1. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
Student Objectives Standards Terms to Know Setting Characters

2. Student Objectives
Identify and explain the elements of drama in general, Greek and/or Shakespeare in particular.
Explain the structure of the plot and describe the dramatic techniques the playwright uses to advance the them.
Trace the development of major and minor characters and explain how characterization advances the plot or theme.
Understand Shakespeare’s definitions of comedy and tragedy and explain how the works studied exemplify the term “tragedy”.
Analyze the playwright’s use of irony, figurative language and tragic patterns.
Identify the poetic devices used in the play and explain their effect.

3. Standards
Reading :Analyze how complex characters (those with conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Reading 9 – 10.5: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it, and manipulate time to create tension or surprise.
Reading : Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (how song writers treat the main theme in Romeo and Juliet)
Reading : Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Writing : Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization and analysis of content.
SL a-c: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 9 topics, tests and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

4. Terminology
Aside – words that are spoken by a character in a play to the audience or to another character but that are not supposed to be overheard by the others on stage.
Blank Verse – poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter.
Chorus – played by a single actor who briefly summarizes the plot of the play, welcomes the audience and gives them a taste of the story
Classical Allusions – reference to a statement, a person, a place, or an event from literature, history, religion, mythology, politics, sports, science or pop culture.
Comedy – a story that ends happily.
Dialogue – the conversation between characters in a story or play.
Foil – character who is used as a contrast to another character.
Heroic Couplet – two rhymed lines written in iambic pentameter
Hubris- excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance
Iambic Pentameter – line of poetry that contains 5 iambs (metrical foot consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable)

5. Terminology continued…
Irony – Dramatic – when the audience or the reader knows something important that a character in a play or story does not know.
Irony – Situational – when there is a contrast between what would seem appropriate and what really happens.
Irony – Verbal – a writer or speaker says one thing but really means something completely different.
Monologue – a long speech by one character to one or more other characters
Prologue – introduction of the play to the audience
Protagonist – main character I fiction or drama.
Soliloquy – long speech in which a character who is onstage alone expresses his or her thoughts aloud.
Sonnets (Shakespearean)– 14 line lyric poem that is usually written in iambic pentameter and that has a rhyme scheme of abab, cdcd, efef, gg
Tragedy – play that depicts serious and important events in which the main character comes to an unhappy end
Tragic Hero – central character, noble figure who has a personal failing that leads to his or her downfall

6. SETTING FOR ROMEO AND JULIET
15TH Century
Verona, Italy
Play takes place over a 5 day period
Two families feuding: Montagues and Capulets
Montague family symbolizes nobility and old money
Capulet family symbolizes new money (rich merchants) infringing on nobility
Some also interpret the families representing the Catholic and Anglican churches and their feud in England

7. CHARACTERS Dynamic Characters Static Characters
These are characters that mature and change over the course of a play or a novel
Romeo and Juliet are the two dynamic characters
Static Characters
These are characters who do not change over the course of a play
All of the other characters in the play are static
Lord Montague, Lord Capulet and Lady Capulet change regarding the feud at the end of the play, but it is too late.

8. Terminology Practice Aside a. Blank Verse b. Chorus c.
Classical Allusions d.
Comedy e.

9. Terminology Practice Dialogue a. Foil b. Heroic Couplet c. Hubris d.
Iambic Pentameter e.

10. Terminology Practice Irony – Dramatic a. Irony – Situational b.
Irony – Verbal c.
Monologue d.
Prologue e.

11. Terminology Practice Protagonist a. Soliloquy b. Sonnets c. Tragedy d.
Tragic Hero e.

12. Terminology Practice Aside a. Blank Verse b. Chorus c.
Classical Allusions d.
Comedy e.
Dialogue f.
Foil g.
Heroic Couplet h.
Hubris i.
Iambic Pentameter j.

13. Terminology Practice Irony – Dramatic a. Irony – Situational b.
Irony – Verbal c.
Monologue d.
Prologue e.
Protagonist f.
Soliloquy g.
Sonnets h.
Tragedy i.
Tragic Hero j.

15. Plot Triangle/Diagram
All of Shakespeare’s plays have 5 acts
Act I-Exposition
*tone, setting, characters,
Prologue, servants fight, Verona/ 1300’s
Main characters: R, J, M, B, P, T
Montagues vs. capulets ,
Romeo depressed – Rosaline
Paris wants to marry J
Capulet party
Prince’s warning
R & J meet at Cap party)
Act II-Rising Action
*series of complications for main character(s),
builds suspense
Act III- Climax
*Biggest moment for main character(s),
turning point in play
(Tybalt kills Mercutio, R kills Tybalt, R banished, R & J spend wedding night together,
Cap arranges wedding to Paris on Thurs, J & Cap fight)
Act IV-Falling Action
*Action winds down but maintains suspense
(Friar gives plan to J, Cap moves wedding up a day,
(Balcony scene, Tybalt
writes R letter-fight, R & J marry)
J takes potion, J’s funeral)
Act V- Resolution

16. Shakespeare Terms to Know
Write down the following terms in your “NOTES” section in your binder.
Define each of the terms using your textbook, pages
Dramatic irony
Blank verse
Couplet 
Rhyme pattern/scheme
Alliteration
Imagery 
Personification 
Tragic flaw
-A flaw in the character of the protagonist of a tragedy that brings the protagonist to ruin or sorrow.
17. Comic relief 
Sonnet (Shakespearean) 
Dialogue
 Dramatic Monologue
 Pun
 Aside
 Soliloquy
 Foil (Character)
 Oxymoron
-fig. of speech that
combines contradictory
terms ( living dead, heavy light)

17. Additional terms to know:
Chorus
Classical Allusions
Comedy
Hubris
Iambic Pentameter
Irony – Situational
Irony – Verbal
Prologue
Protagonist
Tragedy
Tragic Hero