Romeo and Juliet. TASK: Find a map of Italy. Your map should be A4 size. Clearly label the major Italian cities.

Transcription

1 Romeo and Juliet Worksheet One. Romeo and Juliet takes place in the Italian city of Verona. TASK: Find a map of Italy. Your map should be A4 size. Clearly label the major Italian cities. On a separate sheet, find out all you can about Verona during the 15 th and 16 th centuries. Include subheadings for the different aspects of life at this time. Worksheet Two. The Globe Theatre TASK: Find out as much as you can about the Globe Theatre. Remember that there is also a Globe Theatre that has been recreated that presently exists in London You should include information about the building, the performances and the theatre goers. Worksheet Three. TASK: Write a story or play which involves a modern day Romeo and Juliet story. You may wish to base this on a modern television show or film. Key Elements. Two young lovers from very different backgrounds or from feuding families/gangs. A chance meeting, strong attraction. They pledge their undying love. (cont.)

2 Placed in a very difficult situation. Bad advice from adults around them. Unlucky. Tragic or happy ending???? Worksheet Four. TASK: Write a parody of a song about Romeo and Juliet. A parody keeps the basic structure of a song, but changes some of the words, usually in a humorous way. Worksheet Five. TASK: Imagine you are Juliet. After Romeo has pledged his eternal love in the balcony scene, write your diary entry. Include a description of how you met Romeo, what he looks like and your dreams for a future together. Worksheet Six. TASK: Write a love poem or sonnet to a special or imagined friend. Worksheet Seven. TASK: Compare and contrast the scene at the Capulet s ball where Romeo and Juliet first meet. (Luhrmann and Zeffirelli)

3 Worksheet Eight. Love Songs 1. Make a collection of love poems or songs, both old and modern ones 2. When you have at least 10 poems or songs either: - find any two to compare and contrast - write up a discussion of the themes and recurrent ideas in love verse, as represented by your collection Worksheet Nine. Lecturette Prepare a talk inspired by Romeo and Juliet on a theme that interests you, such as: - Romeo and Juliet from a feminist perspective - Romeo and Juliet and the history of romance - Love and danger - Romeo and Juliet as a cautionary tale - who killed Romeo and Juliet? Worksheet Ten. Hot Seat Treatment Place each character from Romeo and Juliet into the hot seat asking them to explain themselves and justify their actions. Write both answers and questions in script format. Worksheet Eleven. Director s Notes Write a set of stage or film director s notes in which you choose any scene from the play and carefully explain how you would produce it. (cont.)

4 Describe casting choices and reasons, the actions, gestures you would have characters make, props and costumes, etc. Worksheet Twelve. What was Friar Lawrence s plan and do you think it was a reasonable solution to Romeo and Juliet s dilemma? Worksheet Fourteen. Old Music Investigate Renaissance and Elizabethan musical instruments, producing either a short project presentation on them or give a talk. Either illustrations or recordings or both should be added to the presentation. Worksheet Fifteen. The first meeting Read again Romeo and Juliet s love at first sight meeting in Act 1, Scene Draw a series of cartoons in which you show the hand and face gestures that they would make during their first conversation (see line ). 2. Who were the pilgrims and holy palmers and what do such references add to our sense of their love?

5 Worksheet Sixteen. The Balcony Scene Act 2, Scene 2 Reproduce the balcony scene as a series of cartoons/pictures, including brief quotes OR Summarise the scene in your own words, with no less than six key quotations Worksheet Seventeen. The Death Scene Act 5, Scene 3 Reproduce the death scene as a series of cartoons/pictures, including brief quotes OR Summarise the scene in your own words, with no less than six key quotations Worksheet Eighteen. Dramatis Personnae The Cast 1. Draw a diagram which sets out the key characters in each of the two families, the Capulet s and Montague s. 2. Indicate the relationships between them. Worksheet Nineteen. Juliet

