The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
By: William Shakespeare
Warm Up 11/14/08 (10 minutes)
Recall the love stories that you have read
about in books or seen in movies and on
TV. Did the couple’s love seem real to
you? Did the romance end happily? What
were the complications in your favorite
romances? Were the obstacles caused by
the couples themselves, or by social
factors or other outside forces beyond the
couple’s control?
Understanding Setting and
Background
14th Century Italy
 Broken into city states
ruled by different
princes or dukes
 Romeo is from the
house of Montague
and Juliet is from the
house of Capulet
 Arranged marriages
by social class
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C
M
Prologue Rewrite
What is a feud? Are there any feuds going
on with people you know? Do you know of
any other stories based on feuds? Do
those feuds having anything in common
with Romeo and Juliet, that you know of?
What does it usually take to resolve a
feud?
Notebook Layout
Scene/ Plot
Setting
1
2
3
4
5
While Listening Take Notes
On Post-it mark your reading strategies:
Visualize (V)
Connect (C)
Evaluate (check mark)
Question (?)
Predict (P)
Attach Post-its to the back of your Act 1 page in
notebook
List 5-7 qualities that you want in a boyfriend,
girlfriend, husband or wife; then write a brief
explanation about how you would feel if your
parents picked who you were going to date or
marry and the person they wanted you to
date did not have the qualities that you
wanted? What would you do?
Iambic Pentameter
A metrical line of five units, each of which
is made up of two syllables, the first line
unstressed and the second line stressed.
 The most common form of meter used in
blank verse and the sonnet.
 See page 1019 in the Language of
Literature Text for an example.
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Poem Response
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..\Shakespeare\Warm Up1.doc
Focused Freewrite (10 minutes)

Compare and contrast Mercutio and
Romeo. Use specific evidence from Act 1,
Scene 4 to support your answer.
Film Reaction
Evaluate Zaffirrelli’s version of Romeo and
Juliet.
 Do you think the film provides an
interesting and accurate portrayal of the
play?
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Focused Freewrite (5 minutes)

Which details in Act 2 seem like they may
foreshadow future events? What do you
think they foreshadow?
Anger Focused Freewrite

