On My Bookshelf: Still Star-Crossed by Melinda Taub

The basic plot from Amazon: Soon to be an ABC TV show by producer Shonda Rhimes! Still Star-Crossed follows the aftermath of the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet, as mysterious figures in Verona are determined to reignite the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets.

In fair Verona, enemies still walk the streets.
Two news hearts. Same two families.
The fight to the altar is about to happen.
All. Over. Again.

This homage to the classic Shakespearean tale of Romeo and Juliet will have readers pining for a star-crossed love of their very own.

Why I liked it: Still Star-Crossed picks up where Romeo and Juliet, my favorite of Shakespeare's plays leaves off. With the two young lovers dead and buried, the play's minor characters become major ones. At the center is Rosaline, Romeo's love interest before Juliet, niece of Lord and Lady Capulet, and childhood playmate of Prince Escalus. Escalus calls on Rosaline to marry Benvolio Montague, Romeo's cousin and best friend, to solidify the peace between the two families while unknown forces seek to continue the feud by vandalizing the statue of Juliet.

The characters in the novel are consistent with Shakespeare's descriptions but truly come to life in the novel with a few new additions who are equally interesting, such as Livia, Rosaline's sister and Isabelle, Prince Escalus's sister. Benvolio is still benevolent, the Nurse is still as bumbling as ever, and Friar Laurence is still feeling responsible for Romeo and Juliet's tragic deaths. The novel is peppered with language from Shakespeare's play and its plot twists surprised me throughout.

Classroom application: This novel would be a great addition to your high school classroom library. The action and suspense will draw in both male and female students. Middle schoolers might not appreciate the connection to Shakespeare's play (typically read in ninth grade) as much and it does include alcohol, violence, and an almost rape scene. I'd also recommend it as a whole class novel following reading Romeo and Juliet. It would be a great way to introduce students to fan fiction writing.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Still Star-Crossed for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

How to Teach Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Making Real World Connections

After students finish reading Act V of Romeo and Juliet, I don't want them to write off the play as just a far fetched love story from the past.

I use three nonfiction articles to show students that love, and the hate that can tear that love apart, are very much still a part of today's world.

Romeo and Juliet in Bosnia
Our first read is an opinion piece from the New York Times titled "In America; Romeo And Juliet In Bosnia." The piece was written in response to a PBS documentary focused on Bosko Brkic, an Eastern Orthodox Serb, and Admira Ismic, a Muslim, who met and fell in love, but died together trying to escape Sarajevo and the Bosnia-Serbian conflict taking place there.

In our discussion following the reading, we compare and contrast Bosko and Admira's conflict with the one Romeo and Juliet faced. We also compare and contrast the feelings of Bosko and Admira's family members to feelings of the Montagues and the Capulets. Finally, we compare and contrast the death of Admira and Bosko with the death of Romeo and Juliet.

Besides comparing and contrasting the characters of Shakespeare's tragedy and this real life couple, we also focus on the hate that complicated Bosko and Admira's relationship, and whether that kind of hate still exists. The Bosnia-Serbian conflict lasted from 1992-1995, and while that was only twenty some years ago, it can feel very far away for students. Showing the documentary or clips from it, can make the events seem even even further in the past for students because the quality of the video is so different from what they see today.

Romeo and Juliet in Afghanistan
Our second read is a series of articles from the New York Times focused on two young Afghans in love. "2 Star-Crossed Afghans Cling to Love, Even at Risk of Death" is followed by other articles and several video interviews. Zakia is 18 and Mohammad Ali is 21, both the children of farmers in this remote mountain province. Mohammad Ali is a Hazara, who are mostly Shia Muslims. Zakia is a Tajik, a Sunni ethnic group. Despite threats of death from her family, the young lovers elope and become fugitives. The articles, the first of which was published in the spring of 2014, follow their attempts to flee the country until they are able to seek asylum in the United States in the spring of 2016.

In our discussion following the reading, we compare and contrast Mohammad Ali and Zakia's conflict with the one Romeo and Juliet faced. We also compare and contrast the feelings of Mohammad Ali and Zakia's family members to feelings of the Montagues and the Capulets. While their love story does not end in death, we discuss the challenges that still remain for the couple.

Dear Juliet
Our final reading is more about love than hate. "Dear Juliet: Let Me Tell You About My Problem" explains the letter writing phenomenon more recently featured in the film Letters to Juliet. The Club of Juliet is a private organization that receives, translates and answers Juliet's mail; she now receives 50,000 letters a year.

