'Romeo and Juliet': exploring the perception of sin and societal expectations
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explore the perception of sin in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and how it relates to societal expectations.
Key learning points
- By taking their own lives, Romeo and Juliet are committing a religious sin.
- Arguably, Juliet perceives the sin of bigamy as a greater sin than taking her own life.
- Through this, we might suggest that Shakespeare has positioned Romeo and Juliet’s marriage as religiously sanctified.
- Alternatively, we could say that Juliet’s perception of sin has been influenced by societal expectations of women.
- Arguably, both interpretations link the perception of sin to societal expectations.
Keywords
Sin - the offence of breaking, or the breaking of, a religious or moral law
Religious sin - a transgression against divine law that results in lasting punishment from God
Sanctified - to make something or someone holy
Societal expectations - the beliefs and norms that a society holds about how individuals should behave and act
Bigamy - the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another
Common misconception
Adding in an alternative interpretation weakens your argument.
As long as your alternative interpretation supports your overall argument then it will strengthen your argument.
Teacher tip
You might extend the ideas of sin and societal expectations to consider how Friar Lawrence chooses to, arguably, commit a moral sin by not revealing that Juliet is already married in order to protect his reputation.
Equipment
You may wish to have a copy of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' for this lesson.
Content guidance
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.In Elizabethan England, religion was considered which of the following?
Q2.How does Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' end?
Q3.In Elizabethan England, women were expected to do which of the following?
Q4.'The offence of breaking, or the breaking of, a religious or moral law' is the definition of which word beginning with 's'?
Q5.In Act 1, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Romeo refers to himself as which of the following?
Q6.In Act 3, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', after finding out that Romeo killed Tybalt, Juliet says she cannot do which of the following?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.'A transgression against divine law that results in lasting punishment from God' is the definition of sin.
Q2.Complete the quotation from Act 4, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet': " joined my heart and Romeo’s".
Q3.'The act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another' is the definition of which word beginning with 'b'?
Q4.Complete the quotation from Act 4, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet': "To live an wife to my sweet love.”
Q5.'The beliefs and norms that a society holds about how individuals should behave and act' is the definition of societal .
Q6.'To make something or someone holy' is the definition of which word beginning with 's'?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: 'Romeo and Juliet': exploring the perception of sin and societal expectations, 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 the perception of sin and societal expectations, 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: the tragedy of societal expectations unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.