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Lesson 7

We will complete our reading of Act 1, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet and use the Character Note-Taking Tool to deepen our understanding of the characters of Romeo and Benvolio. We will use the Text-Theme Note-Taking Tool to summarize the main events of Act 1, Scene 1 and capture details about the development of emerging themes. We will also read and analyze Act 1, Scene 2 and examine the character of Lord Capulet.

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 Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2 of Romeo and Juliet?

  • Can I evaluate the effects of figurative language and imagery in Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2 of Romeo and Juliet?

  • Can I summarize the main events of Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2 of Romeo and Juliet?

  • Can I determine a theme that is being developed in Act 1, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet?

Texts

Core

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

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Discuss – Write

We will read lines 163–247 of Act 1, Scene 1 in Romeo and Juliet and examine the characters Romeo and benvolio.

Read and annotate Lines 163-247 of Act 1, Scene 1.

In a group, respond to the following questions:

  1. What is Romeo's problem? What lines from the play support this?

  2. What is Benvolio's advice to Romeo? What lines from the play support this?

  3. What do these details reveal about their personalities?

Capture the discussion in the Character Note-Taking Tools for Romeo and Benvolio.

Activity 2: Read – Discuss – Write

We will gain a deeper understanding of the character of Romeo by rereading and analyzing specific lines from Act 1, Scene 1.

Step 1

Reread Lines 181-187 more closely. Notice that Shakespeare uses words that seem contradictory (e.g., “brawling love,” “loving hate”). This figure of speech is called an oxymoron.

Respond to the following question:

  1. What other oxymorons do you notice?

Step 2

Oxymorons can be used for a variety of purposes. Reread and annotate the excerpt again. This time, pay attention to how the oxymorons contribute to the reader’s understanding of Romeo’s personality and emotional state.

ROMEO: Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate,

O anything of nothing first create!

O heavy lightness, serious vanity,

Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms,

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,

Still-waking sleep that is not what it is!

This love feel I, that feel no love in this. (1.1.181-187)

Step 3

Discuss the following questions as a class:

  1. What does Romeo’s use of oxymorons illustrate about his mood?

  2. What does his mood reveal about his personality?

  3. What lines from the excerpt offer the strongest evidence for this interpretation?

Write down the answers in your Character Note-Taking Tool for Romeo.

Activity 3: Write

We will Capture our understanding of Act 1, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet in the text-theme Note-Taking Tool.

As a class, complete the information for Act 1, Scene 1 in the Text-Theme Note-Taking Tool.

Activity 4: Read – Write – Discuss

We will read lines 1–34 of Act 1, Scene 2 and discuss a set of guiding questions.

Reference the character list to identify the roles of Lord Capulet and Paris. Read and annotate Lines 1-34 of Act 1, Scene 2.

In your Learning Log, respond to Questions 1-3 for Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 1-34.

  1. Why has Paris requested a meeting with Lord Capulet?

  2. How old is Juliet?

  3. What event is happening at the Capulet home tonight?

Discuss your answers with a partner.

Activity 5: Read – Discuss – Write

We will deepen our understanding of the character of lord capulet by rereading and analyzing specific lines from the scene.

Independently reread Lines 15-19 of Act 1, Scene 2.

LORD CAPULET: She’s the hopeful lady of my earth.

But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart;

My will to her consent is but a part.

And, she agreed, within her scope of choice

Lies my consent and fair according voice.

Discuss the following question as a class:

  1. What do these lines reveal about Lord Capulet as a father?

Capture the discussion on the Character Note-Taking Tool for Lord Capulet. Be sure to cite specific lines as textual evidence.

Activity 6: Read – Write

For homework, we will read a summary of the remaining lines in Act 1, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet to understand the context for later actions taken by the characters. We will also complete our text-theme Note-Taking Tool for Act 1, Scene 2.

For homework, read the following summary of Lines 35-108 from Act 1, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet.

Lord Capulet gives one of his servants a list of names and instructs him to deliver the invitation for the party to each person on the list. After Lord Capulet exits the stage, the servant informs the audience that he is illiterate and cannot read the names on the list. By a twist of fate, he encounters Benvolio and Romeo and asks them to read the list to him. As Romeo reads the list, he learns that Rosaline has been invited to the party. It is revealed that Rosaline is the woman with whom Romeo is in love. Benvolio says that they should go to the party so Romeo can compare Rosaline with other women who are more beautiful than she is.

Use the following questions to guide your thoughts as you complete the Text-Theme Note-Taking Tool for Act 1, Scene 2:

  1. What thematic idea from the prologue do the events in the scene connect to?

  2. Whom do you predict Romeo will meet at the party?

Complete the Text-Theme Note-Taking Tool for Act 1, Scene 2.