'Romeo and Juliet': exploring the perception of sin and societal expectations
I can explore the perception of sin in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and how it relates to societal expectations.
'Romeo and Juliet': exploring the perception of sin and societal expectations
I can explore the perception of sin in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and how it relates to societal expectations.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
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.
To help you plan your year 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 year 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.
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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