In our discussion following the reading, we examine the reasons why people write to Juliet. Some of the letters described in the article mirror the plights of Bosko and Admira and Mohammad Ali and Zakia. I also have students write their own letters to Juliet. The letters can be a response to the play, filled with unanswered questions, or of a more personal nature. The last time I mailed them off, it did take a year, but my students did get a response from Juliet!

Assessment
After reading all about all three topics as a class, students have a choice of which one to follow up on with further reading, research, and completion of a project. For Romeo and Juliet in Bosnia, students compose an interview script with a member of Bosko or Admira’s family 20 years after their deaths. For Romeo and Juliet in Afghanistan, students create an informational pamphlet about seeking asylum in the United States. And for Dear Juliet, students write a movie review of Letters to Juliet, including analysis of the accuracy of the representation of Juliet’s Club.

You can find all of my resources for teaching Romeo and Juliet, including the materials described above that I use to make connections with the play, here.

How to Teach Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Act V

After reading Act IV of Romeo and Juliet, students are well aware of all the things that could possibly go wrong and they can't wait to see how it all ends. Here's my approach to teaching the final part of the play.

Planning Out The Reading

I don't want to kill the play, so in each act, I generally choose to read the scene with the events most important to developing the plot. In Act V, that is the final scene. While I usually choose one other scene per act to read, Act V is short so we just read one.

I provide short summaries for any scenes we skip to fill students in on the less important events. I like to spend about a week on each act of the play, so the days we don't spend reading are spent on after reading activities, writing, and a short assessment.

Before jumping into this week's reading, we'll spend a few minutes reviewing the scenes from last week. I'll also review dramatic irony (introduced in Act IV) using examples from previous scenes and couplets, which I cover in a poetry unit earlier in the year.

Act V, Scene III
This scene is meant to be read independently because of the number of monologues. It includes summaries of Act V, Scene I; Act V, Scene II; and parts of Act V, Scene III. Then I provide the text of Act V, Scene II with the original text and the modern translations side by side. I edit the scene by cutting lines out. After reading, students translate words from the original to modern text, and vice versa. Then students answer short written response questions to demonstrate comprehension. We review this together at the end of class.

After Reading Activities

By the time the play ends, students have been on as much of an emotional roller coaster as the characters. They are often unsatisfied with the lack of specificity of the Prince's statement about pardons and punishments at the end of Act V, Scene III. I give students a chance to journal about who is to blame for the death of the two young lovers and what the punishment should be for those responsible. We also return to the idea of "what ifs" from Act IV. Students reflect on how both Romeo and Juliet and the adults in their lives could have acted differently to prevent such a tragic ending.

If I haven't already taught Shakespearean sonnets as a part of my poetry unit earlier in the year, I'll introduce them to the poetic form now. After reading one of Shakespeare's sonnets, I show my students the clip from 10 Things I Hate About You where Kat reads her “sonnet” to the class. I have my class decide if she is following the format of a Shakespearean sonnet (hint: she doesn't). You may have to play it several times for the students to make a decision.

Then we write some silly sonnets of our own. I start with a fill-in-the-blank template to help them get started with lines like "I love you like a kid loves birthday cake" and "I even love your stinky feet." We do some whole class brainstorming of words that rhyme with the provided lines and when finished, I let students share their favorite lines. Finally, I set students off to write a sonnet on their own. This one can be silly or serious. As students work on their own poems, I remind them of the rhyme scheme and if they are comfortable with that, I challenge them to also use iambic pentameter.

Writing & Assessment
At the end of the week, I will give students a choice of two constructed response prompts, one connected to each of the scenes on which we focused. This is a chance for them to independently express their understanding of what we read, practice citing text evidence, and continue to build on their writing skills in general. 

I also assign a text based assessment, which covers Act V. The assessment includes a section of Act V, ten multiple-choice questions, and two choices for a written response. Questions ask students to to analyze characters words and actions, to paraphrase important lines, and to define and give examples of dramatic irony and couplets.

You can find all of my resources for teaching Romeo and Juliet, including the materials described above that I use to teach Act V, here.

Read on for my approach to making real world connections to Romeo and Juliet.