Think about the power of anger. Write about a time when
you were so angry that you acted without thinking.
What were the consequences of your actions?
Irony: when there is a contrast
between what is expected and what
actually occurs.
Situational irony: occurs when a character
or the reader expects one thing to happen
but something else actually occurs.
Example:
 Dramatic irony: occurs when the reader or
viewer knows something that a character
does not know. Example:
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Warm Up
Do you agree with the prince’s decision to
banish Romeo from Verona? I
 If so, support your opinion with two
reasons.
 If not, what is the proper punishment for
his actions
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Warm Up
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Compare and contrast the behavior of the
nurse and Friar Laurence in Act Three.
Which of the two would you trust if you
were Romeo and Juliet? Why?
Romeo and Juliet Anticipation Guide
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Romeo and Juliet die at the end of the play.
Romeo is a Capulet.
Juliet is a Montague
Romeo is not in love with Juliet at the beginning of the play.
It is better to follow your heart rather than your mind.
Family is more important than friends.
Benvolio is a player.
Romeo and Juliet meet at a party.
The nurse wants Juliet to marry Paris.
Mr. and Mrs. Capulet dislike Mr. and Mrs. Montague.
Romeo and Juliet become engaged the first night they met.
Friar Laurence is dishonest and makes bad decisions.
Romeo kills Juliet’s cousin in self defense
Tybalt kills Romeo’s best friend in self defense.
To be banished means to be murdered.
Juliet’s father arranges for her to marry Romeo.
Juliet ingests a liquid that makes her look like she is dead.
Juliet is dishonest and makes bad decisions.
Romeo is dishonest and makes bad decisions.
Young people know more about love than their parents.
Vocabulary Warm Up: Archaic Words
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Add these words to your 2nd Quarter Glossary
An = if (sometimes)
 Ay = yes
 Coz = cousin
 Doth = does
 Thee = you
 Thine = your
 Thou art = you are
 Thou wert = you were
 Tis = it is
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Warm Up 11/20/08
What is a feud? Are there any feuds going
on with people you know? Do you know of
any other stories based on feuds? Do
those feuds having anything in common
with Romeo and Juliet, that you know of?
What does it usually take to resolve a
feud?
Agenda
Warm Up
 Notebook set up for plot and reading
strategy notes
 Act1, Scene 1 reading and analysis
 Insult activity
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Act 1 questions
How does the nurse feel about her getting
married?
 How does Juliet’s mother feel about her
getting married?
 How does Juliet feel about getting
married?
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Act 1 Questions
How old is Juliet?
 Who wants to marry Juliet?
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Who is having a party?
 How does Romeo find out about the
party?
 Why is Romeo going to go to the party?
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Pun
A pun is a joke that comes from a play on
words.
 Puns can make use of a word’s multiple
meanings or of a word’s rhyme.
 Example: “Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall
find me a grave man.” A pun is used with the
word grave which can mean both “solemn” or a
“tomb.”
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The feud between the Montagues
and Capulets has continued for a
long time. What sorts of
longstanding disputes exist today
in communities and nations? Why
do you think these conflicts are
so hard to resolve?
Warm Up 11/16
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How would you describe Romeo and his
attitude toward love?
Warm Up: 11/15/07
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In your opinion, how might Juliet be
changed by meeting Romeo?
Adjusted Agenda
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Thursday: View Zaffirelli version of Romeo
and Juliet and write film comparison
 Act
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One Response to Literature Due
Friday: View Luhrman version of Romeo
and Juliet
 Notebooks
Due
 Monday: If response to literature is complete,
seminar. If not, quiz.
Where are the characters going?
 What is Mercutio’s reaction to Romeo
lovesickness?
 What is Romeo feeling about their
attending the dance?
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Comic Relief Notes (Add to glossary)
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Comic Relief: a humorous scene, incident,
or speech that is included in a serious
drama to provide a change from emotional
intensity.
Why is Tybalt angry?
 What is Capulet’s reaction to Romeo being
at the party?
 How does Tybalt respond to when Capulet
refuses to confront Romeo?
 Why do Capulet and Tybalt quarrel?
 What foreshadowing does Tybalt give as
he leaves the dance?
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What is the first thing that Romeo does
when he meets Juliet?
 What is the purpose of Romeo’s
conversation?
 How does Juliet seem to feel about
Romeo’s kisses?
 How does Juliet feel about the fact that
she has fallen in love with the one of her
father’s enemies?
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Warm Up 11/27/07
Add the following definition to your 2nd
quarter glossary.
 Soliloquy: a speech that a character
makes while alone on a stage or when no
one is supposed to be listening.
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Who is trying to find Romeo?
 Why does Mercutio make fun of Romeo’s
love for Rosaline?
 What does Mercutio do to try to anger
Romeo and make him respond?
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What is Romeo’s response to Juliet’s
concern for his life?
 What does Juliet fear will happen if Romeo
swears that he loves her?
 How does Juliet respond when Romeo
asks her for a vow of true love toward
him?
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What does Juliet suggest Romeo do if his
serious about her?
 Why does Juliet call Romeo back after she
has said goodbye?
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What is the main point of Friar Laurence’s
soliloquy?
 What does Romeo ask Friar Laurence to
do?
 What is the friar’s immediate reaction?
 Why does the friar agree to help Romeo?
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What did Tybalt send to Romeo’s house?
Why is Mercutio concerned about Tybalt?
Why is Mercutio pleased when Romeo
exchanges puns with him?
How does Mercutio act toward the nurse when
she arrives?
How does the nurse react to Mercutio?
Why is the nurse worried about Romeo at first?
What does Romeo propose to do?
How does Juliet feel about the long
absence of the nurse?
 What does the nurse talk about instead of
telling Juliet her news immediately?
 What is the nurse’s news, when she finally
delivers it?
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