Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare Retold by Derek Sellen

Love
The Montagues and the Capulets hate each other and so when Romeo and Juliet fall in love they are forced into secrecy and subterfuge. Will true love survive? Will the two families make peace?
Do you feel like reading Shakespeare's original play? Try some pages...

Entire play in its original

This is an optional webquest. If you want to do it, add it to your project and hand it when we finish reading Romeo and Juliet.

About Shakespeare
Click on this link and answer the following questions (1-7).

1. Click on the link to Birth 1564 & Early Years. William Shakespeare was born in what year?
2. What date do we recognize as his birthday?
3. What was important about Stratford-upon-Avon in the 16th century?
4. Click on the link for 1594 and find the acting companies Shakespeare was associated with in the early days. Name one.
5. Click on 1599 The Great Globe. What is the probable year that Romeo and Juliet was written?
6. Scroll down to the section "Construction of the Globe," and answer these questions:
   1. Where did the timbers to build the Globe come from?
   2. Who was the carpenter who built the Globe?
   3. What was Shakespeare's share as "householder?"

What day and year did Shakespeare die? Why is this an interesting date? How old was Shakespeare when he died?

I have chosen this photo because I found it interesting. John went down this well
to look up for the diamond.He saw a letter Y clearly marked on a stone. I think
it's a good scene because it is not very usual founding a diamond in the botton of
a well.

The diamond dealer

I've chosen this picture because it reminds me of Aldobrand, the greedy diamond dealer, when he was checking if the diamond was real. His enthusiasm was evident when he first saw it, but he decided to test it to see if it was worth it.

He dropped  some liquid on it and tried to scratch a rock with it. He then told John and Elzevir that it hadn't passed the tests and that it was just a piece of glass with a maximum value of ten pounds. He was obviously lying, and John and Elzevir got so angry that they threw it out the window.

John regretted doing that, so Elzevir and him went back to Aldobrand's house at night to search for the diamond. They remembered that it fell in the garden, but it wasn't there -- Aldobrand had taken it! They decided to break into his house, but Aldobrand spotted them and called his servants, who fought with them. John and Elzevir were later taken to court and they were found guilty. They spent 10 years in prison.

The Bonaventure

I have chosen these pictures because I find the sailing ship "Bonaventure" interesting . The Bonaventure is a smuggling ship that carries casks of wine from South Europe to England illegaly.

The plan was going to Hoar Head because they thought that Maskew was watching Moonfleet Bay. At Hoar Head they would meet the other smugglers and then they wouldn´t hide the casks of wine in the churchyard because Maskew was probably watching the churchyard too. They would hide them in Pyegrove´s Hole.(In chapter five, we are explained a little bit more about this boat and the plan.)

I like chapter five because it is the first time John did something related to smuggling. Also because evil Maskew died in this chapter.

The Why Not Inn

These two pictures remind me about the Why Not Inn, which is the only Inn of Moonfleet, the  imaginary village from the book that I´m reading right now.
The real name of the Why Not Inn is the Mohune Arms, but it is called like that by the inhabitants of the village. It is owned by Elzervir Block, but in an auction, Mr. Maskew, the local magistrate, bought it because he offered 170$ more than Elzevir Block.
The Why Not Inn  is a typical inn in England, you can sleep there because it has got two bedrooms, and also it is mainly for men. I know this because John´s aunt doesn´t approve of John going there.
It is one of the most important settings in this history, because Johnwnt to live there when he was fired from his aunt´s house.

Moonfleet

I have choosen this photo because reminds me the Moonfleet's churchyard. Moonfleet is an english village where happened a lot of adventures; like, for example, when John go down a well to found Blackbeard's diamond. John was a boy who was fall in love of a girl called Grace,Elzevir, was a man who loved a lot John like his son. Elzevir died because he wanted to save John from a precipitation in the sea, but, he died. My opinion of this book is that I think it is very interesting and misterious, and, well, I like that. I think it is good for all ages.

BY: Paola María García 1st E

Moonfleet Village

This is a small village called Moonfleet.Moonfleet is in the South of England,near the sea. In this village lives John,the main character of the story.He lives with Elzevir,his adoptive father.Other important characters in the story are Magistrate Maskew and Grace maskew his daughter. John lives many adventures, some worse than others like when one day he was caught in the Why Not Inn. After many adventures john falls for grace and grace of john, and they live in Moonfleet. I liked this book a lot, it's one of the ones I liked.Is mystery and it has suspense parts,that i like a lot. Moonfleet is a book that people should read because my opinion is very good book and very well. By:Elizabeth Romano Sutil 1ºE