How to Teach Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Act IV

After reading Act III, students can't wait to see what will happen to Romeo and Juliet. Will their love prevail or will their relationship end as quickly as it began? In Act IV, Scenes I and III, it is clear that desperate times call for desperate measures. Here's my approach to teaching those scenes.

Planning Out The Reading
I don't want to kill the play, so in each act, I generally choose to read the scene with the events most important to developing the plot. In Act IV, that is the first scene.

I usually choose one other scene per act to read that highlights another important aspect of the play. Act IV, Scene III is full of amazing imagery and is further evidence of Juliet's commitment to her new husband Romeo.

I provide short summaries for any scenes we skip to fill students in on the less important events. I like to spend about a week on each act of the play, so the days we don't spend reading are spent on after reading activities, writing, and a short assessment.

Before jumping into this week's reading, we'll spend a few minutes reviewing the scenes from last week. I'll also introduce or review important terms. I'll introduce dramatic irony and use examples from previous scenes. I'll review cause and effect, which students can get mixed up even at the high school level. I'll also review aside and soliloquy, both introduced with Act II.

Act IV, Scene I
I present this scene to students entirely in Shakespeare’s language, but an edited down version. The scene ends up about one page front and back, creating a script that can easily be acted out by students.

Before assigning parts and having my students act, as a class we do one or two read throughs. In the first read through, we number the lines of the scene up to the number of students in the class and then repeat until each line of the scene is numbered. Then students count off and read “their” lines regardless of the character speaking. If I feel like a second read through is necessary, we number the parts rather than individual lines. Each time a different character speaks, so does a new student.

Once students are comfortable with the language, I ask them to play the part of the director and insert stage directions. Where do characters enter and exit? When does Juliet reveal her knife? When does the Friar reveal the potion?

Finally, I have students get up and act out the scene. I usually let students choose their parts, but if necessary I will assign them. Some students don't mind reading, but don't want to get up out of their seats, so I will sometimes have someone assigned as the reader for a part and someone else as the silent actor or actress for the part. I can get twice the number of students involved that way and draw on students’ strengths. Students who are uncomfortable getting up in front of the class can still participate and students who enjoy acting won't be hindered by having to hold a script.

Act IV, Scene III
This scene is a monologue, so students read it independently. I include summaries of Act 4, Scene 2; Act 4, Scene 4; and Act 4, Scene 5. Then I provide the text of Act 4, Scene 3 with the original text and modern translations side by side. I edit the scene by cutting lines out. After reading, students translate words from the original to modern text, and vice versa. Then students answer short written response questions to demonstrate comprehension and identify the possible series of cause and effect of Juliet’s actions. We review this together at the end of class.

After Reading Activities
While students know how the play will end, it is fun to think about the "what ifs." We use Juliet's monologue from Act IV, Scene III to begin listing all of the possible directions the storyline could go and the events to which those directions would lead. Students choose one possibility about which to write a creative end to the play. Students then share their writing with each other in a collaborative Jamboard. I love seeing how they incorporate unexpected characters and create twists in the plot.

Writing & Assessment

At the end of the week, I will give students a text dependent analysis prompts connected to one of the scenes on which we focused. This is a chance for them to independently express their understanding of what we read, practice citing text evidence, and continue to build on their writing skills in general. 

I also assign a text based assessment, which covers Act IV. The assessment includes a section of Act IV, ten multiple-choice questions, and two choices for a written response. Questions ask students to analyze characters words and actions and paraphrase important lines.

You can find all of my resources for teaching Romeo and Juliet, including the materials described above that I use to teach Act IV, here.

Read on for my approach to teaching Act V of Romeo and Juliet.

How to Teach Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Act III

After reading most of Act II, students are both in awe and disbelief at the speed at which Romeo and Juliet's romance develops. To continue building the excitement and tension, I pair Act II, Scene V with Act III, Scene I. Here's my approach to teaching them.

Planning Out The Reading
I don't want to kill the play, so in each act, I generally choose to read the scene with the events most important to developing the plot. In Act III, that is the first scene.

I usually choose one other scene per act to read that highlights another important aspect of the play. Before getting into the action of Act III, Scene I, I use Act II, Scene V to highlight Shakespeare's use of lower class characters to provide humor. It's also a chance for students to see how devoted Juliet is to Romeo and just one night.

I provide short summaries for any scenes we skip to fill students in on the less important events. I like to spend about a week on each act of the play, so the days we don't spend reading are spent on after reading activities, writing, and a short assessment.

