Enjoying Shakespeare

Teaching and Learning Resources p.
1
tlr.nationalstrategies.dcsf.gov.uk
Enjoying Shakespeare
Table of Contents
Teaching Shakespeare in Key Stage 3
Using these resources
Linking to Speaking and listening
Linking to Reading
Linking to Writing
Linking to Language
Progression statements
Character and motivation
Learning outcomes
Starter activities
Main activities
Plenaries
Performance
Learning outcomes
Starter activities
Main activities: Creating
Main activities: Performing
Main activities: Responding
Crown copyright 2011
Teaching and Learning Resources p.2

Plenaries
Ideas, themes and issues
Learning outcomes
Starter activities
Main activities
Plenaries
Language
Learning outcomes
Starter activities
Main activities
Plenaries
Point, evidence, explanation and more
Introducing Shakespeare to Year 7 pupils
Aims of this unit
Week 1 (Lessons 1-3)
Lesson 1: Shakespeare's play openings and theatre
Opening the lesson
Main activity
Plenary
Lesson 2: Opening of Macbeth
Opening the lesson

Main activities
Plenary
Lesson 3: Opening of King Lear
Opening the lesson
Main activities
Plenary
Lesson 4: Opening of Hamlet (part 1)
Opening the lesson
Main activity
Plenary
Lesson 5: Opening of Hamlet (part 2)
Opening the lesson
Main activity
Plenary
Lesson 6: Tragedies and Othello's fatal flaw
Opening the lesson
Main activity
Plenary
Lesson 7: Comedies and A Midsummer Night's Dream

Opening the lesson

Main activity
Plenary
Lesson 8: Writing a response
Opening the lesson
Main activities
Plenary
Lesson 9: Assignment task
Opening the lesson
Main activity
Plenary
Lesson 10: Peer assessment and feedback on assignment task
Opening the lesson
Main activity
Plenary
Year 8 study: Romeo and Juliet
Aims of this unit
Lesson 1: The boys Romeo, Benvolio, Mercutio and the Friar
Opening the lesson
Main activities

Plenary
Lesson 2: The girls Juliet, Lady Capulet and Nurse
Opening the lesson
Main activity
Plenary
Lesson 3: Romeo and Juliet as a tragedy
Opening the lesson
Main activity
Plenary
Lesson 4: Romeo first sees Juliet
Opening the lesson
Main activities
Plenary
Lesson 5: Romeo and Juliet's first meeting
Opening the lesson
Main activity
Plenary
Lesson 6: The balcony scene
Opening the lesson
Main activities

Plenary
Lesson 7: Romeo and Juliet die
Opening the lesson
Main activities
Plenary
Lesson 8: The meeting or the deaths
Opening the lesson
Main activities
Plenary
Lesson 9: Who's to blame?
Opening the lesson
Main activities
Plenary
Lesson 10: Responding in assessment conditions
Opening the lesson
Main activities
Plenary
Lesson 11: Shakespeare Year 8 Assignment
Opening the lesson

Main activity
Plenary
Lesson 12: Peer assessment and feedback
Opening the lesson
Main activity
Plenary
Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theatre 2009
By building on pupils' experiences of studying Shakespeare, you can help them
engage with the themes and ideas of Shakespeare's plays and consider how they
are relevant to modern times and their own lives.
Focus your curriculum plans for Shakespeare in Years 7, 8 and 9, by using these
materials to find out what pupils can be expected to demonstrate in knowledge,
understanding and skills. To focus specifically on Year 7, you can also read and
adapt the suggested activities to teach an introductory unit of Shakespeare. Build on
this knowledge by completing a unit on Romeo and Juliet, allowing Year 8 pupils to
respond through writing and speaking and listening.
You can also download audio clips of a performance of Romeo and Juliet at at the
Globe Theatre. See how the play was performed, to support your teaching of the text
at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5. These materials can help you structure your teaching to
help pupils learn about the characters, consider Shakespeares language and
explore different ways of interpreting and performing the plays.
Teaching Shakespeare in Key

Stage 3
When planning your curriculum for Shakespeare in Years 7, 8 and 9, you can use
these resources to find out what pupils can be expected to demonstrate in
knowledge, understanding and skills. Each area of study includes the expected
learning outcomes and suggested activities for your lessons.

By referring to the progression statements, you can find out what pupils are expected
to know in order to achieve a level 5 or above at the end of Year 9. There are also
focus points to help you decide which learning objectives to set for your lessons.
Using these resources

These resources include suggested activities that relate to the substrands of the
Framework for English. You can read about how to use the substrands and where to
find further advice on teaching approaches to help pupils engage with Shakespeare.
Using the substrands

The suggested activities highlight a range of strands and substrands from the
Framework for English. You can choose the substrands which are most relevant to
the class work you introduce, in order to help pupils develop the key skills,
knowledge and understanding to study Shakespeare.
Further advice
You can find more ideas on teaching approaches at:
Teaching for progression: Speaking and listening
Teaching for progression: Reading
Teaching for progression: Writing
Find more advice on developing writing skills in Improving writing at Key Stage 3
Related Links
What does the Framework for secondary English offer?

Improving writing in KS3

Linking to Speaking and listening

These are the strands and substrands of Speaking and listening from the Framework
for English that link to studying Shakespeare. You can find out the benefits of using
them in your planning, in order to help pupils develop their discussion and
presentation skills when responding to Shakespeare.
Strand
4: Drama, role-play and performance
Substrands
4.1 Using different dramatic approaches to explore ideas, texts and issues
4.2 Developing, adapting and responding to dramatic techniques, conventions and
styles
Benefits of teaching these elements

Pupils can draw on drama and performance techniques to understand
Shakespeare's plays. Using these substrands in your planning can help provide
pupils with an active template to base their writing. By allowing pupils to express key
ideas in tactile, physical and verbal ways, you can provide a platform and rehearsal
for their writing.
Related Links
Linking to Reading
These are the strands and substrands of Reading from the Framework for English
that link to studying Shakespeare. You can find out the benefits of using them in your

planning, in order to help pupils explore ideas, interpret characters and analyse
language when responding to Shakespeare.
Strand
5 Reading for meaning: understanding and responding to print, electronic and multimodal texts
Substrands
5.1 Developing and adapting active reading skills and strategies
5.2 Understanding and responding to ideas, viewpoints, themes and purposes in
texts
Strand
6 Understanding the author's craft
Substrands
6.1 Relating texts to the social, historical and cultural contexts in which they were
written
6.2 Analysing how writers use of linguistic and literary features shapes and
influences meaning

The outcomes for Reading are closely linked to both Speaking and listening and
Writing. Pupils reflect on the reading they have done by speaking or writing. By
teaching interpretative and analytical skills explicitly and actively, you can help pupils
learn to lift text from the page and bring it to life. For example, the Year 8 learning
objective for substrand 6.1 asks pupils to:
explore the concept of literary heritage, why certain texts are important within it
and how some texts have influenced culture and thinking

You might introduce a task involving a group presentation, where pupils present a
close reading of a play within its historical context. For example, Macbeth might be
understood in historical context as praise of James I.
Related Links
Linking to Writing
These are the strands and substrands of Writing from the Framework for English that
link to studying Shakespeare. You can find out the benefits of using them in your
planning, in order to help pupils improve their word and sentence skills and learn to
shape viewpoints, organise ideas and explain their interpretations when responding
to Shakespeare.
Strand
8 Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect
Substrands
8.1 Developing viewpoint, voice and ideas
8.4 Developing varied linguistic and literary techniques
8.5 Structuring, organising and presenting texts in a variety of forms on paper and on
screen

Linked with relevant strands and substrands from Reading and Speaking and
listening, focusing on these elements can help pupils:
shape sophisticated arguments
write about the key themes, issues and character motivations in
Shakespeare's plays

explore use of language and performance interpretations

develop a voice
progress from simple writing, which communicates a basic point of view, to
writing that sustains 'distinctive character, point of view and voice' (Year 9
objectives, substrand 8.1).
Related Links
Linking to Language
These are the strand and substrand of Language from the Framework for English
that link to studying Shakespeare. You can find out the benefits of using them in your
planning, in order to help pupils focus on language change when responding to
Shakespeare.
Strand
10 Exploring and analysing language
Substrand
10.1 Exploring language variation and development according to time, place, culture,
society and technology

The language strand relates to all the other strands, as it is relevant to all aspects of
teaching and learning Shakespeare. You can help pupils focus on how language has
changed, in order to focus their thinking of the cultural influence of Shakespeare.
Pupils can also understand more about what his language reveals about the social
and historical context in which he lived.

