Romeo and Juliet
Essential Question: How much control do we have over our own lives?
Students will read and perform Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and compare and contrast the ways in which the play treats the subject of fate versus free will. Building on the Bless Me, Ultima and poetry units, students also will consider Shakespeare's use of rhythm, punctuation, and imagery and the ways in which they help convey the motives, thoughts, and feelings of the characters. As a final project, students will stage a mock trial defending or prosecuting Friar Lawrence for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
Resources:
Students will read and perform Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and compare and contrast the ways in which the play treats the subject of fate versus free will. Building on the Bless Me, Ultima and poetry units, students also will consider Shakespeare's use of rhythm, punctuation, and imagery and the ways in which they help convey the motives, thoughts, and feelings of the characters. As a final project, students will stage a mock trial defending or prosecuting Friar Lawrence for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
Resources:
- Romeo and Juliet Made Easy
- Shakespeare Biography
- Shakespearean Insults (allowed in class!)
- Romeo and Juliet--Facebook style
- John Green on Romeo and Juliet--yes, THE John Green who wrote The Fault in Our Stars--Crash Course Part 1
- John Green on Romeo and Juliet--Crash Course Part 2