Romeo and Juliet
Day 2
Writing Prompt, Shakespeare’s
Language, and Social Offenses
Writing Prompt ( How Shakespeare Saw
the World)
Now that you know certain differences
between Shakespeare’s time period and
today, write a short essay describing whether
it would be better to live in Shakespeare’s
time or to live now. Use evidence from the
text to support your reasoning. Choose
specific examples from the text to back up
your own opinions
Social Offenses
1. Write down
three of these
sayings that
you have heard
before.
2. What do these
sayings mean?
3. Write down
three of these
sayings that
you don’t
know.
4. Write down
what you think
these three
sayings mean?

Blank Verse:
Shakespeare uses Blank Verse to show us when
someone of nobility is talking. It’s like “proper
speech” verses “slang”

Prose: Unrhymed speech that has no pattern
at all. “Slang”

Purpose of Prose: to show that people of a lower class
were talking, to show a relationship among close friends,
to show that someone of noble birth was angry/acting up,
or to show a clear distinction between social classes.
Example of Blank Verse:
Unrhymed Iambic Pentameter:
ROMEO: (aside) She speaks.
O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art
As glorious to this night, being o'er my head,
As is a wingèd messenger of heaven
Unto the white, upturnèd, wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-puffing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air
Example of Prose:
No rhythmical pattern
NURSE I’ll lay fourteen of my teeth—and yet, to
my teeth be it spoken, I have but four—she is
not fourteen. How long is it now to
Lammastide?
Do you remember what a Couplet is?
How do I understand
Shakespeare’s language?
Think of it like this:
Let’s Practice!
1. Ordering Shakespeare Around
2. Everything Old is New Again
3. Shakespearean Insults 1
4. Shakespearean Insults 2
Your job is to write a letter to a person or company who/that
has highly annoyed you due to their terrible customer service.
Instead of fighting it out in an “uncivilized manner”, you
choose to write them a sophisticated letter that displays your
extreme frustration. Use at least 10 Shakespearean Insults,
and remember to include the reason you are upset with this
person/company. BE CREATIVE!!!
Ms. Deere’s Example:
Dearest Ashley Furniture:
Thou cans’t understand my frustration! Thou art
a dull, unfeeling barren ball of ignorance! You
are a mangled work of nature and scurvy knave!
It has been four months since I placed my order
with your company, and still, I have yet to receive
my couch! Oh! the toads have more brain power
than you, you elf-skinned, frothy, fly-bitten piece
of maggot-pie! You saucy, spleeny, bootless,
dizzy-eyed haggard!
I demand a refund!