Romeo and Juliet: Introducing the Title Characters (Analysis of Act I Scenes I-IV)

This interesting and engaging lesson enables students to gain a detailed understanding of Act I Scenes I-IV in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, in which the title characters (Romeo and Juliet) are introduced. Students learn to develop sustained and developed interpretations regarding both the characterisation and the plot development of both characters. They partake in tasks such as comprehension questions, character case studies, and a diary writing exercise to build these skills.

The lesson utilises a range of tasks, that require students to be attentive and interactive learners. It follows this learning journey:
- Defining the key term ‘social influences’ and apply this to both Shakespearean and modern contexts;
- Reading and interpreting Act 1 Scene 1 to Act 1 Scene 4, and establishing how Shakespeare introduces and develops both Romeo and Juliet;
- Reflecting upon the key social influences that are acting upon both characters;
- Making detailed inferences/ interpretations into clues about characterisation and social structure through a case study;
- Showing an understanding of character viewpoint and reasoning through the diary writing task;
- Peer/self evaluating the learning in the lesson.

Included in this resource pack are:
- A well-presented, thorough, and informative, whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation;
- Resources for the reading and interpreting activity - full transcript of scenes with space for notes;
- A case study template
- A challenging and thought-provoking worksheet, and an answer sheet for the teacher.
- A detailed lesson plan for the teacher.

All images in this resource are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final slide of the lesson presentation.