Related Links
Progression statements
These progression statements identify the expectations of pupils' attainment in their
study of Shakespeare. You can find out what knowledge, understanding and skills
pupils are expected to demonstrate at the end of Years 7 and 8.
In order to achieve a level 5 or above at the end of Year 9, pupils should demonstrate
knowledge, understanding and skills relating to:
character and motivation

ideas, themes and issues
the language of the text
text in performance.
Progression statements according to years

End of Year 7
End of Year 8
End of Year 9
Character
Describe, both
orally and in
writing, the
characters
feelings and
behaviour, as
shown through
speech and
actions;
comment on the
language they
use.
Explain how
characters'
motivation and
behaviour are
portrayed through
actions and
speech with
comments on the
effects of
language on an
audience.
Analyse characters
actions, behaviour,
attitudes and
motivation through
clear, appropriate, indepth textual study,
with an appreciation of
the impact of language
on an audience. Also,
show ability to
compare characters
and their actions and
motivations.
Language
Read
Shakespeare
aloud with
growing
confidence.
Comment orally
Read
Shakespeare
aloud with growing
confidence,
fluency and
expression.
Read Shakespeare
aloud with a degree of
fluency and
confidence, and with
expression that
reflects a personal

End of Year 7
End of Year 8
End of Year 9
and in writing
on particular
words and
phrases to
show
awareness of
some of the
features and
effects of
dramatic and
poetic language
and devices.
Demonstrate
orally and in
writing a clear
understanding of
the features and
effects of dramatic
and poetic
language and
devices.
interpretation.
Demonstrate orally
and in writing an
appreciation of the
features and effects of
dramatic and poetic
language and devices.
Themes
Demonstrate
orally and in
writing some
understanding
of the main
themes in a
play and how
they are
developed.
Identify
quotations to
support their
ideas.
Demonstrate
orally and in
writing a clear
understanding of
the main themes
in a play and how
these are
presented to an
audience. Explain
how selected
textual references
and quotations
support their
ideas.
Explain orally and in

writing how themes
and ideas are
presented
dramatically, with
selected references to
the text integrated into
well-developed
argument.
Performance
Explore plays
and scenes
through work in
role, using
voice, gesture
and positioning
to convey
elements of the
play (e.g.
character,
theme, setting).
Write clearly
about
productions
they have seen
and their
experiences in
role.
Explore plays and

scenes through
work in role, using
a range of
dramatic
techniques to
convey elements
of the play. Use an
appropriate form
of language and
articulate their
insight into, and
understanding of,
their own
performances and
those of others.
Select, use and adapt

appropriate dramatic
techniques and
conventions when
exploring plays and
scenes through work
in role. Write critically
about the dramatic
impact of scenes by
drawing on their own
performances and
those of others. Show
understanding of the
potential for differing
interpretations.

Character and motivation

Pupils will have demonstrated certain knowledge, understanding and skills when
responding to Shakespeare by the end of Years 7, 8 and 9. You can find out what
pupils are expected to learn, including using evidence and creating written and
spoken responses to questions, in order to set learning objectives for your lessons.
Key focus areas for learning

Pupils are expected to engage in the following tasks when exploring character and
motivation in Shakespeare. You can use these focus points to decide which learning
objectives to set for your lessons.
Exploring characters
Pupils can use a range of dramatic techniques and conventions to explore, both
orally and in writing, the characters':
motivations
behaviour
relationships with other characters.
Pupils can analyse language and rhetorical and poetic devices, and show how to use
examples to support an interpretation of character.
Using evidence
Pupils can:
infer and deduce meanings about characters, selecting evidence from the
text to support viewpoints
analyse evidence to explain their views and illustrate a personal response
and understanding.
Creating written and spoken responses

Pupils can make notes about characters, and use them, along with textual references
and analysis to articulate coherent written or spoken responses to questions about
character.

Considering Shakespeare
Pupils can understand Shakespeare's viewpoint, and recognise how the historical
and social context of his time influenced the way his plays were written, performed
and received.
Learning outcomes
These outcomes show what pupils are expected to achieve in Years 7, 8 and 9,
when responding to character and motivation in Shakespeare. You can use these
during classroom assessments to find out about pupil achievement as they progress
through the years.
Developing a personal interpretation

Pupils are expected to explore and explain:
a personal response to the characters
interpretations of characters, both orally and in writing
personal opinions and reflections on the playwright's view of the character,
using evidence from the text to support their views.
Character development
Pupils are expected to demonstrate an understanding of:
how characters are developed through dramatic action and language.
They should be able to refer to particular words and phrases that reveal the
character
what happens to a character and how the character's feelings and status
change over the course of the play
characters' feelings and motivation. They should be able to convey this
through individual and group performance and in writing.
Characters in performance
Pupils are expected to demonstrate an understanding of:
how plays can offer different interpretations of characters
characters, through evaluation of performances, both on stage and screen

Interpretation and analysis

Pupils are expected to:
distinguish between what the character reveals about himself or herself,
by what they say and do and what other characters say about them
select the appropriate language to describe and analyse how
Shakespeare presents his characters
plan and write, within a specified time, a structured response to questions
about characters
show an understanding of how the characters reflect the historical and
social contexts of the plays.
Starter activities
Here are some suggested activities you can include in your lessons to help pupils
achieve the learning outcomes for exploring character and motivation in
Shakespeare. These include a card sort activity, building a word bank and coming up
with a sequence of quotations.
Introduce a card sort activity where pupils match words from the play that
could be used to describe characters in a particular scene, for example,
Portia, Antonio and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.
Have pupils build a word bank of adjectives to describe characters and
keep for constant reference while talking and writing about the play.
To explore character development, have pupils create a sequence of
quotations that trace the development of a single character such as
Macbeth.
Pupils can compare characters in a play to contemporary media figures,
identifying similar character traits.
Ask probing questions about individual characters for pupils to answer on
a whiteboard. Consider questions such as the following.
Who bears the most responsibility for Duncan's death
Macbeth or Lady Macbeth?
Who do you think is being more selfish over the changeling boy
Oberon or Titania?
Have students cast current celebrities or politicians in the roles of
Shakespeare characters.

Main activities
You can use the following suggested activities in your lessons to help pupils achieve
the learning outcomes for exploring character and motivation in Shakespeare. These
include designing cards for characters, using text-marking and preparing
performance readings.
Select the activities below to read about how they work.
Top Trumps
Pupils design Top Trump cards for main characters, including ratings for
intelligence, attractiveness, status and integrity or trustworthiness.
Footnotes
Write the footnotes for a section of the text from the point of view of
particular characters, e.g. Caliban commenting on his life before Prospero
came to the island in The Tempest. See Point, evidence, explanation and
more to explore this activity further.
Spot the quotation

Within a given amount of time, spot the quotation that proves the point. For
example, find a quotation that shows us the occupations of each member of
the Mechanicals in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Role on the wall

Pupils sketch a character, for example Romeo in Act I of Romeo and Juliet,
using descriptive words or key quotations.
Text-marking
Use text-marking and annotation on paper or screen to support character
interpretation.

Modelling
Model reading for different purposes, for example, skimming for the line of
the plot, scanning to find a quotation or close reading to deepen analysis
during shared reading sessions.
Note-making
Teach a variety of note-making strategies about characters to appeal to
different learning styles, e.g. mind maps, using pictures as well as text,
using key words and phrases. Use grids and tables such as the KWL or
QUADS grids to support reading, which can improve pupils' understanding
of characters.
Questioning
Invite groups of pupils to prepare questions for an actor playing a particular
character, prior to hot-seating. This can be useful for guided and
independent work.
Performance readings
Have groups of pupils prepare performances based on different
interpretations of the same text. For example, with The Tempest, they could
focus on Caliban's description of the island as a place of mystery or misery;
they could also focus on choral speaking. Using plays such as Romeo and
Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, groups
can gather quotations that reflect the conflict and take turns to shout them at
one another.
Mood charts
Chart the changes in mood, scene by scene, for characters and audience
reactions to events, for example, Claudio's changing responses to Hero in
Much Ado About Nothing.
Obituaries
Having given pupils examples and modelled the process, ask them to write
an obituary for a character such as Hero or Banquo that reveals the
character's personality.

Plenaries
You can use the following suggestions for the plenary part of your lessons to help
pupils achieve the learning outcomes for exploring character and motivation in
Shakespeare. These include preparing newspaper headlines, hot-seating characters
and selecting quotations.
Pupils can:
discuss how they developed their interpretations in order to consolidate
explicit strategies
prepare newspaper headlines about characters on whiteboards or sheets
of A4 paper, for example, Macbeth as national hero for defeating Sweno or
national villain after his death
hot-seat a character at different points in the play
use 'conscience corridor' at key points in the play. This is where one
student represents a character at a key moment, while other students file
past speaking aloud her or his thoughts
update the role on the wall and provide reasons for the additions
select the quotation that sums up their personal response to the character,
and say what this reflects about, for example, the character's:
psychological motivation
self-esteem
feelings about what has happened to them
feelings about other characters.
Performance

Pupils are expected to engage in the following tasks when exploring performance in
Shakespeare. You can use these focus points to decide which learning objectives to
set for your lessons.

Exploring text and performance

To show their understanding of the relationship between written and performed text,
pupils can:
discuss, both orally and in writing, how the text has been performed
compare different interpretations of the play
analyse dramatic devices, and use examples to support an interpretation
of the play
explore the text through role-play and other drama activities
analyse their own and others performances.
Using evidence
Pupils can demonstrate their interpretive skills by inferring and deducing meanings
from productions seen and films viewed, selecting evidence from the written or
performed text to support their views.

Pupils respond to a range of questions about performance, embedding textual
references and their own analyses into a coherent written or spoken response.
Learning outcomes
These outcomes show what pupils are expected to achieve in Years 7, 8 and 9 when
responding to performance in Shakespeare. You can use these during classroom
assessments to find out about pupil achievement as they progress through the years.
Creating
In learning to create a performance, pupils are expected to:
offer interpretations of scenes and plays through their work in different
roles
work out the most effective ways of using space, voice, movement and
gesture to bring scripts to life
demonstrate an understanding of how the plays reflect their genre and
historical and social contexts
develop contrasting presentations of the same material.

Performing
In learning to perform dramatic texts, pupils are expected to:
develop skills through a range of drama activities, including teacher-led
role-play, pair improvisation and scripted work
use pace, pause, silence and their voice to create an atmosphere and
generate tension
sight read with confidence and expression
use punctuation and other textual signs to find an appropriate pace and
rhythm for characters speech.
Responding
In learning to respond to performance, pupils are expected to:
construct a personal and critical response to a production on stage or
screen
compare stage or screen productions of a play
make and organise notes to structure a critical evaluation that takes
account of the playwright's intentions and techniques
offer personal opinions and reflections on the playwright's view of the
character, using evidence from the text to support their views
demonstrate understanding of directors' intentions
plan and write a structured response to questions about performance
within a specified time.
Starter activities
the learning outcomes for exploring performance in Shakespeare. These include
punctuating text, exploring emphasis in speech and using dramatic techniques to
convey situations.
Pupils can:
take an unpunctuated piece of text and punctuate it in a way that will guide
an actor
experiment with emphasising different words in a short speech and notice
the different impact
create a tableau or drawing based on a key word, quotation or still image
from a production
use mime and physical gestures to convey relationships and situations.