Before jumping into this week's reading, we'll spend a few minutes reviewing the scenes from last week. I'll also introduce or review important terms. I'll review turning point, which I introduce as part the tragedy cycle before beginning the play. I'll introduce the relationship between class and humor the role of class and humor and refer back to Act I, Scene I or Act I, Scene III for examples.

Act II, Scene V
Students sometimes have difficulty seeing the humor in this scene, so I often do a short improvisation before hand. I ask for a student volunteer to help me and tell him/her to respond to me in our scene as the average individual would. I begin by telling them that I went to the store and brought back the candy bar (cookies, fruit, snack item) he/she asked me to get. Then instead of giving him/her the candy bar, I change the subject, ask questions about irrelevant topics, say I need to get a napkin, plate, fork, etc before I give it to them. As this goes on, the student will get frustrated and eventually demand the candy bar, just as Juliet demands an answer from the Nurse. I then reward my volunteer with the candy bar.

Students are then prepared to read the scene independently. I include summaries of Act II, Scene III; Act II, Scene IV; and Act II, Scene VI. Then I provide the text of  Act II, Scene V with the original text and modern translations side by side. I edit the scene by cutting lines out. After reading, students translate words from the original to modern text, and vice versa. Then students answer short written response questions to demonstrate comprehension. We review this together at the end of class.

Act III, Scene I

I present this scene to students entirely in Shakespeare’s language, but an edited down version. The scene ends up about one page front and back, creating a script that can easily be acted out by students. 

Before assigning parts and having my students act, as a class we do one or two read throughs. In the first read through, we number the lines of the scene up to the number of students in the class and then repeat until each line of the scene is numbered. Then students count off and read “their” lines regardless of the character speaking. If I feel like a second read through is necessary, we number the parts rather than individual lines. Each time a different character speaks, so does a new student.

Once students are comfortable with the language, I ask them to play the part of the director and insert stage directions. Where do characters enter and exit? When does each draw his sword? Who dies when and how?

Finally, I have students get up and act out the scene. I usually let students choose their parts, but if necessary I will assign them. Some students don't mind reading, but don't want to get up out of their seats, so I will sometimes have someone assigned as the reader for a part and someone else as the silent actor or actress for the part. I can get twice the number of students involved that way and draw on students’ strengths. Students who are uncomfortable getting up in front of the class can still participate and students who enjoy acting won't be hindered by having to hold a script.

After Reading Activities
By this point in the play, students have a deep understanding of the characters and their personalities. A fun way to further analysis of the characters' traits is to use astrology information from Shakespeare’s times and modern day to decide on zodiac signs for the major characters in the play. To help students get familiar with the information about astrology from Shakespeare’s time and modern day, I first have them complete a scavenger hunt. Students respond to questions about themselves, Shakespeare, and Juliet, and look for commonalities between the zodiac signs.

Once students have gotten comfortable with the zodiac signs and their descriptions from Shakespeare’s times and modern day, they will decide on zodiac signs for the major characters in the play. Students must select two adjectives/traits from the zodiac signs' descriptions to describe each character and provide evidence from the text to support each adjective/trait. I usually do a think aloud of this process for at least one character and allow students may work in groups since they have three acts worth of text evidence to look through.

Writing & Assessment
At the end of the week, I will give students a choice of two text dependent analysis prompts connected to the scenes on which we focused. This is a chance for them to independently express their understanding of what we read, practice citing text evidence, and continue to build on their writing skills in general. 

I also assign a text based assessment, which covers the end of Act II to the end of Act III. The assessment includes a section of Act II, ten multiple-choice questions, and two choices for a written response. Questions focus on the purpose of the turning point, Shakespeare's use of humor, analyzing characters words and actions, and paraphrasing important lines.

You can find all of my resources for teaching Romeo and Juliet, including the materials described above that I use to teach Act III, here.

Read on for my approach to teaching Act IV of Romeo and Juliet.

How to Teach Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Act II

After reading Act I, students understand the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets and also have a grasp of the characters. Act I, Scene V and Act II, Scene II are all about love, which is why I pair the two scenes together. Here's my approach to teaching them.

Planning Out The Reading
I don't want to kill the play, so in each act, I generally choose to read the scene with the events most important to developing the plot. Act I, Scene V and Act II, Scene II are equally important and so strongly connected, so we read them both.

