Romeo and Juliet Assessment Options: 125 points
9(1) English
Objectives:
 To interpret, analyze, and use Shakespeare’s language or writing techniques
 To create a product that demonstrates your understanding of and/or reaction to
the themes, plot, and characters of Romeo and Juliet
 To utilize and showcase your own talents, interests, and strengths
The Options:
Note: Some of these options involve working in groups or with a partner. Those who choose to
work in groups accept both the benefits and challenges of doing so, and must be willing to be
responsible for arranging meetings, delegating work fairly, etc., and will be held responsible for
deadlines and the overall quality of the product.
1. Essay (individual)
 Take a position or formulate an opinion on one of the following topics/questions:
A. What is the most important theme (a “truth” about life) that readers are meant to take
away from the play? Which characters /scenes best convey that message?
B. Define what makes a character fascinating and well created to you. Using that
definition, which character in the play do you find to be the most fascinating and well
created? What are we meant to understand through him/her?
C. Examine a pair of foil characters who you feel are extremely essential to the play. What
themes are portrayed through the contrast of the characters?
D. Who deserves to be labeled the protagonist of the play, Romeo or Juliet? Who or what
is the antagonist to this protagonist? Justify your decisions.
Looking for a challenge….
E. Is Shakespeare pointing the finger of blame at adults or at youths in the play? In other
words, which group does he seem to criticize more directly or indirectly through the
play’s characters and events?
F. Based on the female characters and comments about women/being womanly made in
the play, what does Shakespeare’s view of women seem to be?
G. Propose an interesting topic to me if you have something in mind!





Prior to writing, create an outline of your response. Before submitting, have your paper
proofread by a trustworthy peer or adult. (25 points for detailed outline and proofread draft)
Essay should be a minimum of three pages in length (double-spaced, 12 TNR font)
Use and analysis of relevant quotes and text detail in a must.
The essay should be based on your interpretation of the play. No outside sources. See
me if you need help 
Grading: 25 points for the pre-writing, 100 points for the essay: depth and quality of
analysis/your ideas (40), use and selection of play details and quotes (40), and
style/mechanics—embedding quotes, strong word choice, and proofreading errors (20).
2. Scene Performance (group or individual)
 Choose an important scene from the play that your group can perform. There can be a
“director,” but everyone else must have a significant acting role (students can take two
roles or roles can be reduced to accommodate group). *This can be done a solo project.
You would choose a lengthy soliloquy from the play to perform.
 Photocopy your scene or find it online and print it out (copies for each group member plus
one for me). With your group, decide on where to begin and end the scene, and select the
lines from the scene that are essential in acting it out, crossing out, highlighting, etc. as
needed. You should not significantly cut the scene, but selectively choose the most
essential, meaningful lines to include. Most of the lines should remain. Actors should
make notes showing where to pause and what gestures should accompany the lines.
 Act out your scene in one of two ways:
a) Readers’ Theater : “Voice act” the scene LIVE in front of the class. Planned
seating/arrangement as well as simple gesture and costuming must be carefully
planned to help you portray the scene to the class. You are allowed to have lines
on your lap as a backup.
b) Recorded performance: Act out your scene using simple costumes, props,
and setting. Lines should be memorized and movement/blocking should be
considered. This option is for those who have and are relatively skilled with video
equipment and editing software. NOTE: You must use Shakespeare’s language, but you
can revise the context and perform the scene as you’d like: performing lines in a rap, setting
them to music, recreating the setting…..be creative.


Write a one-page post-performance reflection in which you evaluate your individual and
group performance and discuss the reasoning behind your acting and line selection.
Grading: 30 points: Script creation (scene selection and line cutting), 75 points: quality of
the acting (verbal—tone, expression, pronunciation-- and visual), 20 points: reflection.
3. Top Ten Quotes Recorded Performance (group or individual)
 Choose a theme, character, or topic from Romeo and Juliet and select 10 quotes from the
play that best represent your choice. (Ideas: Romeo’s tragic flaw, wise advice, teen drama,
character contradictions, Juliet’s changing personality, cheesy love lines, fun puns…)
 Introduce the topic explaining what it is and why it is important.
 “Perform” each quote. No costumes or props needed (unless you want). You should say
the quote with feeling, as an actor might say it on stage Record by any means you devise
as long as it’s something you’ll be able to submit to me. VoiceThread is REALLY cool…
 After performing each quote, explain what it means, its connection to your
theme/character/topic, and why it is important to the overall play.
 End with a conclusion about the quotes: as a whole what do they show?
 Each group member should submit a one-page reflection critiquing the overall performance
and explaining specifically how he/she contributed to the work.
 Grading: 25 points: Topic selection and choice of lines; 25 points: quality of introduction,
explanations, and conclusions, 55 points: performance of lines-- tone, expression,
pronunciation, and 20 points: individual reflection
4. Poetry Collection (individual)
 Write four poems inspired by the play’s themes, conflicts, or characters.
o Two poems should be about themes in the play (young love, rivalry, love at first
sight, acting without thinking, the destructive nature of violence, teenage
moodiness, parental worry, parental interference…). Each poem should use a
minimum of three examples of figurative language and two sound devices.
o One poem should be a sonnet (describing why the feud began; serving as a
prologue to act 3, 4, or 5; serving as an epilogue to the entire play; serving as a
soliloquy given by a character in the play or a citizen of Verona; serving as R and
J’s wedding vows)
o One poem can be in any form that you like and can relate to the play in any way
that you’d like. For instance, you could write a poem describing Juliet’s
relationship with the Nurse, or you could write a poem describing Romeo’s flaw,
or you could write a poem about a student’s reaction to reading Romeo and
Juliet…..
 Write a paragraph explaining each poem (four total): what message you were trying to
convey, what poetic devices you used, how the poem connects to the play.
 Grading: 30 points for sonnet, 20 (60) points for each of the other three poems, 5
points for each paragraph (24), 10 points for mechanics, 1 point for good luck 
5. Scene Creation (individual or partners)
 Imitating Shakespeare’s language, create a new scene(s) for the play. The scene(s) can
be a prequel to the play, a sequel to the play, a representation of scene missing from the
play, or an alternate ending to the play. Your scene should be written as a script with
simple stage directions. As does Shakespeare, you should use blank verse (unrhyming
iambic pentameter) and some poetic devices, and your scene should be at least 100 lines
long. If working with a partner, the script must be twice as long.
 Along with the actual script, you must include a one-page reflection explaining your scene:
what you were trying to show through the scene, why you had the characters act as they
do, what poetic devices you chose to include. If completed in partners, each partner should
complete his/her own reflection that does the above and also explains his/her individual
contributions.
 Grading: 50 points: Quality and creativity of scene and character accuracy, 50 points: use
of Shakespearean language (his language, meter, and poetic devices), 10 points:
mechanics and format (looks like a script), and 15 points: reflection
Option proposal due:________________________________________________
Partial work due: __________________________________________________
Final product due:__________________________________________________
Name:__________________________
Romeo and Juliet Assessment
I choose option #_________ because _____________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________.
My specific plan or topic is _____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________.
I plan to have ______________________________________ accomplished by _________;
______________________________________ accomplished by ___________; and
______________________________________ accomplished by _____________.
I have some questions/areas of confusion about
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________.
I know I must manage my time wisely. I will see Mrs. Kirk immediately (not the day before or
the day that work is due) if I have questions or problems. The work I produce will be my own,
and if I need help, I will ask the teacher.
Signed:________________________________________________