Romeo+and+Juliet

[|Romeo and Juliet] "Speak the Speech" Universal Shakespeare Broadcasting
[|Romeo and Juliet] Listen to Shakespearean Sonnets here!

[|Romeo and Juliet] //**Tragic Flaw Research Paper Powerpoint Presentation**// There are many mystery terms in Shakespeare. Here we'll track them and they're interpretation. >> __Ere__ we may think her ripe to be a bride." (I.ii.10-11) >> Direct my sail!" (I.iv.112-13) >> __Ne'er__ saw her match since first the world begun." (I.iii.92-93)
 * **doth** - does
 * "__Doth__ with their death bury their parents' strife" (Prologue)
 * **ere** - before
 * "Let two more summers wither in their pride
 * **hath** - have
 * "But he that __hath__ the steerage of my course
 * **Marry** - indeed
 * Lady Capulet: "__Marry__, that 'marry' is the very theme / I came to talk of" (I.iii.63)
 * **Ne'er** - never
 * "The all-seeing sun
 * **naught** - nothing
 * "And the continuance of their parents' rage, / Which, but their children's end, naught could remove." (Prologue)

>>> My child is yet a stranger in the world" (I.ii.7-8)
 * **o'er** - over
 * "But saying __o'er__ what I have said before:
 * **Thy** - your
 * "Draw __thy__ tool! Here comes two of the house of Montagues." (I.i.28-29).
 * **Thou** - you
 * "But __thou__ art not quickly moved to strike" (I.i.6)
 * **Thee** - you (often used as "yourself")
 * "Turn __thee__, Benvolio; look upon thy death." (I.i.58)

IMPORTANT WORKSHEETS & ACTIVITIES:












[|Romeo and Juliet] Prince's Speech & Paragraph Assignment with Outline

SCENE DESCRIPTIONS AND QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHILE READING:
====The play starts out by telling you everything in the prologue. We have two houses who have always hated one another, and through the death of their children, they came together in peace. Those deaths, tragically, were the only things capable of bringing the feuding families to a truce. As the chorus states, the play that follows it tries to explain the situation better. //__Question 1: Any guesses why Shakespeare would begin a play by telling you the end? Does it take away from the drama of the play?__//====

=Act I Scene 1=

The play begins with two servants of the house of Capulet. The two talk and Gregory uses witty words to make Sampson look like an idiot- good-natured teasing. They come across two servants of the Montague house and try to start a fight without looking like they are trying to start a fight, since they could get arrested if they started one. The fight begins quickly, and before we can think about how immature these men are, their brawl draws in even the oldest members of the Capulet and Montague houses (men who should be wielding crutches instead of swords). The Prince meanders by and throws a fit when he sees the families fighting again. //__Question 2: What does the Prince threaten to do to them if they ever fight again?__//

Members of the Montague family remain on stage after the fight, and they discuss Romeo and his current state of health. Romeo is depressed, and his parents do not know why. When Romeo saunters into view, Benvolio promises to Montague that he will find out what bothers Romeo.

Romeo, we soon find, is in a bit of an annoying, lovesick state. If you find Romeo’s words vague, melodramatic, and unmoving, you are reading his mood correctly. The patient Benvolio eventually gets Romeo to tell him who this mystery loved one is (“a woman” – so helpful), and we find that Romeo is smitten with a woman who appears to be a future Nun. Benvolio vows to find a woman beautiful enough to make Romeo forget the Nun. __//Question 3: What is your initial impression of Romeo? Use a line from the play to support your answer.//__

Act I Scene 2
Now we peek at the Capulets and our other title character—Juliet. County Paris seeks the hand of Juliet in marriage, but Capulet wants to wait two years before giving her away. //__Question 4: How old does Capulet say Juliet is? What is your reaction to knowing that she is already a potential bride?__// Capulet is in favor of Paris marrying her, and he invites Paris to a party that night, where all the beautiful women will be. Capulet expects that Paris will find Juliet the most beautiful woman in the crowd. Then, to a servant who cannot read he gives a list of people to be invited. Oops.

Romeo and Benvolio meander by, Benvolio encouraging his friend to inflict some pain upon himself that will make him forget the pain of love. The Capulet’s servant then goes to them for help, and Romeo reads the list for him, discovering as he reads that the woman he finds so beautiful, Rosaline, will be at the party. He and Benvolio decide to go to the party—Benvolio wants to show him that his nun-to-be is not so beautiful, and Romeo thinks his nun will outshine the lot. //__Question 5: What do you think is going to happen at the party?__//

Act I Scene 3
Here we meet Juliet, her mom, and her nurse first hand. The nurse, you will soon find, talks too much. In her babbling, we hear how long the nurse has been with Juliet and we discover the Nurse has a passion for bawdy humor. Somehow Lady Capulet and Juliet shut her up, and the Lady informs Juliet that Paris wants to marry her. Lady Capulet says that Paris is a good looking man, only lacking a wife to make him better looking, and the nurse adds her own not terribly helpful observations, revealing again her focus on the physical side of life. The group soon descends to the party. //__Question 6: What would your thoughts be if you were Juliet and your parents recommended a husband to you? (Guys, try to answer the question even if you have no idea.)__//

Act I Scene 4
Romeo and his crew arrive at the party wearing masks—the party is a masquerade—which is how they will get in without causing an immediate ruckus. Before entering the party, Romeo acts like a dope, saying he will not dance because he feels too sad. Mercutio chastises him, telling him not to be such a wimp, that he should fight back against love. Romeo mumbles something about a dream he had, and Mercutio erupts into a lengthy monologue about how one cannot trust dreams. The group finally goes into the party, with Romeo insisting that fate has given him a forecast of an untimely death if he enters. //__Question 7: What does Romeo’s attitude seem to be in his last lines of this scene? Quote a line or two from this part that makes you say his attitude is like this.__//

Act I Scene 5
Welcome to the party. Capulet struts around trying to make everyone dance as he reminisces about the days when he was attractive and cool. Apparently, he is no longer either—maybe we should have a contest to see who can draw the best Capulet. Anyway, Romeo swoons at a woman who is NOT the fair Rosaline, and when he speaks, Tybalt recognizes him as a Montague. Tybalt wants to turn the dance into a swordfight, but Capulet commands him to chill out. Eventually, Tybalt submits and storms away. //__Question 8: As Tybalt submits, what does he vow to do?(Quote the line and paraphrase its meaning.) Is Tybalt someone you would want as a new classmate at Central? Why or why not?__//

Romeo manages to dance with Juliet, and his pickup lines are smoother than we might have thought him capable of after watching him swoon over a nun. Apparently, the style of the dance required dancing partners to touch their palms together, and that gave Romeo the opportunity to praise Juliet’s beauty, calling her a shrine and a saint. Even if you smirk at his wooing words, you have to admit they’re better than “Was you father an alien? Because there's nothing else like you on earth!” His words are so good, in fact, that Juliet lets him kiss her, twice! And they do not yet know each other’s names. Before the end of the scene, as the party breaks up, Romeo finds out Juliet is a Capulet and Juliet discovers Romeo is a Montague. //__Question 9: Evaluate the first meeting of these two lovers. Is it worthy? Did it lack anything?__//

[|Romeo and Juliet] Short Stories all devoted to romance and love.