I provide short summaries for any scenes we skip to fill students in on the less important events. I like to spend about a week on each act of the play, so the days we don't spend reading are spent on after reading activities, writing, and a short assessment.

Before jumping into this week's reading, we'll spend a few minutes reviewing the scenes from last week. I'll also introduce or review important terms. Act I, Scene V and Act II, Scene II are full of figurative language so I'll review simile, metaphor, and personification. It is also important for students to understand two drama terms: aside and soliloquy, so that they understand who characters are speaking to in these scenes (other characters versus the audience).

Act I, Scene V
I have students read this scene independently, since we later watch two different film versions of the scene for comparison. The focus is on Act I, Scene V, so I provide summaries of the start of the scene; Act II, Chorus; and Act II, Scene I. The text of Act I, Scene V has the original text with the modern translations side by side. Like the previously read scenes, I also edit it down (cut out lines). After reading, students translate words from the original to modern text, and vice versa. They also answer short written response questions to demonstrate comprehension. We review this together at the end of class.

I like to show a scene or two at the beginning of reading the play to help students visualize the setting and characters. It can also help with student buy-in. Watching two or more versions of the same scene allows students to compare and contrast the decisions made by directors. With Romeo and Juliet, I like to show Act I, Scene V because so many of the characters are present and it includes two major plot developments (Romeo and Juliet meet, and Tybalt vows revenge for Romeo's trespasses).
I find the Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann film versions are the most accessible. In Zeffirelli’s interpretation, show Clip 1, Scenes 5–6 (0:22:49–0:38:47). Begin as guests are being welcomed to the party and end after Juliet realizes who Romeo is. In Luhrmann’s interpretation, show Clip 2, Scenes 8–12 (0:25:30–0: 33:12). Begin after Romeo submerges his face in the water and end after the Nurse tells Juliet who Romeo is.

As the students watch, have them focus on the effect of the costumes, music, lyrics, lighting, etc. on this first meeting of Romeo and Juliet. Students can record their thoughts in a graphic organizer and then write an opinion response on which film version is more effective.

Act II, Scene II

I present this scene to students entirely in Shakespeare’s language, but an edited down version. The scene ends up about one page front and back, creating a script that can easily be acted out by students. 

Before assigning parts and having my students act, as a class we do one or two read throughs. In the first read through, we number the lines of the scene up to the number of students in the class and then repeat until each line of the scene is numbered. Then students count off and read “their” lines regardless of the character speaking. If I feel like a second read through is necessary, we number the parts rather than individual lines. Each time a different character speaks, so does a new student.

Once students are comfortable with the language, I ask them to play the part of the director and insert stage directions. Where do characters enter and exit? When does Romeo reveal himself to Juliet?

Finally, I have students get up and act out the scene. I usually let students choose their parts, but if necessary I will assign them. Some students don't mind reading, but don't want to get up out of their seats, so I will sometimes have someone assigned as the reader for a part and someone else as the silent actor or actress for the part. I can get twice the number of students involved that way and draw on students’ strengths. Students who are uncomfortable getting up in front of the class can still participate and students who enjoy acting won't be hindered by having to hold a script.

After Reading Activities
After students read Act I, Scene V, but before they compare film versions, I have them create masks for the masquerade. Templates for masks can be found online such as these. I ask students to create Romeo & Juliet themed masks or to create a mask that represents one of the characters as a way to practice use of symbolism. Before hanging the masks up, I lay them out with numbers so that students can vote on the best masks. Students then enjoy seeing how characters are dressed, especially in the Baz Luhrmann version, and comparing the director's choices to their own.

To reinforce figurative language, I pull lines from both Act II, Scene V and Act II, Scene II for students to analyze. I have students identify the types of figurative language used and explain their meaning. If students struggle, having them look back at who said the line to whom and in what context often helps.

Then students write a love notes using expressions from Shakespeare’s time, many of which incorporate figurative language. I give students the option of writing from Rosaline's perspective, telling Romeo that she no longer wants to live a life of chastity and asking him to take her back, or from Count Paris's perspective, describing to Juliet how wonderful it was to meet her at the party and how excited he is to get married to her.

Once students have warmed up their romantic writing skills, we revisit the balcony scene. I provide students with the original text and a modern version, and students must translate the scene into a teen's conversation via text. Depending on the group of students, this activity could be done with cell phones, but I have also done it with small white boards and I acted as a runner for the messages.

