Diary Assignment – Romeo and Juliet
You will need to choose one character who you would like to focus on during the course of this
play. It may be any of the main characters (Romeo, Juliet, Lord or Lady Capulet, Paris, Tybalt,
Benvolio, Mercutio, Friar Lawrence). You will be creating a diary for this character throughout the
course of the play, along with a portrait of the character.
Diary requirements:
Create a cover befitting the diary of a person in Verona. Keep in mind the person’s social status
as you create.
You will be creating a minimum of 5 diary entries for this character as we read. Be creative!
You will need to reflect the following information in your entries:
 Gender
 Rank and social position
 Personality and temperament
 Motivation of the character
 His/her role in the conflicts of the play
Your entries should show change and growth based upon what your character knows at certain
points in the play (as each character learns more about situations, this should be reflected in the
entry).
Use as much information from the text of the play as possible when you are writing. You should
quote the text directly at least once in each entry.
You may write in whichever type of language you would like – our English, Shakespeare’s English,
or a combination of both. You may also choose to write in the form of a poem, if you wish.
Portrait requirements:
On a sheet of blank paper you will create a full-body portrait of your character.
Colors - Make the drawings colorful! Colors can mean a lot of different things, but the following
are a few suggestions regarding the symbolism of colors:
 Red can show anger or love.
 Blue can show peace or masculinity.
 Green can show a relationship with nature or money.
 Yellow can show happiness.
 Black can show death or darkness.
 Pink can show femininity.
 Purple is the color of royalty.
Symbols – Include at least three symbols in your drawings. There are an infinite amount of
symbols you can choose from. Some of these include: a cross, a money symbol ($), a heart, a
crown, a sword, etc. Think carefully about what colors you make these symbols, where you put
them, and what they mean to your character.
Quotes – Include at least three quotes in your drawing. At least one of these quotes should come
from songs, poems, or stories and they should relate to your character in some way. Other quotes
can come from the text itself. Write these quotes somewhere on or around your character’s body,
but make sure to carefully consider where you are placing them!