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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Romeo! Why do you have to be a doggone Montague?

Students will interpret and comprehend Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," Act 2, Scene 2 (the balcony scene) through translating the original text and preparing a dramatic presentation of the scene for the class.

A lesson plan for grades 8–10 English Language Arts

By Amanda Rowland

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Learning outcomes

Students will

  • read and initially understand the action of Act 2, Scene 2 of “Romeo and Juliet.”
  • watch and compare two versions (film and theatre) of the scene.
  • discover literature and dramatic conventions: tone, audience, setting, theme, character, and interpretation.
  • interpret and translate Act 2, Scene 2 to everyday language without losing its important action.
  • present written translation with partner in class.
  • evaluate peer’s presentations for clarity, creativity, and subject matter.
  • appreciate the timelessness of “Romeo and Juliet,” especially its “true love” theme.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

4.5 hours

Materials/resources

Technology resources

  • TV and VCR
  • Video Recordings of Zefferelli’s 1968 film version of “Romeo and Juliet” and Luhrmann’s 1996 version of “Romeo and Juliet,” or a stage production of the play

Pre-activities

Class Discussion - In a new relationship, how long should it be before telling someone that you love them? Answers should be based on students’ personal experience. The discussion will also serve as a review by referring back to Act 1 and the Capulet party where the couple kissed.

Pass out Act 2 worksheet that includes vocabulary and questions for the entire act.

Activities

  1. Read Act 2 Scene 2 and discuss the action of the scene. (30 min.)
  2. After reading Act 2, Scene 2, allow students to watch two versions of the scene on video. For film versions try Franco Zefferelli’s 1968 version or Luhrmann’s 1996 version. A theatre presentation would be ideal to view opposite a film version. Although I have yet to preview it, there is a theatre version specially designed for schools starring Jonathon Firth and Geraldine Somersville.(40 min.)
  3. Discuss the importance of the different ways that the scene is presented, uses of props, facial expressions, voice intonations, and body placement. Students should conclude that reasons for differences include: year production was made, audience, setting of play, props available, and interpretation of director. (10 min.)
  4. Arrange students into pairs. Students are instructed that they will present Act 2, Scene 2 to their peers, not in Shakespeare’s language, but their own. They are in charge of translating and presenting their interpretation to the class. They are the writers and the directors, and should be as creative and imaginative as possible, although they must include the major occurrences of the scene (these may vary for each teacher). Remind students that the part of the nurse must be dealt with in some way, but will vary with each presentation. Encourage props, costume, and alternative presentation. (I had one set of presenters use puppets, which was not only original, but cured a bit of stage fright one of the performers had.) (5 min.)
  5. In pairs, students translate the text together, each making their own copy for presentation use. Although length will vary, good scripts will be approximately 3-4 pages in length (see a student example) (90 min.)
  6. Students take turn presenting their work in front of the class. Talk about the differences of each presentation either in between each performance, or at the end. This will help refer back to the scene’s action, and the importance of performance to the overall action of the play. Students should fill out the evaluation sheets during each performance. (60 min.)

Assessment

  • Students could be assessed daily with a participation grade, keeping them on task during discussions and script writing.
  • While students are performing, their peers will become a part of the assessment process by filling out evaluation sheets.
  • Teacher should use the evaluation sheets, participation grades, and their own observation to determine grades for each group, or on an individual basis.

Because this is such a time consuming project, I weight this assignment worth a quiz or test grade.

Supplemental information

Comments

Same sex problems - Some students did not like working with the same sex. Although I tried to accommodate them, I also reminded them that back in Shakespeare’s time, only men would perform on stage, so there really isn’t anything unusual about it.

Stage set-up - Although we stayed in the classroom for the presentations, I think it would have been fun to have done the presentations on an auditorium stage.

Illness - Although it’s bound to happen, I remind the students that if they are absent they are responsible for getting their work done with their partner on their own time. Also, if there are an odd number of students in the class, the teacher can act a part.

North Carolina curriculum alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 9

  • Goal 1: The learner will express reflections and reactions to print and non-print text and personal experiences.
    • Objective 1.02: Respond reflectively (individually and in groups) to a variety of expressive texts (e.g., memoirs, vignettes, narratives, diaries, monologues, personal responses) in a way that offers an audience:
      • an understanding of the student's personal reaction to the text.
      • a sense of how the reaction results from a careful consideration of the text.
      • an awareness of how personal and cultural influences affect the response.
  • Goal 5: The learner will demonstrate understanding of various literary genres, concepts, elements, and terms.
    • Objective 5.01: Read and analyze various literary works by:
      • using effective reading strategies for preparation, engagement, reflection.
      • recognizing and analyzing the characteristics of literary genres, including fiction (e.g., myths, legends, short stories, novels), non-fiction (e.g., essays, biographies, autobiographies, historical documents), poetry (e.g., epics, sonnets, lyric poetry, ballads) and drama (e.g., tragedy, comedy).
      • interpreting literary devices such as allusion, symbolism, figurative language, flashback, dramatic irony, dialogue, diction, and imagery.
      • understanding the importance of tone, mood, diction, and style.
      • explaining and interpreting archetypal characters, themes, settings.
      • explaining how point of view is developed and its effect on literary texts.
      • determining a character's traits from his/her actions, speech, appearance, or what others say about him or her.
      • explaining how the writer creates character, setting, motif, theme, and other elements.
      • making thematic connections among literary texts and media and contemporary issues.
      • understanding the importance of cultural and historical impact on literary texts.
      • producing creative responses that follow the conventions of a specific genre and using appropriate literary devices for that genre.
    • Objective 5.02: Demonstrating increasing comprehension and ability to respond personally to texts by selecting and exploring a wide range of genres.

  • Common Core State Standards

    • English Language Arts (2010)

      • Reading: Literature

        • Grade 8
          • 8.RL.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
          • 8.RL.7 Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.
        • Grade 9-10
          • 9-10.RL.10 By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend...
          • 9-10.RL.6 Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.
          • 9-10.RL.7 Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus).

      • Speaking & Listening

        • Grade 8
          • 8.SL.2 Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.
        • Grade 9-10
          • 9-10.SL.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.