Subject: Language Arts Grade: Nine

Standard: #3 Literary Response and Analysis

Key concept: Literary analysis of the interactions of characters helps students understand

both theme and plot of a play.

Generalization: Students will work with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to understand characterization and how it unlocks understanding of theme and plot.

Background: Students have completed reading Act I of the play when they do this exercise. They are now working to understand the characters and their impact on plot and theme.

This lesson is tiered in process according to readiness.

Divide students in tiers according to readiness in understanding literature.

Tier I: Students who have great trouble understanding Shakespeare's language. These students need to understand fundamental aspects of plot and characterization. The activity is at the knowledge/comprehension level. These students will answer the following questions in a group and will be called "Factual Experts."

1. Describe Romeo Montague. How do we meet Romeo (what is he doing)? What type of family are the Montagues? What are Romeo's friends like--Mercutio--Benvolio?

2. Describe the Capulet family. How old is Juliet Capulet? What do we find out about her family?

3. Who is Paris? What role does he play in the story?

4. What is Verona like as it is described in the beginning of the play?

5. Why don't the Capulets and Montagues like each other? What facts do you find out

About their hate for each other?

Be ready to describe these details to the rest of the class using textual citations to support your answers.

Tier II: These students work at grade level in terms of understanding. The activity is at the analysis level. If the Expert terms are used, these are the "Experts in Analysis."

1. Analyze the feud that takes place in the play between the Capulets and the Montagues. What tone does the feud set for the entire play?

2. Romeo seems to be a lovesick young man while Juliet seems to be more level headed. Using a Venn Diagram, compare and contrast these two young people being sure to show common traits the two share.

3. Analyze Verona as an appropriate setting for tragedy to occur.

Be ready to share your analyses with the rest of the class.

Tier III: These students work above grade level. Synthesis and Evaluation are the focus of these activities.

1. How would you stage Act I of Romeo and Juliet? What would you emphasize? What text leads you to your choices? Would you choose a modern setting or do you like the traditional Elizabethan setting? What are the positive reasons to support each?

2. Research classic tragic form (according to Aristotle in the Poetics). What do you see that works according to classic tragedy in Romeo and Juliet?

3. Observe several films of Romeo and Juliet. Evaluate the beginning based on how accurately they portray the lines in Shakespeare. Which seems to work best? Advise your teacher as to the most accurate initial cutting (beginning of the play) to show the class. Recommend the video that the class should watch as well.

Assessment: In a large group setting, share the information (or part of the information) each group gained. This group activity can serve as part of the entire assessment on this unit. In addition, each individual could do one of the activities listed in the tiered lessons as a portion to turn in individually or as a portion to place in a portfolio on this unit.

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9LR-FAD