Be sure to assign roles for either option. There should be a texter (sending messages) and a recorder (recording both out going and incoming messages) in each group. If you choose to use cell phones, designate one cell phone per group to be used, make sure the students have each other’s numbers, and do a test text. Smaller groups work better (three to four students) and you can separate boys and girls or have mixed groups (sometimes the boys can be a bit shy with this activity).

Writing & Assessment
At the end of the week, I will give students a text dependent analysis writing prompt connected to one of the scenes on which we focused. This is a chance for them to independently express their understanding of what we read, practice citing text evidence, and continue to build on their writing skills in general.

I also assign a text based assessment, which covers Act I, Scene V through Act II, Scene II. The assessment includes a section of Act I, Scene V and a section of Act II, Scene II, ten multiple-choice questions, and two choices for a written response. Questions ask students to analyze characters words and actions, analyze figurative language, and apply drama terminology.

You can find all of my resources for teaching Romeo and Juliet, including the materials described above that I use to teach Act II, here.

Read on for my approach to teaching Act III of Romeo and Juliet.

How to Teach Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Act I

When teaching Shakespeare to high school students, it is all about exposure and enjoyment. I begin building excitement during the week I spend introducing the play. Here's my approach to Act I.

Planning Out The Reading

I don't want to kill the play, so in each act, I generally choose to read the scene with the events most important to developing the plot. In Act I, that is the opening scene (Scene V is also important, but I pair that with the events in Act II).

I usually choose one other scene per act to read that highlights another important aspect of the play. In Act I, that is scene III, which introduces students to Juliet, her relationship with her Nurse and her mother, Lady Capulet, and their attitudes about love and marriage. 

I provide short summaries for any scenes we skip to fill students in on the less important events. I like to spend about a week on each act of the play, so the days we don't spend reading are spent on after reading activities, writing, and a short assessment.

Act I, Scene I
I present this scene to students entirely in Shakespeare’s language, but an edited down version. I cut out lines to focus on the feud between the Montagues and Capulets. The scene ends up about one page front and back, creating a script that can easily be acted out by students. 

Before assigning parts and having my students act, as a class we do one or two read throughs. In the first read through, we number the lines of the scene up to the number of students in the class and then repeat until each line of the scene is numbered. Then students count off and read “their” lines regardless of the character speaking. If I feel like a second read through is necessary, we number the parts rather than individual lines. Each time a different character speaks, so does a new student.

Once students are comfortable with the language, I ask them to play the part of the director and insert stage directions. Where do characters enter and exit? When do they draw their swords? What is their tone? Marking up the script in this way requires close reading and some critical thinking for students.

Finally, I have students get up and act out the scene. I usually let students choose their parts, but if necessary I will assign them. Some students don't mind reading, but don't want to get up out of their seats, so I will sometimes have someone assigned as the reader for a part and someone else as the silent actor or actress for the part. I can get twice the number of students involved that way and draw on students’ strengths. Students who are uncomfortable getting up in front of the class can still participate and students who enjoy acting won't be hindered by having to hold a script.

Act I, Scene III

Since we work through Act I, Scene I as a whole class, reading it out loud several times, I have students read the rest of Act I through Scene IV independently. The focus is on Act I, Scene III so I provide summaries of the remainder of Act I, Scene I; Act I, Scene II; and Act I, Scene IV. 

The text of Act I, Scene III has the original text with the modern translations side by side. Like the first scene, I also edit it down (cut out lines). After reading, students translate words from the original to modern text, and vice versa. They also answer short written response questions and analyze characters and their traits. We review all of this together at the end of class.

After Reading Activities

Shakespeare's language can be a challenge, but I also want students to have fun with it. He used some great words! Students use insults like these to write a short scene where the Montagues and Capulets continue their brawl from Act I, Scene I. This is also a second opportunity for students to practice writing stage directions. I reserve about 10 minutes at the end of the class period for students to act out their scripts in small groups.

To make connections with history, I give students information about the real life family feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. Using this information, students create a timeline of important events as well as a graveyard for the victims. The History Channel’s mini-series, The Hatfields and the McCoys, is wonderful and if students are interested, I try to squeeze some of that in.

Writing & Assessment
During the week, I will give students a text dependent analysis writing prompt connected to one of the scenes on which we focused. This is a chance for them to independently express their understanding of what we read, practice citing text evidence, and continue to build on their writing skills in general. 

