'Romeo and Juliet': exploring Juliet's agency in Act 4, Scene 1
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain Juliet’s agency in Act 4, Scene 1 of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
Key learning points
- Arguably, Paris’ use of imperative language suggests that men stereotypically dictated women’s life choices.
- Paris’ claim “thy face is mine” could reveal how women were not considered in control of their bodies.
- We might see Juliet’s desire to die as a way of taking control of her life.
- However, this might be undermined since her desire to die comes from her wish to remain “unstained” for Romeo.
- We might see Juliet’s use of imperatives as subverting contemporary stereotypes of women.
Keywords
Agency - the capacity of an individual to act independently from others and to make their own free choices
Imperative language - most commonly used to give a command or instruction
Dictating - to give orders, or tell someone exactly what they must do
Stereotype - a set idea that people have about what someone or something is like
Common misconception
That Paris is an unimportant plot device in 'Romeo and Juliet'.
Paris' interactions with Lord Capulet and Juliet arguably reveal contemporary stereotypes of relationships between men and women.
Teacher tip
You could extend the thinking around Juliet's voice by thinking about where else in the play we see her voice as the final voice in the scene and what it might reveal about women and agency.
Equipment
This lesson uses an extract taken from Act 4, Scene 1 of 'Romeo and Juliet'. It's available in the additional materials.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.'The attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something non-human' is the definition of .
Q2.'A set idea that people have about what someone or something is like' is the definition of which word beginning with 's'?
Q3.Starting with the first, put these events from Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' in chronological order.
Q4.The word 'maybe' is an example of which of the following?
Q5.'An official who watches a game or match closely to enforce the rules and arbitrate on matters arising from the play' is the definition of which word beginning with 'u'?
Q6.'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'?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In Act 4, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Paris says to Juliet: "Thy face is ".
Q2.Language most commonly used to give a command or instruction is which of the following?
Q3.In Act 4, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Juliet expresses her desire to die so that she can “live an wife” to Romeo.
Q4.'To give orders, or tell someone exactly what they must do' is the definition of which of the following?
Q5.In Act 4, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Juliet says: “’Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife / Shall play the ”.
Q6.In Act 4, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Juliet responds to Friar Lawrence's suggestion of a potion with “Give me, give me!”. Arguably this shows which of the following?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: 'Romeo and Juliet': exploring Juliet's agency in Act 4, Scene 1, 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 agency in Act 4, Scene 1, 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.