Main activities: Creating

the learning outcomes for exploring performance in Shakespeare. These activities,
which encourage pupils to respond creatively to performance, include leading a
guided tour, hot-seating and writing stage directions.
Guided tour
One pupil leads another, whose eyes are closed, around the territory of the
text.
Sound-scaping
Pupils add sound to a scene using their hands, voices or instruments. Divide
up a speech so that each pupil takes a powerful phrase and creates a
rhythmic, poetic or song-like version of the speech, adding their phrase or
word at spontaneous points.
First rehearsal
Pupils give advice to a group performing a scene on how to speak or read
the lines and what to do. It is important for all pupils to experience being
both actor and director.
Using space
Ask pupils to place actor-pupils at different points and positions in a space to
explore the impact of their words.
Hot-seat
Have pupils question the playwright about ambiguities and intentions.
Plan a staging
Set the play in a time different from what has been decided by Shakespeare,
to reflect the themes of the play.

Conscience corridor
Pupils form two lines of a corridor and voice the arguments that might be
going on in a character's head at a point when they face a dilemma.
Stage directions
Pupils write the stage directions for scenes.
Status
Pupils are given a line and decide the best way to deliver it. For example,
they could position themselves high up, low down, and so on.
Main activities: Performing

the learning outcomes for exploring performance in Shakespeare. These activities
encourage pupils to engage in performance, including performance readings,
improvisation and exploring punctuation.
Performance readings
Groups of pupils prepare different readings of the same text. For example,
you can use Caliban's description of the island as a place of mystery or of
misery in The Tempest or complete a choral speaking activity.
Trading insults
Using plays such as Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth,
The Tempest or A Midsummer Night's Dream, groups can gather quotations
from the text that reflect conflict and take turns to shout them at one another.
Terms of endearment
Using plays such as Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth,
The Tempest or A Midsummer Night's Dream, groups can gather quotations
that reflect affection and take turns to whisper them to one another.

Improvisation
Pupils can develop collaborative improvisations related to a text.
Tableau
Pupils can plan and present a sequence of tableaux that tell the story of a
text.
Punctuation
Pupils explore how every punctuation mark signals a change in movement.
An example is the punctuation showing Gloucester's tension and agitation in
Act I Scene 3 of Richard III 'When have I injured thee? When done thee
wrong? Or thee? Or thee? Or any of your faction?'
Director's decisions or text-marking

Groups of pupils annotate a scene with directions for performance, including
actions, positions on stage and verbal emphasis. Groups can then exchange
scenes and perform as directed and give evaluative feedback.
Pronouns
When characters are referred to by a pronoun, pupils point to the character
to whom the pronoun refers.
Main activities: Responding

the learning outcomes for exploring performance in Shakespeare. These activities,
which help pupils respond to and reflect on performance, include creating tension
graphs, note-making and preparing questions.
Tension graphs
Pupils create graphs that show the high and low tension points in a play.

Model
Pupils can model the planning and writing of critical responses to
performances. Demonstrate how to compare performances and how to
extend beyond PEE. See Point, evidence, explanation and more to find out
more about this approach.
Note-making
Teach a variety of note-making strategies about performance to appeal to
different learning styles. For example, you can use mind maps, pictures as
well as text, or key words and phrases. Grids and tables such as the KWL
(Know-Want-Learnt) or QUADS (Questions-Answers-Details-Source) grids
can support reading, which can improve pupils' understanding of
performance.
Questioning
You can invite groups of pupils to prepare questions for a director, prior to
hot-seating. This can be useful for guided and independent work.
Timed practice
Give pupils the opportunity and challenge of planning and writing about
performance(s) within a specified time, referring to the text.
Grids
Pupils can use an analysis grid to compare similarities and differences
between productions on stage and screen.
ICT
You can use ICT to support teaching. For example, use a digital camera to
make and manipulate the story-boarding of a scene.
Programme notes
Write the programme notes for a performance, drawing on research into
chronological and cultural context.

Plenaries
You can use the following suggested plenary activities to help pupils achieve the
learning outcomes for exploring performance in Shakespeare. These include
preparing newspaper headlines, hot-seating characters and selecting quotations.
Pupils can:
discuss how they developed their interpretations of particular texts or
extracts
come up with advice they might offer to characters at key moments
discuss the drama skills they used to complete the activities in this area of
study, performance
recognise and discuss what they find most challenging about performing
or writing about texts.
Ideas, themes and issues


Pupils are expected to achieve the following objectives when exploring ideas, themes
and issues in Shakespeare. You can use these focus points to decide which learning
objectives to set for your lessons.
Exploring themes
In learning about themes in drama pupils can:
explore the themes of the Shakespeare's plays both orally and in writing
trace the development of themes over the course of scenes and the whole
play
analyse language, including rhetorical and poetic devices, to see how
particular language uses can support an interpretation of themes
recognise how the historical and social context of the plays influences its
themes and the audience's reading of them.

Using evidence
Pupils infer and deduce meanings from ideas, themes and issues in the plays. They
find and analyse evidence from the text to support their viewpoints about the play
and illustrate their understanding.

Pupils give coherent spoken and written responses to a range of questions about
themes, issues and ideas. Their answers draw on textual references and analysis.
Refer to Point, evidence, explanation and more for more ideas on how to create
these responses.
Learning outcomes
responding to ideas, themes and issues in Shakespeare. You can use these during
classroom assessments to find out about pupil achievement as they progress
through the years.
Identifying themes
Pupils are expected to demonstrate, both orally and in writing, an understanding of:
how themes are presented and developed through characters, setting,
language and dramatic action
the social, moral, spiritual and cultural themes within Shakespeare's plays
themes that reflect the historical and cultural contexts of the plays.
Intepreting themes
Pupils can also:
show an awareness of the potential for producing different thematic
interpretations of the plays
use the appropriate critical terminology and selected references for
discussing themes
offer personal opinions and reflections on the playwright's themes, using
evidence from the text and, where appropriate, from productions, to support
their views

distinguish between what the playwright has written and how directors
have interpreted themes
plan and write, within a specified time, a structured response to questions
about themes.
Starter activities
You can use these suggested activities in your lessons to help pupils achieve the
learning outcomes for ideas, themes and issues in Shakespeare. These include a
card sort activity, building a word bank and selecting quotations.
Pupils can select quotations which reflect the themes of the plays. This
can be done as a card sort activity in which pupils match quotations to the
theme they support.
Have pupils build a word bank of key ideas and themes that can be kept
for constant reference while talking and writing about the play.
Pupils can compare themes in a play and other historical or contemporary
events and ideas. For example, they might consider in what ways is Macbeth
like Hitler, or how the theme of marriage is explored in Romeo and Juliet.
Pose some questions about themes and have pupils answer them on the
whiteboard. For example, you might ask, In A Midsummer Night's Dream
how does the action involving the lovers relate to Titania and Oberon? What
evidence is there that fear is a major theme in Richard III?
Main activities
the learning outcomes for exploring ideas, themes and issues in Shakespeare. These
include writing footnotes, finding quotations and creating flow diagrams.
Footnotes
Write the footnotes for a section of the text, to identify and illuminate the
themes of the play and how they interweave. For example, the footnotes to
Act I Scene 1 and Scene 2 of Richard III can identify different types of power
and control.
Shared and guided writing

Demonstrate, through shared and guided writing about themes, how to:

make a Point
support it with appropriate Evidence
Explain how that proves the point
Extend through personal comment and critical analysis.
See Point, evidence, explanation and more to find out more about
this approach.
Spot the quotation

Give pupils a set amount of time to spot the quotation that proves a
particular point. For example, have them find a quotation that shows how the
theme of forgiveness centres on Prospero's internal struggle in The
Tempest.
Themes on the wall

Discuss themes and explore the way that themes sit within larger ones.
Allocating a sheet of paper or screen to each them, put a single theme in the
centre of each sheet or screen and annotate with quotations and
explanations. Use this for oral work, planning essays, modelling writing and
to support independent writing. For example, the theme of war in Much Ado
About Nothing has many facets, as does the theme of nature in A
Midsummer Night's Dream.
Text-marking
Use text-marking and annotation on paper or screen to support the
interpretation of themes.
Modelling
Model reading for writing about themes. This involves selecting scenes
which relate to themes, scanning the play to find a quotation then using
close reading for deeper analysis during shared reading sessions. For
example, focus on the image of discontent at the start of Richard III or the
image of a rotten orange in Much Ado About Nothing.
Note-making
Teach a variety of note-making strategies about themes to appeal to
different learning styles. Strategies include using mind maps, pictures as
well as text, key words and phrases. Use grids and tables such as the KWL


which can improve pupils' understanding of characters.
Flow diagrams
Create flow diagrams that trace the development and interweaving of
themes in a play.
Representations
Select objects, images or symbols that can represent the themes of the play.
In pairs, pupils can choose an object or image and explain its significance to
others.
Prop box
Have groups of pupils decide which six items should go into the prop box to
represent the major themes of a play. They compare and explain their
choices.
ICT
Use ICT to support teaching. For example, you can show text on-screen
using highlighting and deleting to focus attention on key theme words, or
create visual images to represent themes.
Plenaries
You can use the following suggested plenary activities in your lessons to help pupils
achieve the learning outcomes for exploring ideas, themes and issues in
Shakespeare. These include preparing newspaper headlines, preparing a radio
broadcast and selecting quotations.
Pupils can:
prepare newspaper headlines about themes on whiteboards or sheets of
A4 paper. Examples include Evil stalks the land, No one is safe and Royal
princes murdered?;
prepare a 30-second radio broadcast at key points in a play to
demonstrate how the theme is developing. For example, a broadcast for The
Tempest might be: The storm which caused chaos for sailors yesterday has

now abated. There are fears for the lives of the King of Naples and his
court.;
hot-seat the author to ask how and why themes are presented differently
from the way they appear in the sources for the play. For example, ask
Shakespeare about the differences between Macbeth and Holinshed's
Chronicle;
update the themes on the wall and provide reasons for the additions;
select a quotation that illustrates a key theme and offer a rationale for their
choice;
write out a number of cards, each with a different theme, and then play
Snap. Each pupil uses a different set of cards which they use to group the
themes. For example, Richard III includes themes of jealousy, ambition,
sibling rivalry, rejection, kingship, loyalty, love, hatred and nature of evil.
Language

Pupils are expected to achieve the following when exploring language in
Shakespeare. You can use these focus points to decide which learning objectives to
set for your lessons.
Exploring language
Pupils learn how to:
explore the language of the plays, both orally and in writing
identify how word choice and sentence structure establish character,
setting and mood
understand how language choices can enhance meaning
recognise how the literary conventions of dramatic texts are used by
writers, and aid the audience's understanding
analyse language, including rhetorical and poetic devices, and use
examples to support their understanding
recognise how knowledge about the historical and social context of the
language of the plays affects the audience's understanding of them.