6 1. List all the things that are said about Juliet by her own family members in Act 1, Sc 2 and 3 2. Find at least six quotes by Romeo, describing Juliet. Worksheet Twenty. Romeo 1. List all the things said about Romeo in Act 1, Sc1 by his father (Lord Montague) and his cousin, Benvolio, and then by Lord Capulet in Act 1, Sc5. 2. Find at least six quotes from Juliet, describing Romeo. Worksheet Twenty One. Tybalt 1. Write a thumbnail sketch (brief summary) of the character of Tybalt. Look particularly at his appearances at the Capulet party and the next day when he accosts Mercutio. (Act1, Sc5 and Act 3, Sc1) 2. Find a picture from a magazine of a face that would suit the character of Tybalt, and add that to your description Worksheet Twenty Three. Nurse and Lady Capulet 1. Look at how the Nurse and Lady Capulet are contrasted in Act 1, Sc3. 2. What are your impressions of both? Worksheet Twenty Four.

7 Paris Paris is the other man in this love story, yet he is quite a sympathetic character. - What is his attitude towards Juliet? - Quote one line and refer to at least one scene which shows his feelings for her. Worksheet Twenty Five. Social Context: Female 1. Find examples of the way in which the female characters acted or were expected to act in this play Choose any two from the list Juliet, Lady Montague, Lady Capulet, Nurse, Rosaline. 2. What differences are there between female role expectations then and now? 3. In what ways did these role expectations contribute to the story? Worksheet Twenty Six. Social Context: Male Roles The roles of men, as well as women, were governed by certain strict codes of behaviour. 1. Investigate the male code of honour, or chivalry. Especially as it relates to challenges and duels. 2. Also investigate the chivalric idea of the romantic gentleman. How was he expected to behave?

8 3. In what ways did these role expectations contribute to the story? Worksheet Twenty Seven. Literary Context: other love stories There have been many stories about tragic lovers: Hero and Leander, Pyramus and Thisbe, Orpheus and Eurydice, Tristan and Isolde. Real life tragic love affairs include those of Antony and Cleopatra, Abelard and Heloise, Emma Hamilton and Lord Nelson, Zelda Sayre and F. Scott Fitzgerald. (cont.) 1. Choose any one of these stories. Write a brief summary of what happened, and why. 2. Compare and contrast it to the story of Romeo and Juliet. Worksheet Twenty Eight. Social Context: Customs Try to find as many customs as you can (at least five) which were obviously important in the world of the play but are no longer current in our society. Worksheet Twenty Nine. Stage Directions Stage directions are sometimes included separately, and are sometimes built into a character s speech. For example Mercutio tells us that Tybalt s sword wounded him under Romeo s arm. Find and quote two other examples where the directions are built into the dialogue. Worksheet Thirty. Elizabethan Theatre

9 Draw a diagram of a typical Elizabethan theatre and explain how it is different from theatres of today. Worksheet Thirty One. Prose and Poetry Shakespeare uses both prose and poetry when composing his dialogue. Select two speeches, one in prose and one in poetry, and explain the differences, showing what purposes Shakespeare puts each to. Worksheet Thirty Two. Elizabethan Drama Romeo and Juliet would not have been played in 1596 the way a modern company would play it. What would be the differences and similarities? Worksheet Thirty Three. Staging Romeo and Juliet Take one scene from the play. Block it (work out where and when characters move) and devise a set of director s notes. Worksheet Thirty Four. TASK: In a group with some other students, re-enact a chosen Romeo and Juliet scene for our class. You may wish to change the words, change to a modern setting or use some or all of Shakespeare s language. You may wish to provide costumes and film the production as well. Worksheet Thirty Five.

10 Renaissance Dance 1. Research Renaissance dance 2. Give a demonstration and/or provide illustrations to show what dances the original Capulet ball might have involved Worksheet Thirty Six. Create an MSN, Facebook or text message conversation with you and a friend. Write a second copy using Shakespearian language.