Warm-Up 1 What have we learned so far… How is dramatic literature different than other genres? What information must be inferred while reading it? What strategies can you use to “decode” Shakespeare?

Warm-Up 2 Get out a sheet of paper that you will turn in at the end of class. At the top, answer this question: How do you feel about Shakespeare at this point – awesome or overrated? Explain.

Let’s read our best Scene 1 rewrite! Warm-Up 3 What did you do over the break? Did you think about Shakespeare or Romeo and Juliet at all? If so, when? Come up with at least 1 way in which your activities related to Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, or dramatic literature. Let’s read our best Scene 1 rewrite!

What’s so great about this guy anyway? William Shakespeare What’s so great about this guy anyway?

He didn’t invent the storyline Based on poem by Arthur Brooke The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet based on older Italian stories Changes: Brooke’s moral = listen to your parents; Shakespeare = no moral; died b/c of fate Cut from 9 months to 4 days More character development Added Mercutio & nurse Lowered Juliet’s age from 18 to 13 Lesson 4

Before We Read Complete Anticipation Guide Do these topics matter?

Let’s Start with the Prologue What is the setting? What is the relationship b/t the 2 households? What are “star-crossed lovers”? What happens to the lovers? What is the subject matter of this play? What are they asking you to do in the last 2 lines? Why begin with this?

In a nutshell Capulets & Montagues are enemies Romeo is hopelessly in love with Rosaline. Count Paris wants to marry Juliet. Romeo goes to party to see Rosaline, meets Juliet, and instantly falls in love with her. They discover they are enemies and decide to secretly wed. After the wedding, Tybalt (Juliet’s cousin) kills Romeo’s best friend, Mercutio, so Romeo kills Tybalt. As a result, Romeo is exiled. Meanwhile, Juliet’s dad arranges for her to marry Paris. To prevent her marriage to Paris, Juliet fakes her death. Romeo doesn’t get the message that it’s fake, so he thinks she’s really dead and kills himself. When Juliet discovers him dead, she kills herself. The parents find their dead children and decide to end their feud.

The Opening Scene Let’s read it together in modern text Let’s watch it Brainstorm list of his audience members How does it appeal to each of these groups? In your opinion, does this scene make Shakespeare seem awesome or overrated?

Compare 2 Versions Now let’s watch version 2 To what types of audiences does this one appeal? What changes were made in order to do so? Does this version add to or take away from Shakespeare’s splendor?

Considering Audience Rewrite the opening scene so that it appeals to an audience of your choice. You must keep some of basics of the story – 2 groups hate each other, Romeo is in love Everything else can change – add/delete characters, change words, setting, etc. I will choose the best one for our class to read next session. Min. 2 pages

Shakespeare Said It Better Compare modern text w/ original text and find a line where Shakespeare said it better. On your index card, write down both versions. Post lesson, explain why it’s better. Project on smart board & make notes on it?

Language Terms Figurative Language Sounds Word Play alliteration simile metaphor personification idiom hyperbole understatement Sounds alliteration assonance consonance rhythm Word Play pun double entendre

Sometimes words just sound/feel cool… voluptuous bamboozled flabbergasted babushka cockatoo pumpernickel

Sometimes the sound of a word matches its meaning… umber (brown, neutral) mellow (smooth, soft, easygoing) sonorous (resonant) obstreperous (noisy, unruly) truculent (aggressively defiant) vituperative (verbally abusive) obdurate (stubborn)

The Base Stealer by Robert Francis Poised between going on and back, pulled Both ways taut like a tightrope-walker, Fingertips pointing the opposites, Now bouncing tiptoe like a dropped ball Or a kid skipping rope, come on, come on, Running a scattering of steps sidewise, How he teeters, skitters, tingles, teases, Taunts them, hovers like an ecstatic bird, He’s only flirting, crowd him, crowd him, Delicate, delicate, delicate, delicate—now!

The Base Stealer by Robert Francis Poised between going on and back, pulled Paused between going on and back, pulled Both ways taut like a tightrope-walker, Both ways stretched like a rubberband, Fingertips pointing the opposites, Now bouncing tiptoe like a dropped ball Now springing tiptoe like a slinky Or a kid skipping rope, come on, come on,

The Base Stealer by Robert Francis Running a scattering of steps sidewise, Running a bunch of steps to the side, How he teeters, skitters, tingles, teases, How he wobbles, runs with tiny steps, itches, annoys, Taunts them, hovers like an ecstatic bird, Insults them, floats like an balloon, He’s only flirting, crowd him, crowd him, He’s only playing, crowd him, crowd him, Delicate, delicate, delicate, delicate—now! Gentle, gentle, gentle, gentle —now!

The Language of William Shakespeare

Terms to Know blank verse rhymed verse couplet prose

What Makes Shakespeare’s Plays Great? Shakespeare’s plays have been popular worldwide for four hundred years because they appeal to powerful and universal human emotions contain striking images, memorable expressions, and compelling passages

The Language of Shakespeare’s Plays Shakespeare uses both poetry and prose in his plays. Elizabethan playwrights generally considered poetry to be elevated language. Poetry is usually spoken by the main or high-ranking characters. Elizabethan playwrights generally considered prose to be common language. Prose is usually spoken by the supporting or low-ranking characters.

Shakespeare’s Use of Poetry The poetry in Shakespeare’s plays consists of both blank verse and rhymed verse. Shakespeare uses blank verse—unrhymed iambic pentameter—in nearly 70 percent of his dramatic dialogue. Shakespeare uses rhymed verse in about 10 percent of his dramatic dialogue. His rhymed verse often consists of couplets—two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme.

Shakespeare’s Use of Blank Verse Blank verse sounds similar to human speech but is still considered elevated language. The rhythm of blank verse emphasizes imagery and heightens the emotional impact of language. Mercutio. True, I talk of dreams; Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy; Which is as thin of substance as the air, . . . from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Use of Rhymed Verse Rhymed verse is often used to express matters of love and courtship. Romeo. If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Use of Rhymed Verse Couplets may punctuate a character’s exit signal the end of a scene Prince. For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo. [Exuent omnes.] from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Use of Prose Shakespeare uses prose in more than 20 percent of his dramatic dialogue. Prose is often used to express lighthearted or casual sentiments friendly exchanges humor Second Watchman. If we know him to be a thief, shall we not lay hands on him? Dogberry. Truly, by your office you may . . . . The most peaceable way for you, if you do take a thief, is to let him show himself what he is and steal out of your company. from Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Close Read Read 4 times… decode: read & “translate” actions: what do you imagine the actors are doing in these lines tone: experiment w/ the different ways the actor might say these lines look closely: what do you notice about the sound of the words, the figurative language, etc.

1-13: 4 servants 14-38: Capulet & 2nd Capulet 39-51: Romeo & servant 53-62: Tybalt & Capulet 63-74a: Capulet & Tybalt 74b-86: Capulet & Tybalt 87-90: Tybalt 91-108: Romeo & Juliet 109-116: Romeo & Nurse 119-125: Capulet 126-end: Juliet & Nurse *You will read/perform both parts, but only analyze the underlined character