1. Common Core Standards:
RL , RL , RL9-10.4, RL , L9-1.5a
Wednesday, April 3rd, 2019
Aim: How can we analyze the actions of minor characters playing a major role in the events of the play?
Objective: Students will be able to describe how minor characters (Nurse, Tybalt, Mercutio, and Friar Lawrence) are integral to the action of the play.
Do Now: Answer one of the following questions.
1.) Imagine you are to be secretly married. What is going through your mind? What are you feeling? Who do you tell, if anybody? OR
2.) If you were Romeo, what would you do upon finding out that Tybalt has issued you a challenge?

2. Common Core Standards:
RL , RL , RL9-10.4, RL , L9-1.5a
Wednesday, April 3rd, 2019
Aim: How can we analyze the actions of minor characters playing a major role in the events of the play?
Objective: Students will be able to describe how minor characters (Nurse, Tybalt, Mercutio, and Friar Lawrence) are integral to the action of the play.
Agenda
1.) Do Now: Answer one or both questions, turn and talk with your tablemates. Captains will prepare to share with the class.
2.) Mini-Lesson: Recall important events that will affect the action of today’s reading. Together we will read Act II, Scene IV, V, and VI of Romeo and Juliet. We will be stopping occasionally to decipher important passages, character choices, and events that take place in order to get a better understanding of the complex text.
3.) Reflection: What are some of the importance events that occur in these scenes? Do you think it’s fate or free will that influenced Romeo and Juliet? What are the advantages and disadvantages to a secret marriage? What other sensible arrangements could have been made?

3. Enter Romeo
When Romeo enters the scene his Mercutio reminds him about the fact that he ditched him and Benvolio. Romeo responds by saying he had important business to attend to. We know what he’s talking about. What was the business?
The nurse enters the scene with Peter. Mercutio welcomes her in typical Mercutio fashion, with a questionable joke and the nurse doesn’t seem to fond of him. Understandable
What reasons would the nurse have to visit Romeo? How would she know about this? Someone must have told her. Would anyone else know about it now? Maybe it’ll explain the letter.
Shakespeare in this scene uses the technique of malapropism. Malapropism is defined as the use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one. What words were meant to be used here?

4. So why did the nurse visit?
After Romeo manages to take the Nurse aside we learn of the reason for her visit. Why is she there?
She is there to gather the details of the plan Romeo was to come up with. What did Juliet task him with doing?
Romeo tells the nurse that he did his part, which was planning the wedding, but now she has to come up with an excuse to visit Friar Lawrence. They exchange the necessary details and the plan is set.
The nurse says something about Romeo, what is it and is the first time something like this is said?
She states that both Romeo and Rosemary begin with the same letter. Rosemary is an herb that has been associated with remembrance and death. There are several accounts of funerals in England where attendees would toss bouquets of rosemary on top of coffins. Is that a something that one would want to be associated with?

5. The Nurse Returns
We know the nurse has gone to learn the details of the plan from Romeo. Juliet is waiting for her return. How does she feel?
Juliet is complaining about how the nurse is taking her sweet time to return. Juliet ends up blaming the nurse’s old age as the reason why she has taken a long time. How rude
The nurse decides to act a little coy (reluctant to give details) about the conversation with Romeo when she gets back despite Juliet being visibly concerned about the details. What does she say when she ultimately does?
Clearly the nurse would rather Juliet marry Paris instead of Romeo based on what she says about him but regardless she tells Juliet of the plan providing her with the information she needs. Juliet is informed that she must go see Friar Lawrence and that she has to set out the rope Romeo requested. It is happening!

6. The Big Day
Juliet has set off to meet with Friar Lawrence and Romeo, who are with us once at the beginning of the scene waiting for her arrival.
Romeo and the friar are talking and Romeo cannot stop gushing over his soon-to-be wife. Saying that a love-devouring death can do what it wants so long as it arrives after his marriage. Foreshadowing anyone?
Juliet enters the scene, greetings are exchanged and everyone who is present knows why they are there. Everyone exits and the two lovers are married (off-stage). Shakespeare chooses to have the wedding done off-stage, meaning the audience doesn’t actually see the ceremony take place. Why do you think that is?