I also assign a text based assessment, which covers the Prologue and Act I. The assessment includes all of the prologue and a section of Act I, ten multiple-choice questions, and two choices for a written response. Questions ask students to identify which lines match the parts of the tragedy cycle, to analyze characters words and actions, and to paraphrase important lines.

You can find all of my resources for teaching Romeo and Juliet, including the materials described above that I use to teach Act I, here.

Read on for my approach to teaching Act II of Romeo and Juliet.

How to Teach Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Introducing the Play

Every year that I taught ninth grade, I saved the best for last: Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare. And every year, my students told me that it was their favorite thing we did all year. While this might be because my students were suffering from long term memory loss (ha!) or because they thought everything I taught was wonderful (double ha!), I like to think it's because of my approach to teaching the play.

In this series of blog posts, I'll break down how I teach each act of the play, beginning with how I introduce the drama to students. As with any new text, especially one you know will be difficult for students, hooking them from the start is key.

Option 1: Hook Them With The Author
I usually began teaching Romeo & Juliet during the second half of April, right around the time of Shakespeare's birth and death day. Students read a short biography of the Bard and then create a timeline of his life. The fact that he possibly died on his birthday always fascinates them, that and his marriage to an older woman. If I'm feeling festive, we'll don party hats and have birthday cake. The sure way to a teenager's heart is through food. If I'm feeling less festive, the students will make tombstones for Shakespeare with five reasons why he'll be missed and we'll read them at his "funeral."

Option 2: Hook Them With The Language
It's fascinating to think that the English we speak today is nothing like it's original form. I love to show students how much the language has changed over time and discuss the reasons for this change. I begin by showing students an Old English version of the Lord's Prayer and ask them to read it. We discuss similarities and differences to Modern English, but I won't tell them what it is or what it says. I give one or two students a chance to read it, then I play an audio version of it.

I do the same with a Middle English version of the same text. It is likely that students will start to recognize what it says, but we still discuss similarities and differences. When I show them a modern version of the text, I explain that I'm not trying to convert them; the Bible is one of the few texts that has been around as long as the English language.

It's also fun to look at some of the words that Shakespeare invented that are now a part of everyday conversations. Have students check out the new words recently added to the dictionary. Oxford Dictionaries has a short video that explains the process for adding new words that you can share with students.

Option 3: Hook Them With The Plot & Characters
In Shakespeare's time, audiences knew the general plot of his plays, but still attended performances to see what twists and surprises he would throw in. I find that having a general understanding of the plot helps students to push through reading the play even when the language is a challenge for them. I introduce the tragedy cycle and then students make predictions about the events in Romeo and Juliet based on a reading of the prologue.

To get students acquainted with the characters in the play and to practice pronouncing their names, we play a guessing game of "Who Am I?". I give students a list of the characters with a brief description, i.e. Romeo, son of Lord and Lady Montague. Students read aloud character descriptions from the "Who Am I?" cards and the other students must try to guess which character is being described.

Romeo's card might say something like: "I'm moping about because I'm in love with a girl who doesn't love me back. My parents are worried about me and my cousin Benvolio and friend Mercutio hope to cheer me up by dragging me off to some party." The background information and character relationships shared on the cards will give students an understanding of how characters’ parts should be read and acted out as we begin reading the play, but also how and why characters interact with each other.



Option 4: Hook Them With The Themes
Previewing the themes in the play is a great way for students to see the relevance of Shakespeare's work to their own lives. To get my students thinking about the themes in the play, I do a “table talk” activity. Students are each armed with a marker and respond to questions on chart paper that I spread out around the classroom. Alternately the activity can be done as a Jamboard with students posting their responses on digital sticky notes.

These questions can later be used to spark class discussions and make great visuals to hang up in your classroom. Some possible questions are: Can love at first sight happen? What is love? How important is family? How important is loyalty? Why do people hate? What should be the punishment for murder? Can teenagers make good decisions?

I specifically highlight the themes of love and hate by doing a close reading of the prologue. As the students read, I ask them to mark any words or phrases connected to love in red and mark any words or phrases connected to hate in black. We talk about which idea, if either, is more prevalent, and how that might play out in the story. I also ask them to circle any words connected to the number two so that they can begin to see the power of pairs.

You can find all of my resources for teaching Romeo and Juliet, including the materials described above that I use to introduce the play, here.

Read on for my approach to teaching Act I of Romeo and Juliet.