Using evidence
Pupils infer and deduce meanings about language, selecting and analysing evidence
from the text to support their views and personal response to language and to
illustrate their understanding.

Pupils give cohererent spoken and written responses to a range of questions on
language and poetic devices. Their answers draw on textual references and analysis.
Refer to Point, evidence, explanation and more for more ideas on how to create
these responses.
Learning outcomes
responding to language in Shakespeare. You can use these during classroom
assessments to find out about pupil achievement as they progress through the years.
Understanding Shakespeare's language

Pupils demonstrate, both orally and in writing, an understanding of how:
character, setting and mood are created through word choice and
sentence structure
meaning and dramatic action are presented through language by referring
to particular words and phrases
meaning is conveyed through poetic devices, such as imagery,
vocabulary, metaphor, symbolism and allegory
chronological and cultural context influence Shakespeare's language and
style
the characters reflect the historical and social contexts of the plays.
Responding to Shakespeare's language

Pupils respond to the use of language in plays by:
coming up with a personal response to the dramatic impact of language
discussing, analysing and writing about rhetorical devices in the plays. For
example, pupils can consider Antony and honourable men in Julius Caesar
effectively using terms for analysis, such as verb classification

incorporating reference and quotation appropriately into comments on

texts
selecting the appropriate language to describe and analyse how
Shakespeare presents his characters
planning and writing a structured response to questions about language
within a specified time.
Starter activities
You can use these suggested starter activities in your lessons to help pupils achieve
the learning outcomes for exploring language in Shakespeare. These include a card
sort activity, attributing quotes and clapping out the rhythm of words.
Pupils can:
use a card sort activity to match words from the play to their meanings or
words with similar meanings or function to each other
attribute quotations to the characters that speak them
build a word bank of adjectives from the text to describe characters and
themes and keep for their reference
clap out the rhythm of the iambic pentameter while reading aloud, and talk
about its impact.
For a whole-class activity, give out cards with words or quotations and ask pupils to
arrange themselves in a continuum or 'washing line' of intensity. In this activity, pupils
organise themselves in a line according to the impact of their allocated words/
quotations.
Main activities
the learning outcomes for exploring language in Shakespeare. These include
demonstrating shared and guided writing, creating thought boards and using textmarking.

Footnotes
Have pupils write the footnotes for a section of the text explaining how
contemporary references would have contributed to meanings for the
original audience.
Shared and guided writing

Demonstrate through shared and guided writing of an essay on language,
how to:
make a Point
support with appropriate Evidence
Explain how that proves the point
Extend through personal comment and critical analysis.
See Point, evidence, explanation and more to find out more about
this approach.
Explain the quotation

Give pupils a set amount of time to explain how a quotation creates a
setting, atmosphere or tension, or conveys a character to an audience.
Compare interpretations
Pupils can compare key speeches from the plays with TV versions, e.g.
ShakespeaRe-Told (BBC).
Thought boards
Use mini-whiteboards to help pupils record a character's thoughts,
particularly in contrast with what they say. These can be held up for sharing
with the class.
Selective substitution
Give pupils a section of text minus key words and offer them similar words
that include the original word. Discuss the preferences.

Language on the wall

Create a display which shows the ways language carries a theme, creates a
character or establishes an atmosphere. This could be a quadrant with
sections for language, theme, character and performance which displays
key terms and quotations for that focus.
Text-marking
Use text-marking and annotation on paper or screen to support analysis of
the dramatic impact of language.
Modelling
Model reading to identify the impact of language and model writing to show
how to analyse language.
Note-making
Teach a variety of note-making strategies about language use and impact to
appeal to different learning styles, e.g. mind maps, using pictures as well as
text, using key words and phrases. Use grids and tables such as the KWL
to support reading, which can improve pupils' understanding of characters.
Plenaries
You can use the following suggested plenary activities in your lessons to help pupils
achieve the learning outcomes for exploring language in Shakespeare. These include
selecting and justifying quotations, using ICT to focus on language and exploring the
impact of names.
Using a four-column grid that allocates one column to each of the PEEE
elements, Point/Evidence/Explain/Extend, omit one column and ask pupils
to provide the missing one. See Point, evidence, explanation and more to
find out more about this approach.
Using ICT to support your teaching, help pupils focus on language by
presenting text on-screen, using highlighting and deleting, or by having them
selecting images to relate the mood of a particular speech.
When reading a text aloud, have pupils point at the characters whenever
they are referred to by a pronoun. Discuss with them the dramatic impact of
not using a person's name.

Explore the impact on an audience of particular nouns, verbs, adjectives

and adverbs. For example, one pupil in a pair might choose a word and the
other explains its effect.
Have pupils select quotations that convey character, mood or feelings and
explain why they have chosen them.
Group activities
Working in groups, pupils can:
prepare questions for an actor playing a particular character, prior to hotseating. This can be useful for guided and independent work.
prepare different readings of the same text. For example, with The
Tempest, they could focus on Caliban's description of the island as a place
of mystery or misery; they could also focus on choral speaking or trading.
explore insults from Shakespeare's texts. Using plays such as Romeo and
Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, The Tempest and A Midsummer
Night's Dream, groups can gather quotations that reflect the conflict and take
turns to shout them at one another.
Point, evidence, explanation and

more
The point/evidence/explanation (PEE) approach gives pupils a basic method of using
evidence to support what they say or write. You can find out how pupils can
experiment with this approach to develop a more flexible and sophisticated use of
conventions that allows them to write fluently and creatively.
Experimenting with the PEE approach

Once pupils are confident in using the PEE structure they can:
add more personal reflection
analyse key words and phrases
comment on aspects of the text using their imagination or own experience.
Progression in the PEE approach

From Year 7 to Year 9, pupils develop a more sophisticated approach to the PEE
structure.

Year 7
Point, evidence and explanation
At this level it can be enough to have a point of view, support it with evidence
and explain what it means. This point of view may not be fluently expressed,
developed or insightful.
Encourage pupils to use evidence from the text when making a point about a
character, theme or situation. For example, you can use the following
sequence when studying Macbeth.
Point
Early in the play Macbeth is unsure whether to go through with the murder of
the king.
Evidence
'We will proceed no further in this business.'
Act 1 Scene 7
Explanation
Macbeth says he wants to put a stop to things straight away.
Putting PEE together

Early in the play, Macbeth is unsure whether to go through with the murder
of the king. In Act 1 he says, 'We will proceed no further in this business.'
Macbeth is saying he wants to put a stop to things straight away.
Incorporating speaking
This approach can also help pupils develop their speaking skills. Encourage
them to think aloud in this way, and point out that for informal, class
explanation they can use more informal language, but a more considered
and formal style may be required for formal written assessment.

Progression
Point, evidence and explanation reordered
As pupils become familiar with the PEE approach, you can explore different
ways of structuring the same piece of analysis. You can ask questions like,
'Do we have to begin with the point we want to make? Could there be more
impact by beginning with the quotation?' For example, you can use the
following sequence when studying Macbeth.
Evidence
'We will proceed no further in this business.'
Act 1 Scene 7
Point
These are the words of Macbeth early in the play, showing how unsure he is
whether to go through with the murder of the king.
Explanation
He seems to be saying that he wants to put a stop to things straight away.
Encourage pupils to think about how they can add to this approach by using
the following techniques.
Persuasive techniques, including rhetorical questions, such as
'Are these really the words of the murderous Macbeth? Do we
really believe he is hesitating?'
Introductory images or lead-in statements, such as 'As Macbeth
faces the awful truth of what he is about to do, he speaks his
mind.'
Incorporating speech
If expressed in speech, you may want to encourage pupils to use the first
person 'I' as a way of getting inside the thought process. They can be
prompted through the use of careful, challenging questions such as:

'So, what's your point exactly, Martin?'

