Romeo and Juliet Extract - Practice Question (GCSE - AQA) - Model Answer and Support

This resource is designed to support teachers preparing students for the AQA, GCSE, English Literature exam, specifically focusing on the opening of Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 1. The resource offers comprehensive tools to help students analyse key themes, such as conflict, honor, and fate, while providing structured guidance to tackle extract-based questions.

The Unit Contains:

Two Practice Question Prompt: These questions focus on the theme of conflict in the play.
Model Answer: One model answer is provided to show the structure of a successful response. The paragraphs include sub-headings to show the stage of writing.
PEEL-based Plan: A step-by-step guide that helps students structure their responses to extract questions, incorporating close textual analysis and linking themes from the extract to the play as a whole.

Additional Resources to Support Lower Ability

Novel-Style Rewrite of Act 3, Scene 1: To make Shakespeare’s language more accessible, the opening of this pivotal scene has been re-imagined as a prose narrative. This helps students grasp the underlying emotions, character motivations, and tension in the scene.

Glossary of difficult vocabulary: A detailed breakdown of challenging terms from the extract, such as “consort,” “minstrels,” and “villain,” allowing students to fully understand Shakespeare’s language.

Why Use This Resource?

Accessibility: The novel-style rewrite and glossary make the text approachable for students of varying abilities, particularly those who may struggle with Shakespearean language.
Exam-focused: The model essays and PEEL structure help students develop exam-ready responses, teaching them to analyze language, character, and theme systematically.
Contextual Depth: The resource encourages students to reflect on historical context, linking Shakespeare’s themes to Elizabethan beliefs about honour, fate, and conflict.

This resource will equip your students with the tools to confidently engage with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in preparation for the AQA, GCSE exam.