William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-uponAvon, in England. 

His father, John, was a glove-maker. His mother, Mary, was a farmer's daughter. He had two older sisters, two younger sisters and three younger brothers.

William probably studied Latin, Greek and history, and leftschool when he was 14 or 15. Three years later he married Anne Hathaway. They had a daughter called Susanna and twins named Judith and Hamnet. 

Sometime before 1590 he left Stratford and went to London, the capital city of England.

London's first theatre opened in 1576. Shakespeare worked in London as an actor and then started writing plays too. 

In 1593 the plague, a terrible disease, killed thousands of people and theatres were closed. During this time William started to write poems instead of plays. His short poems are called sonnets.

Shakespeare helped build a new theatre called The Globe. It opened in 1599. It was round and had space for 3,000 people. At The Globe some people stood in front of the stage and others had seats. The audience shouted, clapped, booed and laughed while they watched plays.  Musicians created special noises to make the plays more exciting and they had a cannon to make big bangs! No women acted in Shakespeare's time: men and boys played all the parts.

Shakespeare wrote comedies with happy endings, like A Midsummer Night's Dream . He wrote tragedies which had sad endings, like Romeo and Juliet . His history plays are about kings and queens, like Henry V . Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, maybe more. He loved language and invented new words and expressions that we still use today.

William became rich and famous. He had houses in London and in Stratford. He died when he was 52 on 23 April 1616. His plays and poetry were very popular 400 years ago and they are still popular today. People all over the world love his work because he wrote wonderful stories about very interesting people.

Read the story and put the sentences in order.
a- He helped build a new theatre called The Globe, which opened in 1599.
b - Three years later he married Anne Hathaway and they had three children.
c -  William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, in England.
d - He died when he was 52 on 23 April 1616.
e - He worked in London as an actor and then started writing plays.
f - William left school when he was 14 or 15.
g - He wrote at least 38 plays, and was rich and famous.
h - Sometime before 1590 he left Stratford and went to London.

Many years ago in Verona, Italy, there were two families.

'We are the Capulets.'

'We are the Montagues.'

These families are always fighting. The Montagues have a son, Romeo. The Capulets have a daughter, Juliet.

One night the Capulets have a party and Romeo goes. He meets Juliet and they fall in love. 

Juliet's cousin, Tybalt, sees Romeo and is very angry.'He's a Montague! Get him!

''Oh Romeo, why are you a Montague?'Romeo and Juliet talk and decide to get married.They know that their families will be very angry so they go to Friar Lawrence and are married in secret.

The next day, Tybalt sees Romeo. He is still angry with Romeo and wants to fight him. Romeo doesn't want to fight but his best friend, Mercutio, does.'If you won't fight him, I will!'Mercutio fights Tybalt. Tybalt kills Mercutio! Romeo is so upset he fights Tybalt and kills him too!

The Prince of Verona is very angry and sends Romeo away. Juliet goes to Friar Lawrence for help. 'Here is a special drink. You will sleep for two days. Your family will think you are dead but you will wake up. Then you and Romeo can be free together.'Friar Lawrence sends Romeo a letter to tell him the plan. But Romeo doesn't get the message. 

He hears that Juliet is dead!Romeo is so upset he buys some poison and goes to see Juliet.'Now I will stay with you forever.'

Too late, Juliet wakes up! She sees what happened.'Oh no! You didn't leave any poison for me but here is your knife.'Romeo and Juliet are both dead. 

Friar Lawrence tells the Capulets and Montagues what happened. 

They are so sad they agree not to fight any more.

Read the story and put the sentences in order.
a - Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet fall in love.
b- Romeo kills Tybalt so the Prince of Verona sends him away.
c - The Capulet family and the Montague family are always fighting.
d- Romeo is so sad that he kills himself, then Juliet sees Romeo is dead and she kills herself.
e- Romeo doesn't get Friar Lawrence's letter and thinks Juliet is dead.
f- Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, kills Mercutio, Romeo's friend.
g- The families are so sad that they agree not to fight any more.
h - Juliet makes a plan with Friar Lawrence to drink a special drink and pretend to be dead.

Are these sentences true or false?
a. The Capulet family and the Montague family don't like each other.  
b. Romeo meets Juliet at a Montague party. 
c. Romeo and Juliet get married in secret. 
d. Tybalt kills Mercutio, then Romeo kills Juliet. 
e. The Prince of Verona is very happy and sends Romeo away. 
f. Friar Lawrence gives Juliet a drink to make her sleep. 
g. Friar Lawrence sends Romeo a letter to tell him the plan. 
h. Romeo buys a knife and goes to see Juliet. 
i. Romeo and Juliet kill themselves. 
j. The Prince of Verona tells the families what happened. 

Describe this poster with this vocabulary :

in the middle : au milieu
in the centre : au centre
at the top  : en haut
a drawing : un dessin
at the bottom : en bas
on the left side : à gauche
on the right side : à droite
in the background : dans l'arrière-plan
in the foreground : au premier plan

ACT II, Scene 2

The scene takes place in the Capulet's garden

Juliet : (on the balcony, she doesn't know Romeo can hear her). Oh, Romeo, Romeo, why must you be Romeo? Deny your father and refuse your name. It's only your name that's my ennemy. (she sees him). Romeo? Tell me, how did you get here? Why did you come here? They'll kill you.

Romeo : Love showed me the way. The darkness will hide me from them. And if you don't love me, let them find me here. I'd rather be dead than live without your love.

Juliet : Do you love me? I know you wil say "yes", and I will believe you. Oh Romeo, if you really love me say it truly.

Romeo : Oh Juliet, you are the sun! I swear my love is true.

Juliet : Don't swear...but...I hear a noise inside. Dear love, goodbye. Sweet Montague, be true. My love is as deep as the sea. (she exits).

Romeo : Oh blessed, blessed night! I am afraid being in the night, all this is but a dream, too sweet to be real.

Acte V scene 3

The scene takes place in a voult near a grave.

Romeo : (he opens the tomb) A grave? Oh, my love! my Wife! Dead! Ah, dear Juliet, why are you still so beautiful? I will never leave this tomb. And before I die, let me kiss you one last time. (Romeo kisses Juliet and takes out the poison). Come bitter poison, here's to my love! (Romeo drinks the poison) So, with a kiss I die.

Juliet : (she wakes up) Where's my husband? What's this here? Is it a cup, closed in my true love's hand? Poison! And he drank it all and didn't leave me any. I will kiss your lips. Perhaps there's still some poison on them, to make me die with a kiss. (she kisses Romeo)  Your lips are warm. Oh, noise. Then I'll be quick. Oh good a dagger! Let me die. (she kills herself with Romeo's dagger.)

Vocabulaire général :

Un billet = a ticket
La salle = the playhouse
Une loge = a box
Un siège = a seat
Le rideau = the curtain

Vocabulaire sur la scène et la salle :

Une pièce de théâtre = a play
Jouer = to play, to perform
La représentation = the performance
La scène, les planches = the stage
Le plateau = the floor of the stage
Souffleur = the prompter 
Souffler = prompter
Le décor = the scenery
Une compagnie, une troupe : a troupe
Mettre en scène : to direct, to stage
Monter une pièce = to produce a play
Une répétition = a rehearsal 
Répéter = to rehearse 
Un acteur(actrice), un comédien(ne) = an actor
Maquillage = make up