'You're not really saying Macbeth's scared, are you?'
'So, why do you think he feels like this?'
Although the use of first person can help pupils engage with the text and task
during class development, ask them to avoid using it in formal analysis or
assessment.
Year 9
Point, evidence and explanation reordered, reorganised and
extended
Once pupils are confident with the PEE approach, they can begin to use it
creatively.
Pupils can play around with the order of PEE beginning with
the quotation, for example, as in 'Progression'.
They can add background detail to their explanations.
They can weave the evidence fluently into what they want to
say, adding detail around it, as in this example.
Warrior Macbeth, returned and settled from his great, bloody
victory [background/scene], seems to stumble at the first hurdle
facing him, telling his wife that 'We'll proceed no further in this
business...' [quotation woven into point]. Are we to believe this
violent soldier does not have the stomach for murder? [rhetorical
question also an explanation].
Pupils can also extend and develop the point. For example,
'Macbeth's use of the word "we" shows that this is a joint venture
and Lady Macbeth is at least an equal partner at this point.'
Using a spoken presentation

If you are using a spoken presentation to develop these techniques, pupils
can focus on the rhetoric of the argument to develop their written skills. If
pupils begin to think of ways they could draw an audience in if giving a
presentation, this will help with written approaches.
In a spoken presentation, pupils can try:

starting with a quotation

beginning with a provocative, or challenging statement for
example, 'It is clear from the play that Macbeth is a cowardly,
pathetic child who is all words and no action.'
beginning with a powerful, emotive image for example, 'On a
desolate battlefield, thousands lie dead while the hero of the hour
awaits the visit of the king. Is he pleased? Yes, but he also has
murder on his mind. But'
These suggestions may not work for a formal, timed written assessment, but
they can encourage pupils to make points, explore the text and engage the
audience/examiner in a range of ways.
Introducing Shakespeare to Year 7

pupils
This unit introduces Shakespeare to pupils to help them progress in their knowledge
and understanding of his plays. Find out the suggested timing, prior knowledge
needed, focus areas for learning and objectives of this unit.
Timing
You can allow two to three weeks to complete this unit. It includes ten lessons, which
take around one hour each.
Prior knowledge
The unit assumes that pupils have studied Shakespeare previously, but no specific
prior knowledge is needed.
Focus areas for learning

There is a list of key questions that the unit addresses during each week's lessons.
You might begin your lessons by sharing these questions with your pupils, to help
them understand what they might learn and investigate during this unit.

Objectives of this unit

You can help pupils develop the skills needed to achieve in the reading assessment
focuses (AFs) within the Framework for secondary English.
The lessons are also linked to Year 7 learning objectives, which are taken from the
Framework for secondary English. In some cases, you might find references to Year
8 learning objectives. You can refer to these objectives as a general guide for your
lessons, but the main focus is on progression within substrands.
Related Links
Aims of this unit

This introductory unit can help Year 7 pupils understand Shakespeare. You can find
out how this unit provides opportunities for assessment, using ICT to support
teaching and learning, and developing pupils' functional skills.
Assessment
This unit can help pupils develop written responses to Shakespeare, through informal
and formal assessment. Pupils focus on the following four key areas of learning
about Shakespeare's plays:
text in performance
language
ideas and themes.
ICT
There are opportunities to use ICT, such as interactive whiteboards to support
teaching and learning in this unit. You can read about how to use ICT tools
effectively, or adapt lesson resources if ICT tools are not available.

Functional skills
There are opportunities in this unit for pupils to build, develop and apply skills in
responding to Shakespeare. They can also learn to find links with other subject areas
and contexts beyond the classroom. There may also be opportunities for assessment
at Functional skills Level 1, particularly within the Speaking and Listening strand.

As part of an introductory unit on Shakespeare for Year 7 pupils, these lessons help
pupils focus on how Shakespeare opened his plays. Find out the focus for learning
during these lessons, the relevant learning objectives and assessment focuses
(AFs).

You can use these key questions to find out the focus for these three lessons. You
may choose to share these questions with your pupils, to help them understand what
they will investigate and learn.
The openings of plays affect their success. How does Shakespeare open
his plays?
What can we learn about the theatre in Shakespeare's time that will help
our understanding?
By focusing on the text in performance, what do the openings of Macbeth
and King Lear in particular tell us about how Shakespeare uses language
and themes to create impact?
How does the opening of King Lear explore the themes of family
relationships and competition between siblings?
Relevant learning objectives

Find out about the relevant learning objectives to these lessons, including their
related language modes and sub-strands. The following objectives relate to modes of
Speaking and listening (Sp/L), Writing and Reading.
Sp/L 1.2: Identify, sift and summarise the most important points or key
ideas from a talk or discussion.
Sp/L 3.2: Take different roles in group discussion as required by the task
or context.
Sp/L 4.1: Explore ideas, texts and issues through a variety of dramatic
approaches and conventions.

Writing 6.2: Identify and describe the effect of writers use of specific
literary, rhetorical and grammatical features.
Reading 6.1: Understand the different ways in which texts can reflect the
social, cultural and historical contexts in which they were written. (You can
also refer to the Year 8 learning objective).
Relevant AFs
During these lessons, you can help pupils achieve in each of the following reading
assessment focuses (AFs). Use these AFs during assessment to help you judge the
effectiveness of your teaching and pupils' learning.
AF3: Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts.
AF4: Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts,
including grammatical and presentational features at text level.
AF5: Explain and comment on writers uses of language, including
grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level.
AF6: Identify and comment on writers purposes and viewpoints and the
overall effect of the text on the reader.
AF7: Relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts and literary
tradition.
Related Links
Lesson 1: Shakespeare's play

openings and theatre
You can find out the focus of this lesson and the resources needed to complete it.
Focus
This lesson focuses on how Shakespeare opened his plays and what the theatre was
like during his time.
Resources
Download the following resources to complete this lesson:

Shakespeare openings (NOTEBOOK-1.1 MB) Attachments

Shakespeare and The Globe Theatre
Node information
Attachments Zip:
31fe138584baa82045eb678e69da844d.zip
File Attachments
Shakespeare openings ( notebook 1.1 MB )
Shakespeare and The Globe Theatre ( ppt 283 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help you encourage pupils to explore their ideas about what makes
a powerful opening to a play. You can read the activity sequence and find out the
resources needed to complete this opening.
Activity sequence
Using Shakespeare Openings, ask pupils to consider:
how all the ideas included are events from the beginning of different
Shakespeare plays.
spending one minute to create their own mental list of the top three most
dramatic openings of Shakespeare's plays.
volunteering to put some of their ideas on openings in appropriate order
on the chart.
the importance of the opening to any spoken presentation/situation?
Examples include the start of a lesson, speaking to a friend and news
reports.
Resources
Download Shakespeare openings to complete this activity. You can present this
resource on paper or a traditional board if you don't have access to an interactive
whiteboard.
File Attachments

Main activity
This activity can help you encourage pupils to explore theatre and play openings in
Shakespeare's time. You can read the activity sequence and find out the resources
needed to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
Using Shakespeare and The Globe Theatre, you can introduce pupils to the theatre
in Shakespeare's time.
Give pairs of pupils their own printed version of the last slide of the resource.
Alternatively, you can provide access on-screen using the school network. Pairs of
pupils can select one of the openings from the Shakespeare Openings document
used in the opening part of this lesson. In pairs, pupils annotate the image of the
stage at The Globe to explain how it would be used to full effect to stage the chosen
opening.
To extend learning during this lesson, you can use the following ideas:
consider arranging a class visit to the Shakespeare's Globe Exhibition.
(Link not found: nid:428/579)
in preparation for this out-of-school activity, pupils prepare questions in
advance, research The Globe website or information texts about Elizabethan
theatre.
modelling of the activity on an interactive whiteboard might be a helpful
way to further engage pupils with the task.
Resources
Download the following resources to complete this activity:
Shakespeare openings (NOTEBOOK-1.1 MB) Attachments
Shakespeare and The Globe Theatre
Node information
Attachments Zip:
31fe138584baa82045eb678e69da844d.zip

Related Links
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
File Attachments
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to use technical language when
discussing plays. You can find out the activity sequence to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
Ask three pairs of pupils who have worked on different play openings to feed back
their ideas about staging to the rest of the class.
You might encourage them to explore the technical nature of the language. For
example, they could use specific terminology/vocabulary when:
discussing their thoughts on the craft of stage-making and play-writing
labelling parts of the stage.
You can focus praise when they show they have considered what going to the
theatre in Shakespeare's time would have been like.
Lesson 2: Opening of Macbeth

Focus
This lesson focuses on Shakespeare's language by looking at the role of the witches
in the opening of Macbeth.

Resources
Download The opening from Macbeth to complete this lesson.
File Attachments
The opening from Macbeth ( doc 30 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help you encourage pupils to explore different ways to read the
opening scene of Macbeth and link their learning with lesson 1. You can find out the
activity sequence to complete this opening.
Activity sequence
Before the lesson, you can prepare your own recorded reading of the opening, lines
1-13 of Macbeth. You can play this as pupils enter the classroom. Alternatively, you
can find and download a reading on the internet or use DVD footage of an opening
scene, such as Macbeth (1978) directed by Trevor Nunn.
Hand out printed copies of individual lines to all pupils. Explain that lines 9-11 refer to
the witches familiars, then encourage pupils to read the lines in the following ways:
out of sequence, such as moving around a circle of pupils and each taking
turns
in sequence encourage pupils to recognise where their line fits and read
it in order
starting with a whisper and ending with a shout and the other way
around
in slow motion
at double speed.
Briefly explain the witches role in Macbeth. In pairs, ask pupils to discuss:
how the scene might have been staged in Shakespeare's time
how powerful the audience would have found it as an opening
how they, as pupils, respond to it and whether they think it is a powerful
opening to a play.
The opening from Macbeth

Related Links
Macbeth audio recording by ejunto
File Attachments
Main activities
These activities can help you encourage pupils to investigate and annotate the
opening lines to Macbeth. You can read the activity sequence and find out the
resources needed to complete these activities.
Activity sequence
You can set up a 20-minute language investigation of the opening lines to Macbeth.
On the school network or on paper, give pupils access to The Opening from
Macbeth. Pupils can then notice and annotate:
rhyme and rhythm

different or similar line lengths
different or the same number of syllables in the lines
questions and answers
alliteration
repetition.
When annotating, you can encourage pupils to use various tools such as:
highlight in different colours

callouts
arrows or lines
text boxes.
You may wish to insert arrows or text boxes to the opening lines, in order to provide
more direction to pupils to guide their thinking about the lines.
As a class, pupils can then discuss the effects of Shakespeare's language choices.
You can also model the development of a comment which explains the effect of one
of these language techniques. It might be helpful to use the Point/Evidence/

Explanation (PEE) structure. See Point, evidence, explanation and more on how to
develop pupils' skills in using and explaining evidence in their writing.
Resources
Download The opening from Macbeth to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to feed back on the effects of
Shakespeare's language choices. You can find out the activity sequence to complete
this activity.
Activity sequence
Using a pass-the-parcel technique, pass an object around the room to music. You
can then stop the music to select pupils to feed back on the effects of Shakespeare's
language choices explored during this lesson.
You might provide a framing comment to help pupils feed back, such as I think that
Shakespeare used...because he wanted to
To further support pupils, you can provide a list of possible language effects on the
board as a menu for them to choose from.
Lesson 3: Opening of King Lear

Focus
This lesson focuses on exploring Shakespeare's ideas and themes in the opening of
King Lear.

