Romeo and Juliet Act 5 Scene 1, 2 and start 3 Date: Objectives Finish Act 5 Scene 1 and 2 and begin scene 3 See how Romeo is getting on. By the end of the class, students should be prepared for the ending of the play. Warm –up – write the quote, answer the questions “Her body sleeps in Capel’s Monument, And her immortal part with angels lives.” The end of the play is fast approaching and we know that Romeo and Juliet die. Does this knowledge make you more or less interested to see how it is going to happen. If you were to guess how each person dies, what would your guess be?

Today’s Reading Act 5 Scene 1 2.32 – 2.37 We see Romeo doing quite well in his new life. News of Juliet’s death comes from a messenger and he buys poison. Scene 2 2.37 – 2.39 Friar Laurence speaks to another Friar about how much his plan as gone wrong. Scene 3 (part 1) 2.39 – 2.44 Romeo goes to Juliet’s tomb and Paris is there. It does not end well for Paris. Audiobook at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYDFQL_LfeY

Notes – Act 5 Scene 1 Romeo is happy and had a good dream about the future. This is ironic since we know what is about to happen. Romeo’s servant, Balthasar, arrives with news of Juliet’s death which they do not know is faked. Romeo’s mood changes completely as he decides to return to Verona and poison himself beside her body. This is another example of Romeo acting too fast and without thinking. There is a also a reference back to Friar Laurence’s plants. Romeo calls the poison a medicine, believing it is the only way to cure his unhappiness. “Come, cordial and not poison, go with me (Cordial – medicine) To Juliet’s grave. For there must I use thee” If Romeo waited, he might have learned of Friar Laurence’s plan.

Notes – Act 5 Scene 2 and 3 (part 1) Friar Laurence does not know that Balthasar has given Romeo news of Juliet’s death. He does know that he must get to Juliet’s tomb before she awakens. His plan is to hide her in his cell until Romeo arrives. Fate or destiny has prevented Friar Laurence’s message from getting to Romeo. A plague (sickness) prevented his messenger from reaching Romeo. His final lines in the scene are a soliloquy (talking to himself), telling the audience what his thoughts and plans are. Scene 3 is set in the Capulet’s tomb. This is like a vault, partly above and below ground level, which contains the bodies of many Capulets, including Tybalt. Romeo has a clear plan of what he is going to do. He gives a letter to Balthasar (who does not know his plan) to deliver to his father, along with some money. Paris assumes Romeo is a grave-robbing villain and is killed senselessly.

Exercises In pairs, discuss and answer to the following: There is a reason this play is so popular and why it is taught in schools. The characters aren’t heroes we want to be like but rather people we try to learn from. Is there anything Romeo or Juliet have done that you would do differently in their situation or not have done at all? Why?

Exercise In pairs, write and perform the following scenario. One of you have just lost someone or something very important to you. You are sad and go looking for poison to die. The other person is an Apothecary (think of a drug dealer) who does not want to give him the poison however the Apothecary is so poor and hungry that he must. End the scene by referring to the poison as medicine and that you are off to be with whoever or whatever you lost.

Questions – Point, “reference”, explain. Describe Romeo’s mood at the start of scene 1. Describe his mood after Balthasar’s news. What does Friar Laurence plan at the end of scene 2? Describe Paris’s mood at the start of scene 3. What is Paris Dying wish? What does this tell us about how Paris felt about Juliet?

Cooldown Question Do you like sad movies? Can you name any sad movies? Why do think people watch sad movies?