Romeo and Juliet b y William Shakespeare

1. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Act I Scenes 1-5

2. Literary Response & Analysis • Which character played the most important role in Scenes 1 and 2? • Step One – Think about the question and possible answers. • Which characters are the BEST options? • Step Two – Select the text details that best SUPPORT your answer. • Focus on the words and actions of the character. • List the details that support you would use.

3. Literary Response & Analysis • Which character played the most important role in Scenes 1 and 2? • Step One – Think about the question and possible answers. • Which characters are the BEST options? • Capulet, Benvolio, and Prince Escalus • Step Two – Select the text details that best SUPPORT your answer. • Focus on the words and actions of the character. • he attempts to break up the first fight, he tries to find out what is bothering Romeo, and he persuades Romeo to go to the party

4. Literary Response & Analysis • Which character played the most important role in Scenes 1 and 2? • 3. Step Three – Think about the order in which to express your thoughts and ideas. • How could the details be organized? • Strongest to Weakest • Weakest to Strongest • Chronological • Importance

5. Literary Response & Analysis • Which character played the most important role in Scenes 1 and 2? • 3. Step Three – Think about the order in which to express your thoughts and ideas. • How could the details be organized? • Importance (least to most important) • Finds out Romeo is in love • Tries to stop the fight • Convinces Romeo to go to the Capulet party

6. Literary Response & Analysis • Which character played the most important role in Scenes 1 and 2? • 4. Step Four – Write your response in a well-thought out and complete paragraph. • Write about one detail at a time. • TOPIC SENTENCE • Benvolio shows his importance in scenes 1 and 2 through his actions and words, especially when interacting with Romeo and other members of the Montague family.

7. Literary Response & Analysis • Write about one detail at a time. • DETAIL/SUPPORTING SENTENCES • Benvolio persuades Romeo to attend the Capulet party with the idea that meeting other girls will help Romeo forget about Rosalind and his broken-heart. His actions while well-meaning serve as both positive and negative rising actions for the play. Benvolio’s concern for his friend and cousin are clear by his desire to help Romeo in the best way he knows. Benvolio also demonstrates his mischievous side by going to the Capulet’s so soon after the Prince’s warning about fighting. He is willing to take signficiant risks in order to help Romeo, but his actions show that he is rash and may not think things out before acting.

8. Literary Response & Analysis • Write about one detail at a time. • CONCLUDING SENTENCE • Benvolio’s actions and words help to start a chain reaction that even he will not be able to stop. His inability to see the possible consequences of his actions will play a part in the death of the very person he is trying to help.

9. Things to Know Elements of Drama and Tragedy Purpose of Drama Purpose of the Prologue Modifiers for the Characters Role the Characters have Played Shakespeare’s Language/Vocabulary Literary Terms – soliloquy, monologue, aside, foil…

10. Sidebar Information Review the sidebar information and write down any BOLD PRINT WORDS/PHRASES you see. Stage directions Aside Comic Touch Rhyme Contradictions Comic Scenes Character Foil Monologue Sonnet

11. Act I Questions Pages 840-841 Answer Questions 1-11 on page 840 Read the Vocabulary Development Information on page 841 Review the Literary and Reading Focus Questions on the Bottom of the Textbook Pages Throughout the Act (You should be doing this as you read the text!!!)

12. Act I Questions Pages 840-841 Answers that demonstrate an understanding of the text. Reading Focus What does the prologue say ends the rage between the two families of Verona? The lovers’ deaths end the feud between the two families.

13. Act I Questions Pages 840-841 Reading Focus 2. Who is Tybalt? What does he do that is unsafe? He is Lady Capulet’s nephew. He quarrels with Benvolio and vows to fight Romeo.

14. Act I Questions Pages 840-841 Reading Focus 3. Where do Romeo and Juliet first meet? They meet at the Capulet feast.

15. Act I Questions Pages 840-841 Reading Focus 4. In Act I, have Romeo and Juliet merely been victims of fate or have they made conscious decisions about their actions? Explain your answer. Romeo decides to go to the party although he has a bad feeling about what will happen. Juliet fatefully falls in love with Romeo without knowing his identity.

16. Act I Questions Pages 840-841 Reading Focus 5. You recorded the causes that led Romeo to the party where he meets Juliet. What is the effect of their meeting? What do you predict will happen: will they marry, run off together, break up? The effect is that they fall in love. Any prediction is valid.

17. Act I Questions Pages 840-841 Literary Focus – Literary Analysis 6. Analyze – Mercutio is a character foil to Romeo. In a drama, a character foil is a character who sets off another character by strong contrast. In what way is Mercutio a foil to Romeo? Mercutio is confident and the life of the party, while Romeo is more withdrawn and introspective.

18. Act I Questions Pages 840-841 Literary Focus – Literary Analysis 7. Interpret – Romeo and Juliet first speak to each other in a sonnet in which Romeo sees himself as a pilgrim and Juliet as the saint he worships. How does the language and imagery embody their feelings for each other? Their love is compared to pure, spiritual love. Their actions mimic those of a person in prayer with their hands and lips being pressed together.

19. Act I Questions Pages 840-841 Literary Focus – Literary Analysis 8. Evaluate – Romeo and Juliet fall deeply in love at first sight. Does Shakespeare succeed in making this scene convincing? EXPLAIN. The audience will probably recognize their attraction but may think that they are only infatuated.

20. Act I Questions Pages 840-841 Literary Focus – Literary Skills: Tragedy 9. Analyze – What problem, or complication, is presented in Scenes 2 and 3 that may limit Juliet’s freedom? Her parents want her to marry Paris, and she needs their permission to marry.

21. Act I Questions Pages 840-841 Literary Focus – Literary Skills: Tragedy 10. Analyze – The title of the play tells us it is a tragedy – a play in which the main characters come to an unhappy end. How do Romeo’s and Juliet’s reactions in Scene 5 (when they learn of each other’s identity) foreshadow, or give clues to, what trouble may lie ahead? Both characters recognize and accept their doom after their meeting.

22. Act I Questions Pages 840-841 Literary Focus – Literary Skills Review Characterization 11. Analyze – The process of revealing the personality of a character is called characterization. In Scene 3, what do you learn about Juliet’s relationship with her mother and her feelings about marriage? Juliet is not close to her mother. Juliet has no interest in marriage.

24. Act I Which character in ACT I do you think was the most important? Describe the character and his or her important traits? Defend his or her importance and significance.

25. Act I Which scene in ACT I do you think was the most important? What happened in the scene? Defend its importance and significance.

26. Act I Characters What do you know about the following characters? Romeo Juliet Nurse Benvolio Mercutio Capulet Montague Lady Capulet Lady Montague Tybalt Paris Prince Escalus

27. STUDY • Review a little each night as you read the play. • Re-read what you do not understand. • Read the extra information about the play. • Pay attention to the videos. • Pay attention to what the teacher says. • Pay attention to what other students have to say. • Ask questions when you do not understand. • Do all of the assigned work, especially when it is difficult. • Think about the play and try to make a personal connection to the events and characters.