Resources
Lear Images (NOTEBOOK-670 KB) Attachments
King Lear Opening (NOTEBOOK-4 KB) Attachments
Edited extract of King Lear, Act 1 Scene 1 (DOC-32 KB) Attachments
King Lear Themes and Ideas
Node information
Attachments Zip:
66e75788761c4415328da0a307238de9.zip
File Attachments
Lear Images ( notebook 670 KB )

King Lear Opening ( notebook 4 KB )
Edited extract of King Lear, Act 1 Scene 1 ( doc 32 KB )
King Lear Themes and Ideas ( notebook 5 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help you encourage pupils to explore how to write stories and the
influence of fairy/folk tales on Shakespeare's work. You can read the activity
sequence and find out the resources needed to complete this opening.
Activity sequence
Part 1
You can ask pupils to consider how they would write a story. Encourage them to
think back to the last story they wrote and think about how they wrote it.
For other ideas, pupils can draw on what they've:
experienced
read
seen
heard.
You can remind pupils that Shakespeare used a variety of sources, including
previously written stories to inspire him.

Part 2
Pupils now explore a Shakespeare play which draws on some elements of a
traditional fairy or folk tale.
In pairs, ask pupils to list as many conventions and character types as they can from
their knowledge of fairy tales. Display a selection of images, such as the production
images shown in the resource, Lear Images. Ask pupils to match fairy tale
conventions and characters to the images or scenes. For example, the image of the
bearded man might represent a kindly father, a wizard or an evil king. The young
woman and older man might represent a daughter being punished.
Explain that some of the characters and features of traditional stories are found in
King Lear. Ask pupils to consider how popular, or not, this might have been with
Shakespeare's audiences.
Resources
Download Lear Images to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Lear Images ( notebook 670 KB )
Main activities
These activities can help you encourage pupils to explore the sequence and impact
of the opening to King Lear. You can read the activity sequence and find out the
Activity sequence
Part 1
Using King Lear Opening (Resource 5), ask pupils to re-sequence the statements to
reflect the structure of the beginning of a traditional tale.

Pupils can work independently to rewrite the sequence by filling in the blanks and
drawing on their knowledge of the conventions of traditional stories. The aim is that
they create a powerful opening and share their work with the rest of the class.
Part 2
Using Edited extract of King Lear Act 1 Scene 1, read the extract aloud or play an
audio version of it to your pupils. Follow this with whole-class or group discussion,
followed by feed back to the rest of the pupils. Some suggested questions are:
what do you find shocking or powerful about the way this play starts?
if this happened in a modern family, how might the family feel and why?
who do you feel sympathy for and why?
what do you think might happen next?
You may wish to broaden the discussion to talk about the choices young people
have. For example, when telling people how they feel, how blunt, plain and truthful
should they be? In relation to the play, how sensible is Cordelia in telling her father
exactly how she feels?
Resources
King Lear Opening (NOTEBOOK-4 KB) Attachments
Edited extract of King Lear, Act 1 Scene 1
Node information
Attachments Zip:
61168eca7ab396b86948f392d2f903bb.zip
File Attachments
King Lear Opening ( notebook 4 KB )
Edited extract of King Lear, Act 1 Scene 1 ( doc 32 KB )
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to consider some of the themes and
ideas in the opening of King Lear. You can find out the activity sequence to complete
this activity.

Activity sequence
You can use King Lear Themes and Ideas to help pupils consider how the opening
of King Lear includes some of the key themes and ideas in the play. Pupils can
choose the themes they think are relevant and support this with evidence from the
play.
Resources
Download King Lear Themes and Ideas to complete this plenary.
File Attachments
King Lear Themes and Ideas ( notebook 5 KB )

Within this introductory unit on Shakespeare for Year 7 pupils, you can use these
lessons to help pupils focus on play openings, character and performance particularly
in Hamlet and Othello. Find out the focus for learning during these lessons, the
relevant learning objectives and assessment focuses (AFs).

How does Shakespeare use different skills and techniques in other
openings to his plays, specifically Hamlet?
How can a performance approach to the opening enhance our
understanding of character, themes and atmosphere?
By writing about text in performance, how can what has been learned
about openings be used to develop and demonstrate understandings of the
opening of Hamlet?
What does tragedy mean, when we talk about Shakespeare's plays?
How can looking at character and motivation in Othello help to understand
it?


related language modes and substrands. The following objectives relate to modes of
Speaking and listening (Sp/L), Reading and Writing.
Sp/L 4.2: Work on their own and with others to develop dramatic
processes, narratives, performances or roles.
Sp/L 4.2: Comment on the effectiveness of the different dramatic
conventions and techniques used.
Sp/L 4.1: Explore ideas, texts and issues through a variety of dramatic
approaches and conventions.
Reading 5.1: Extract the main points and relevant information from a text
or source using a range of strategies such as skimming and scanning.
Reading 5.2: Make a personal response to a text and provide some textual
reference in support.
Writing 8.1: Develop their own viewpoint, drawing on evidence, opinions
and the particular purpose of the task.
Writing 8.5: Shape the overall organisation, sequence and presentation of
a text to convey ideas clearly and effectively.
Relevant AFs
and writing assessment focuses (AFs). Use these AFs during assessment to help
you judge the effectiveness of your teaching and pupils' learning.
Reading
AF2: Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas
from texts and use quotation and reference to text.
Writing
AF1: Write imaginative, interesting and thoughtful texts.

AF2: Produce texts which are appropriate to task, reader and purpose.
AF7: Select appropriate and effective vocabulary.
AF8: Use correct spelling.

Related Links
Lesson 4: Opening of Hamlet (part

1)
Focus
This lesson focuses on how Shakespeare's opening of Hamlet was performed.
Resources
The Opening of Hamlet (DOC-26 KB) Attachments
Shakespeare and The Globe Theatre (PPT-282 KB) Attachments
Edited continuation from the opening of Hamlet (DOC-28 KB)
Attachments
Writing about Text in Performance: the opening of Hamlet
Node information
Attachments Zip:
1c022063c9a38fe67095f744808c2b44.zip
File Attachments
The Opening of Hamlet ( doc 26 KB )

Edited continuation from the opening of Hamlet ( doc 28 KB )
Writing about Text in Performance: the opening of Hamlet ( doc 21 KB )

Opening the lesson

By reading lines differently, this activity can help you encourage pupils to explore and
discuss the opening lines of Hamlet. You can read the activity sequence and find out
the resources needed to complete this opening.
Activity sequence
Using The Opening of Hamlet, ask pupils to read the lines in the following ways:
line by line around the class
punctuation mark to punctuation mark around the room
in pairs in whispers
in pairs where both characters cannot stop laughing
in pairs with one character shouting and the other whispering
starting far apart and taking one step forward towards each other on every
line.
In pairs, pupils then discuss the following questions.
How is this opening different or similar to the other openings they have
looked at?
How does Shakespeare make the audience curious?
What is the context of the opening of the play, including the ghost's
imminent arrival? This is what causes expectation and suspense in the
audience. If pupils are struggling here, discuss the nervousness of the
soldiers and why they might have felt this way.
Resources
Download The Opening of Hamlet to complete this activity. You can give pupils a
printed copy or display the resource on an interactive whiteboard or overhead
transparency.
File Attachments
The Opening of Hamlet ( doc 26 KB )

Main activity
This activity can help you encourage pupils to perform the opening of Hamlet,
exploring performance, character and motivation. You can read about what to do
before the activity, the activity sequence and find out the resources needed.
Before the activity

You can set the success criteria for this activity by explaining that in an opening to a
play, it's important to draw the audience in. In this case of Hamlet, make the
audience believe they are on the castle walls on a bleak Danish night.
Activity sequence
Show pupils the last slide from Shakespeare and The Globe Theatre. Divide the
class into groups of five with pupils taking on the roles of Horatio, Bernardo,
Marcellus, the Ghost and the director. Distribute Edited continuation from the
opening of Hamlet, the edited version of the scene in which the ghost appears.
Groups act out the scene, trying to show its suspenseful nature and incorporating
elements of the stage as it was in Shakespeare's time. For example, this
incorporates pillars, the balcony and closeness of the audience.
Performances by one or two groups can be performed again, with the audience
encouraged to comment on how well the groups conveyed the tense atmosphere.
To help pupils understand character and motivation, you might use techniques such
as forum theatre. This involves:
stopping the action and allowing members of the audience to comment
replacing the role of someone on stage
freeze-framing the action and asking actors to comment on their
motivation how they feel, what they want.
Resources
Shakespeare and The Globe Theatre (PPT-282 KB) Attachments
Edited continuation from the opening of Hamlet

Node information
Attachments Zip:
c54774a47d87aa1283a26b1bb9f73119.zip
File Attachments
Edited continuation from the opening of Hamlet ( doc 28 KB )
Plenary
This plenary can help you lead pupils to write about the opening of Hamlet in
performance. You can find out the activity sequence and resources needed to
complete this activity.
Activity sequence
Pupils complete the cloze exercise on Writing about Text in Performance: the
opening of Hamlet.
You might choose to encourage confident pupils to use the cloze as a model on the
side, and write their own free commentary. You can also decide which pupils need
the support of the menu of suggested words/phrases.
Resources
Download and distribute Writing about Text in Performance: the opening of Hamlet to
pupils to complete this plenary.
File Attachments
Writing about Text in Performance: the opening of Hamlet ( doc 21 KB )

Lesson 5: Opening of Hamlet (part

2)
You can find out about the focus for this lesson and the resources needed to
complete it.
Focus
This lesson focuses on helping pupils write about how Shakespeare's opening of
Hamlet was performed.
Resources
Download The Ghost reappears edited extract to complete this lesson.
File Attachments
The Ghost reappears edited extract ( doc 27 KB )
Opening the lesson

By focusing on a completed cloze exercise, pupils can learn to write about text in
performance. You can follow the activity sequence to complete this opening.
Activity sequence
You can use an example of a pupil's completed cloze exercise from the plenary in
lesson 4 to demonstrate how to write about text in performance.
You might point out the following features of the text.
how evidence from the text is incorporated

how links are made and their effect on the audience
how brief comments about language can be built in
the focus is on the text as performance.

