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Lesson 6

We will read and annotate Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 1–162 of Romeo and Juliet. We will identify and describe the main characters in this scene—Benvolio, Tybalt, and Romeo—using the Character Note-Taking Tool.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I recognize and interpret language and sentence structures to deepen my understanding of Romeo and Juliet?

  • Can I recognize and interpret important relationships among characters within Romeo and Juliet?

  • Can I evaluate the effects of figurative language and imagery in Romeo and Juliet?

Texts

Core

  • Multimedia
    • Romeo and Juliet: The Fully Dramatized Audio Edition, William Shakespeare, Folger Shakespeare Library, Simon and Schuster, 2014
  • Tradebook
    • Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare, Folger Shakespeare Library, Simon and Schuster, 2004

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Write

We will learn two literary devices that are unique to plays, which we will encounter in Act 1, Scene 1.

Add each of the following words and their definitions to your Vocabulary Journal as your teacher introduces them.

  • stage direction

  • aside

Activity 2: Read – Discuss

We will read lines 1–105 of Act 1, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet and answer a set of guiding questions.

Step 1

As you read Lines 1-105 of Act 1, Scene 1, use the following questions to guide your annotation:

  1. Who are the main characters in this scene?

  2. Which family does each character belong to?

  3. What thematic idea from the prologue is being developed in this section?

  4. How do you know? Cite textual evidence from this scene and from the prologue to demonstrate the connection.

Read and annotate Lines 1-105 of Act 1, Scene 1.

Step 2

As a class, discuss your responses to the following questions:

  1. What thematic idea from the prologue is being developed in this section?

  2. How do you know? Cite textual evidence from this scene and from the prologue to demonstrate the connection.

Capture the discussion in your Text-Theme Note-Taking Tool.

Step 3

Note: With plays, instead of citing textual evidence by page numbers, you cite text by act, scene, and line numbers. See the example below.

TYBALT: What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word

As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. (1.1.71-72)

It is important to keep accurate line citations so that you can easily track textual evidence to support your claims in the Section Diagnostics and Culminating Task.

Activity 3: Read – Discuss – Write

We will deepen our understanding of the characters and play by acting out lines from Act 1, Scene 1.

Step 1

Independently, reread the following lines from Act 1, Scene 1 to deepen your understanding of the characters Benvolio and Tybalt.

Next, with a partner, act out the dialogue between Benvolio and Tybalt. Read your part with the kind of expression you think your character would have. As you read aloud with expression, pay attention to the punctuation marks.

BENVOLIO: Part, fools!

Put up your swords. You know not what you do. (1.1.65-66)

TYBALT: What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word

As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. (1.1.71-72)

Step 2

Respond to the following question:

  1. What do these lines reveal about Benvolio’s personality? What do these lines reveal about Tybalt’s personality?

Discuss your answers as a class. Capture the discussion in your Character Note-Taking Tools for Benvolio and Tybalt.

Activity 4: Read – Write – Discuss

We will deepen our understanding of the use of figurative language and how it impacts the mood of Act 1, Scene 1.

Step 1

Shakespeare is famous for his abundant use of figurative language. One type of figurative language is imagery—descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

Closely reread lines 85-99 from Act 1, Scene 1, paying attention to Shakespeare’s use of imagery.

PRINCE: What ho! You men, you beasts,

That quench the fire of your pernicious rage

With purple fountains issuing from your veins:

On pain of torture, from those bloody hands

Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground,

And hear the sentence of your movèd prince.

Three civil brawls bred of an airy word

By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,

Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets

. . . .

If ever you disturb our streets again,

Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. (1.1.85-99)

In your Learning Log, respond to the following questions for Lines 85-99 from Act 1, Scene 1:

  1. What imagery is present in these lines?

  2. What effect does the imagery have on the mood of the scene?

Step 2

Reread the selected lines a second time. This time, pay attention to how information found in the lines relates to information we learned in the prologue.

In your Learning Log, respond to Questions 3-4 for Lines 85-99 from Act 1, Scene 1:

  1. What is the cause of the Montague-Capulet feud?

  2. How do these lines connect to ideas introduced in the prologue? Cite specific evidence from this scene and the prologue that demonstrates the connection.

Discuss your answers in a small group.

Activity 5: Read – Discuss – Write

We will read lines 106–162 of Act 1, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet.

As you read Lines 106-162 of Act 1, Scene 1, use the following questions to guide your thoughts:

  1. Why are Romeo's parents and Benvolio concerned about him?

  2. Based on this, what can the reader infer about Romeo’s personality?

Read and annotate Lines 106-162 of Act 1, Scene 1.

Discuss your answers to the guiding question with a partner. Write down the answers in your Learning Log.

Note: We will read the rest of Act 1, Scene 1 in the next lesson.