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Titel
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Romeo & Juliet and the Renaissance (EXAM)
Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo & Juliet and the Renaissance.
During this course, we have read the first three acts of the tragedy Romeo and Juliet, focusing on style of writing, figurative language, characters, plot, themes, foreshadowing, dramatic irony, norms and gender roles, as well as references to the medieval and Renaissance worldviews (see below for more details).
In addition, we have watched Romeo & Juliet directed by Baz Luhrmann, with a focus on cinematic techniques and the significance of his modern interpretation of the play.
As background knowledge about Shakespare’s time and life, we have watched episodes 1 and 2 of the British documentary series Shakespeare: Rise of a Genius. (2023)
We have also worked with Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 19 (both officially published in 1609) , focusing on iambic pentameter, couplets, the turning point (volta), and other characteristics of the Shakespearean sonnet.
Throughout the course, we have discussed the following questions: Why are William Shakespeare’s works considered to be great classics? Why are they still relevant today?
Texts:
William Shakespeare: "Romeo and Juliet", 1595 (the first three acts)
Baz Luhrmann: "Romeo + Juliet", 1996 (film)
“The Elizabethan World Picture” From: William Shakespeare – Macbeth, Edited by Ole Juul Lund, Gyldendal 1993
Romeo & Juliet by Shakespeare, 2017, Bo Høpfner Clausen og Jesper Kaalund. “Historical Context”.
The Reasons Behind Shakespeare's Influence and Popularity:
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/whystudyshakespeare.html
Christopher Gaze TED- talk, Shakespere is everywhere https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsESSyMnwmU
RAYE’s song “WhatsApp Shakespeare”, 2026.
The English Renaissance (the Elizabethan World View) was characterized by tension between the medieval worldview and new ideas that changed people’s understanding of religion, politics, science, and the individual. In the Middle Ages, people believed in a fixed, divine order – the Great Chain of Being – in which everything had its place in a hierarchy created by God.
However, new scientific discoveries challenged the geocentric view of the universe. Nicolaus Copernicus demonstrated that the Earth revolves around the sun, which meant that humanity no longer stood at the center of the universe.
At the same time, the Reformation changed Europe’s religious structure. Martin Luther challenged the Catholic Church, and in England Henry VIII broke with the Pope and established the Church of England. Religion thus became political and conflict-ridden rather than a single unified truth.
Whereas medieval man was primarily seen as part of a divine order, Renaissance man became more individual, questioning, and self-aware. It can therefore be said that the English Renaissance was a classic transitional period characterized by oppositions such as faith versus science, divine order versus individual freedom, and fixed hierarchy versus social and political change. These tensions are precisely what make the period dramatic and explain why much of its literature, for example drama, revolves around themes such as order and chaos.
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