Main activity
This activity can help you encourage pupils to write about text in performance based
on the ghost's reappearance in the opening of Hamlet. You can read the activity
sequence and find out the resources needed to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
Based on the cloze activity discussion from the plenary in lesson 4 and the text
features from the opening of this lesson, pupils can now write about text in
performance based on the next entrance of the ghost. Give out copies of the
resource, The Ghost reappears edited extract so that pupils can complete this
activity.
One or two pupils can work on a computer or write onto an overhead transparency so
that their work can be shared during the plenary.
Depending on the ability of your pupils, you may wish to provide a bank of
vocabulary, sentence starters and other models to support pupils in their writing.
Resources
Download The Ghost reappears edited extract to complete this activity
File Attachments
The Ghost reappears edited extract ( doc 27 KB )
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to compare and contrast the different
openings of Shakespeare's plays. You can find out the activity sequence to complete
this activity.

Activity sequence
Encourage pupils who have worked on overhead transparencies or computers to
share their work with the class. You can then lead constructive criticism of their
writing.
You may wish to help pupils to compare and contrast the different openings of
Shakespeare's plays.
Focusing on plays pupils have studied, some ideas for discussion include:
providing a brief account of the different openings
exploring similarities and differences
evaluating the effectiveness and impact of each opening.
Lesson 6: Tragedies and Othello's

fatal flaw
Focus
This lesson focuses on Shakespeare's Othello, and helping pupils explore character
and motivation within the play.
Resources
Tragedies cloze (NOTEBOOK-5 KB) Attachments
Key characteristics of Othello (NOTEBOOK-9 KB) Attachments
Iago's plan
Node information
Attachments Zip:
0ffeebd18dc33f31f889e90225791612.zip

File Attachments
Tragedies cloze ( notebook 5 KB )
Key characteristics of Othello ( notebook 9 KB )
Iago's plan ( notebook 6 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help you encourage pupils to explore the features of Shakespeare's
tragedies. You can read the activity sequence and find out the resources needed to
complete this opening.
Activity sequence
Part 1
You can start by asking pupils what the word tragedy means.
Ask the class to provide quick-fire ideas to be listed on the board. You can reinforce
the idea that tragedy is always personal. It is about the effect of something on
someone, and there is often a sense that:
it could have been avoided
something has been lost
someone's life has ended or been unfulfilled.
Part 2
Next you can use the resource, Tragedies cloze to introduce pupils to the some of
the features in Shakespeare's tragedies. Pupils read the first slide in pairs,
memorising as much of it as possible. After a given amount of time, pupils work in
pairs to recall as much as possible to help them complete the blanks on the second
slide.
You might choose to invite volunteer pairs to the board to present their answers,
receiving a small reward if they are correct.
You can explain that the link to Shakespeare comes from his desire to rework deeprooted stories, myths and ideas which he knew would have an impact on his
audience. Tragedy is part of this process.

Resources
You can download Tragedies cloze to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Tragedies cloze ( notebook 5 KB )
Main activity
This activity can help you encourage pupils to suggest hypotheses about Othello's
character traits and what might happen in the play. You can read the activity
sequence and find out the resources needed to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
You can briefly explain who Othello is and introduce other key characters in the
context of Othello's life, such as Iago, Cassio and Desdemona. Without revealing
what happens to these characters, display the resource Key characteristics of
Othello.
You can ask pupils to suggest hypotheses about which of the traits listed for Othello
could be exploited by Iago. To extend this task, you can ask pupils to produce a flow
chart to explain how events might unfold in the play. Refer to the example hypothesis
on second slide of Key characteristics of Othello to help pupils complete this activity.
Now display lago's plan and read the resource to pupils. Ask them to work in pairs
to find out which of Othello's weaknesses are being exploited, and which lines of the
play support their responses. Pupils can then contribute their ideas to whole-class
discussion.
Resources
Key characteristics of Othello (NOTEBOOK-9 KB) Attachments
Iago's plan
Node information
Attachments Zip:

437b15b0d6cf0c9f19047e0b0e65da31.zip
File Attachments
Key characteristics of Othello ( notebook 9 KB )
Iago's plan ( notebook 6 KB )
Plenary
This plenary helps pupils focus on how different character traits create different
motivations and actions in Shakespeare's plays. You can find out the activity
sequence to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
You can ask pupils to reread Iago's plan from the main activity in this lesson. Then
ask every member of the class to write down their thoughts on Iago's most significant
trait/motivation.
It can be helpful to use mini-whiteboards for this plenary as it makes sharing easier
for pupils. They can hold up their ideas for you to summarise or choose contributors.
Alternatively, you can choose to base this plenary on an opening scene from one of
the plays studied so far. Display the scene on an interactive whiteboard and invite
pupils to annotate what they think the motivations or thoughts of each character
might be at that particular point.

Within this introductory unit on Shakespeare for Year 7 pupils, you can use these
lessons to help pupils focus on comedy and character in Shakespeare. You can also
help pupils develop their written responses and prepare for assessment. Find out the
focus for learning during these lessons, the relevant learning objectives and
assessment focuses (AFs).


What do we mean by comedy when we talk about Shakespeare's plays?
By focusing on language choices in a scene between Titania and Bottom
in A Midsummer Night's Dream, what can we learn about how Shakespeare
creates comedy and conveys character?
How can we shape an extended written response to Shakespeare's work,
focusing on paragraphing and assessment criteria?
How do we prepare for, successfully tackle and evaluate a Shakespeare
practice paper for this year? (With awareness of Assessment for Learning.)

Sp/L 1.2: Identify, sift and summarise the most important points or key
ideas from a talk or discussion.
Sp/L 3.1: Make clear and relevant contributions to group discussion,
promoting, opposing, exploring and questioning as appropriate.
Reading 5.1: Extract the main points and relevant information from a text
or source using a range of strategies such as skimming and scanning.
Reading 5.1: Use inference and deduction to recognise implicit meanings
at sentence and text level.
Reading 5.1: Make relevant notes when gathering ideas from texts.
Reading 5.2: Identify and understand the main ideas, viewpoints, themes
and purposes in a text.
Writing 8.2: Use punctuation accurately to clarify meaning and create
effects in clauses, sentences and when writing speech.
Writing 8.5: Make ideas and purpose clear by appropriate use of
paragraphs and by choosing from a range of linking words and phrases.
Relevant AFs

Reading
tradition.
Writing
AF3: Organise and present whole texts effectively, sequencing and
structuring information, ideas and events.
AF4: Construct paragraphs and use cohesion within and between
paragraphs.
Related Links
Assessment for Learning
Assessment guidelines: Reading and writing
Lesson 7: Comedies and A

Midsummer Night's Dream
Focus
This lesson focuses on the love mix-up between Titania and Bottom in A Midsummer
Night's Dream, with a particular focus on Shakespeare's language.

Resources
Features of Shakespeare's Comedies (NOTEBOOK-5 KB) Attachments
From A Midsummer Night's Dream: Act 3, Scene 1
Node information
Attachments Zip:
1b1263624f819af077f8871eca576c56.zip
File Attachments
Features of Shakespeare's Comedies ( notebook 5 KB )
From A Midsummer Night's Dream: Act 3, Scene 1 ( doc 28 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help you encourage pupils to explore their ideas about comedy in
Shakespeare. You can read the activity sequence and find out the resources needed
to complete this opening.
Activity sequence
You can ask pupils to suggest what they understand by the term comedy. Use these
responses to create a list of ideas on an interactive whiteboard and refer back to this
later.
Displaying resource, Features of Shakespeare's Comedies on the board, pupils
come up to move the features into the appropriate columns to classify the features of
different types of plays.
You can compare pupils' responses to the resource activity to their original ideas.
Consider:
if there is any overlap
if there are any differences? If so, what and why?
whether a sense of humour changes over time and in different cultures?
Discuss pupils' responses before showing them the second slide of the resource,
containing a definition of Shakespeare's comedies.

Resources
Download Features of Shakespeare's Comedies to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Features of Shakespeare's Comedies ( notebook 5 KB )
Main activity
This activity can help you encourage pupils to explore and comment on an extract
from A Midsummer Night's Dream. You can read the activity sequence and find out
the resources needed to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
You can begin the class by reading to pupils, From A Midsummer Night's Dream: Act
3, Scene 1. In this extract, Titania falls in love with Bottom.
After reading, you can divide the class into four groups to reread and investigate the
extract. Each group prepares a three- to five-minute presentation using the extract to
back up their views.
Groups can prepare to perform or investigate these ideas.
A performance of the scene including the four attendant fairies.
What commanding language choices has Shakespeare made to make
Titania seem powerful?
What romantic language choices has Shakespeare made to make Titania
seem in love?
What do you notice about Titania's speeches in terms of rhyme and
rhythm?
You might encourage a fifth group to mix-and-match the ideas. They can perform
elements from the scene and comment on it by freeze-framing the action while other
pupils present their ideas. You may need to allow more time for pupils to prepare and
present this.
Some pupils may need more support work on creating effective presentations (link to
Functional skills).

