was the main religion and went through several changes. Religion played an important role in people’s lives.
Hierarchy and Order were highly valued in society, with a clear social class system and patriarchy prevalent.
The divine right of kings was a well-accepted belief, stating that kings are chosen by God and rebellion against them is a sin.
The plague, or the ‘Black Death’, was a frequent and deadly occurrence, which could lead to quarantines and closure of public places including theatres.

Italian Setting and Influence

Though English, Shakespeare set Romeo and Juliet in Verona, Italy, a common practice of plays during this time.
Italian culture was seen as more passionate and romantic, fitting well with the themes of the play.
Italic tales often featured themes of conflict between public obligation and private desire, echoed by the personal love of Romeo and Juliet conflicting with their family feud.
Moreover, the Italian setting allowed for themes of honour and revenges, with quick duels and vendettas being quite common in Italian tales.

Views on Love and Marriage

In Elizabethan England, women were generally considered to have a lower social standing than men.
Marriage was often arranged by parents, primarily for social or economic reasons rather than love.
Despite this, the concept of romantic love, though not the norm for marriage, was widely recognised and explored in literature.
Romeo and Juliet’s union exemplifies the idea of ‘courtly love’, where a knight falls in love with a lady who is usually of a higher social standing.
The tragic ending was a common feature in tales of ‘courtly love’.

The Popularity of Drama

The theatre was a popular form of entertainment during Elizabethan times. It attracted people from all classes, making it a vital element of social culture.
Packed with action, emotion and social critique, these plays were a main source of public discussion.
The open-air amphitheatres, like the Globe Theatre, helped enhance the communal experience of watching these plays.
Despite the popularity, dramas often faced criticism from Puritans who considered them morally corrupt and a place of idleness.

Role of Supernatural and Fate

Elizabethan society was steeped in belief of the supernatural. People attributed an array of occurrences, both good and bad, to spirits, witches or fate.
The alignment of stars at one’s birth, popularly known as astrology, was believed to predetermine one’s fate.
In Romeo and Juliet, the characters often refer to fate and fortune, highlighting the widely held belief in predestination and the supernatural.