1. Women in Romeo and Juliet

2. Starter: How do you think women treated in Romeo and Juliet?
Objectified Physically and verbally abused Put up on pedestals Patronised

3. Model
Point, evidence, explain, link. How are women treated in Romeo and Juliet? The women in Romeo and Juliet are treated in various ways; they are objectified, physically and verbally abused, put up on pedestals and patronised. This is a reflection of the social context during the Elizabethan era where women had no legal rights or education and did not inherit their families fortune unless there was no male heir and they were unmarried. Female children were also viewed as an asset which could be married off into other families should it benefit the family in terms of money or status. In Act 1 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet, we see how women are placed on a pedestal and objectified through the conversation between Romeo and Benvolio. The juxtaposition of language between Benvolio and Romeo reveal the different attitudes towards women. Romeo, whose long-winded descriptions of Rosaline, sees women as perfect creatures to be adored whereas Benvolio’s attitude towards women seems more objectified. Romeo states, “ She hath,…..that live to tell it now.” Romeo clearly views Rosaline as irreplaceable and perfect. This contrasts heavily with Benvolio’s response, “examine other beauties.” This is shorter in length and more to the point which reveals to us a nonchalant attitude towards love. The reference to women as ‘beauties’ suggests that Benvolio sees women as objects to be looked at rather than individual people. The juxtaposed language between these two cousins reveal two different perceptions of women.

4. Read the following extracts and discuss how women are treated
Read the following extracts and discuss how women are treated. Where possible, refer to social and historical context.
Act 1 Scene 2 (page 13) Act 2 Scene 2 (page 32) Act 2 Scene 4 (page 49) Act 3 Scene 4 (page 78-79)

5. Plenary Swap your work with a peer and check the following:
Topic sentences are clear
Text is referenced closely
Explanations are clear
Social and historical context mentioned where possible