'Romeo and Juliet': exploring Juliet's character and conceptualising agency
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Juliet’s characterisation in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ relates to ideas of the patriarchy and female agency.
Key learning points
- In a patriarchal society, women’s choices were restricted and they were expected to marry and bear children.
- Arguably, Shakespeare’s structuring of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ conforms to the notion that men had precedence over women.
- Furthermore, Juliet’s interactions with her surroundings could represent the restricted nature of women’s lives.
- Our first and last impression of Juliet is around her marriage which could imply that women were defined by marriage.
- Considering agency is important because it allows us to consider the power dynamics in society.
Keywords
Patriarchal - relating to or denoting a system of society or government controlled by men
Agency - the capacity of an individual to act independently from others and to make their own free choices
Precedence - the condition of being considered more important than someone or something else
Subservient - less important; subordinate
Common misconception
Women were completely powerless in patriarchal societies.
While women's lives were restricted, they were not completely powerless.
Teacher tip
To add challenge, you might want to extend the thinking in Task C to also consider the theme of fate in 'Romeo and Juliet' - does it undermine any potential agency that Juliet might have?
Equipment
You may wish to have a copy of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Starting with the first, put these events from Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' in chronological order.
Q2.Match the characters from Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' with their relation to Juliet.
her husband
her father
her proposed husband
Q3.Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' was published in which era?
Q4.'Relating to or denoting a system of society or government controlled by men' is the definition of which word beginning with 'p'?
Q5.Which of the following is the definition of 'restricted'?
Q6.Which of the following is the definition of 'subservient'?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' was written and performed, England was a __________ society.
Q2.In Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', which of the following characters is introduced to the audience last?
Q3.Which of the following is the definition of 'precedence'?
Q4.'The capacity of an individual to act independently from others and to make their own free choices' is the definition of which word beginning with 'a'?
Q5.What does the concept of 'female agency' refer to?
Q6.In Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', where do we encounter Juliet's character?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: 'Romeo and Juliet': exploring Juliet's character and conceptualising agency, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: 'Romeo and Juliet': exploring Juliet's character and conceptualising agency, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 English lessons from the Romeo and Juliet: Juliet and female agency unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.