Resources
Download From A Midsummer Night's Dream: Act 3, Scene 1 to complete this
activity. You can give out copies of this resource and/or display it on an interactive
whiteboard.
File Attachments
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to feed back on their presentations from
the main activity of this lesson. You can find out the activity sequence to complete
this activity.
Encourage groups of pupils to provide three to five minutes of feedback on their
presentations completed in the main activity of this lesson. Other pupils may make
notes which they refer to in the practice paper in lesson 8.
Alternatively, you or a chosen scribe could make a set of class notes using the
interactive whiteboard. Display these notes in lesson 8 for pupils' reference.
Lesson 8: Writing a response

Focus
This lesson focuses on using the assessment focuses (AFs) to assess reading and
following the Point/Evidence/Explain (PEE) structure for writing a response. See
Point, evidence, explanation and more to find out more about this approach.
Resources

From A Midsummer Night's Dream: Act 3, Scene 1 (DOC-28 KB)

Attachments
Reading Assessment Focuses
Node information
Attachments Zip:
7f82d9f423dd98fcde1d60236cb176c9.zip
File Attachments
Reading Assessment Focuses ( doc 20 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help you explain to pupils how reading in Shakespeare is assessed
using the assessment focuses (AFs). You can read the activity sequence and find out
Activity sequence
You can explain that over the course of Key Stage 3, pupils are assessed on the
reading of Shakespeare using the assessment focuses (AFs) for reading. Use the
Reading Assessment Focuses to introduce these to pupils and to confirm their
understanding of reading at this key stage.
Resources
Download Reading Assessment Focuses to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Main activities
This activity can help you guide pupils in composing a written response to an extract
from A Midsummer Night's Dream. You can read the activity sequence and find out
the resources needed to complete these activities.

Activity sequence
Part 1
As a class, reread the From A Midsummer Night's Dream: Act 3, Scene 1 in which
Titania falls in love with Bottom. Then ask pupils, how does Shakespeare use
language to show Titania's power over Bottom and the fairies in this extract?
Part 2
To answer this question, complete a writing task in three steps:
1. Model an opening paragraph for pupils.
2. For the second paragraph, use a shared writing approach in which pupils
contribute ideas but do not write anything themselves.
3. Ask pupils to write a third paragraph, providing them with further
scaffolding such as sentence starters, a vocabulary bank and a reminder of
PEE (see Point, evidence, explanation and more for details).
Resources
Download From A Midsummer Night's Dream: Act 3, Scene 1 to complete these
activities.
File Attachments
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to use their own writing to reflect on the
assessment focuses (AFs) they might have achieved. You can find out the activity
sequence and resources needed to complete this plenary.
Activity sequence
In pairs, ask pupils to read their writing from the main activities in this lesson. Using
Reading Assessment Focuses, pupils can refer to the list of AFs for reading to
annotate their writing, indicating where these have been achieved.

Resources
Download and give out Reading Assessment Focuses to complete this plenary.
File Attachments
Lesson 9: Assignment task

Focus
This lesson focuses on using an assignment task to help pupils decide how they
would direct the opening of Hamlet.
Resources
Download and give out Year 7 Hamlet Assignment to complete this lesson.
File Attachments
Year 7 Hamlet Assignment ( doc 23 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help you encourage pupils to read and annotate an extract of
Hamlet. You can read the activity sequence and find out the resources needed to
Activity sequence
You can give out copies of Year 7 Hamlet Assignment. Guide pupils through reading
and annotating the extract when thinking about how they would direct the opening
scene.

You can adjust the timing, content and support to separate different parts of this task.
Resources
Download and give out Year 7 Hamlet Assignment to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Main activity
This activity can help you guide pupils to write under controlled conditions about the
opening to Hamlet. You can find out the activity sequence and resources needed to
Activity sequence
Following their preparation work in reading and annotating the opening extract to
Hamlet, pupils can now write under controlled conditions. You can refer to the
'Opening the lesson' activity to find how pupils prepare for this activity.
To make the controlled conditions experience authentic but non-threatening, you can
encourage pupils to work independently. This can allow them to develop their skills in
managing their ideas and working to time.
Resources
Download and give out Year 7 Hamlet Assignment to complete this activity.
File Attachments

Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to informally discuss their first
experiences of engaging with Shakespeare. You can find out the activity sequence to
Activity sequence
You can collect pupils completed writing tasks from the main activity in this lesson.
Pupils can complete this lesson by informally discussing their first experiences of
engaging with Shakespeare's plays. This includes:
reading
discussing
writing.
Lesson 10: Peer assessment and

feedback on assignment task
Focus
This lesson focuses on peer assessment and feedback on the Hamlet writing
assignment from lesson 9. This assessment and feedback process takes place after
you have marked pupils' work.
Resources
Download Year 7 Success criteria for Hamlet assignment to complete this lesson.
File Attachments
Year 7 Success criteria for Hamlet assignment ( doc 23 KB )

Opening the lesson

This activity can help you show pupils how and where they have met the success
criteria for the assignment in lesson 9. You can find out the activity sequence to
Activity sequence
Give out pupils' responses to the task in lesson 9, which you have marked and
annotated to indicate where they have met the success criteria for the assignment.
You can give pupils opportunities to reread their answers privately before they team
up with two or three other pupils and read each other's work.
Main activity
This activity can help you encourage pupils to mark responses to the Shakespeare
assignment task in lesson 9. You can read the activity sequence and find out the
resources needed to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
After giving out the Year 7 Success criteria for Hamlet assignment, you can ask
pupils to work in pairs to mark their own and their partner's responses to the
assignment task in lesson 9. Pupils can use the suggested mark scheme in the
resource to annotate the written responses accordingly.
You can use the statements in the success criteria to reflect on the reading skills
taught during this unit and identify pupils' progress using the examples of how pupils
might meet the reading criteria.
Resources
Download Year 7 Success criteria for Hamlet assignment to complete this activity.

File Attachments
Year 7 Success criteria for Hamlet assignment ( doc 23 KB )
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to reflect on this unit, and set targets for
studying Shakespeare in Year 8. You can find out the activity sequence to complete
this activity.
Activity sequence
Pupils can end this lesson by reflecting on this unit and setting targets for their Year 8
study of Shakespeare.
They can complete this by using a learning log or an Assessment for Learning form.
Year 8 study: Romeo and Juliet

This unit develops pupils responses to reading Romeo and Juliet through writing,
and speaking and listening activities. Find out the suggested timing, prior knowledge
needed, focus areas for learning and objectives of this unit.
Timing
Allow two to three weeks to complete this unit. It includes 12 lessons, which take
around one hour each.
Prior knowledge
The unit assumes that pupils have studied Shakespeare and are familiar with the four
focus areas in Key Stage 3 for teaching and learning:
text in performance
language
ideas and themes.

Lessons 1, 3, 10 and the end of unit assignment refer to 'Introducing Shakespeare to

Year 7 pupils'.

There is a list of key questions that the unit addresses during each week's lessons.
You might begin your lessons by sharing these questions with your pupils, to help
them understand what they might learn and investigate during this unit.
Objectives of this unit

You can help pupils develop the skills needed to achieve in the reading assessment
focuses (AFs) within the Framework for secondary English.
The lessons are also linked to Year 8 learning objectives, which are taken from the
Framework for secondary English. There may also be opportunities for assessment
at Functional skills Level 1, within the Speaking and Listening strand.
Aims of this unit

This unit can help Year 8 pupils develop their understanding of Shakespeare. You
can find out how this unit provides opportunities for assessment, using ICT to support
teaching and learning, and developing pupils' functional skills.
Assessment
This unit can help pupils develop written responses to Shakespeare, through informal
and formal assessment. Pupils learn to respond to Shakespeare in four key areas:
text in performance
language
ideas and themes.
ICT
There are opportunities to use ICT, such as interactive whiteboards to support
teaching and learning in this unit. You can read about how to use ICT tools
effectively, or adapt lesson resources if ICT tools are not available.

Functional skills
There are opportunities in this unit for pupils to build, develop and apply skills in
responding to Shakespeare. They can also learn to find links with other subject areas
and contexts beyond the classroom. There may also be opportunities for assessment
at Functional skills Level 1, within the Speaking and Listening strand. Pupils can
appreciate Shakespeare's technical skills through learning about him as an actor,
director, writer and businessman.

As part of a study unit on Romeo and Juliet for Year 8 pupils, these lessons help
pupils focus on the characterisation and themes of the play. Find out the focus for
learning during these lessons, the relevant learning objectives and assessment
focuses (AFs).

What sorts of people/characters are the main protagonists of Romeo and
Juliet?
What are their motivations?
Is it right to refer to the play as a tragedy? Consider what this term
means.
What are its main themes and ideas?

related language modes and substrands. The following objectives relate to the mode
of Reading.
Reading 5.1: Make relevant notes when researching different sources,
comparing and contrasting information.
Reading 5.1: Use a range of reading strategies to retrieve relevant
information and main points from texts distinguishing between fact and
opinion where appropriate.
Reading 5.2: Trace the development of a writer's ideas, viewpoint and
themes.

Relevant AFs
tradition.
Lesson 1: The boys Romeo,

Benvolio, Mercutio and the Friar
Focus
This lesson focuses on the character and motivation of 'the boys' in Romeo and
Juliet.
Resources
Download these resources to complete this lesson:
Benvolio and Romeo meet (display) (XBK-1 KB) Attachments
Benvolio and Romeo meet (hand out) (DOC-20 KB) Attachments
Benvolio and Romeo meet Extract from Romeo and Juliet: Act 1, Scene
1 (DOC-20 KB) Attachments
Characters and their motivations in Romeo and Juliet: the boys
Node information
Attachments Zip:
dad06788ff687894160c1f354e9dae4e.zip

File Attachments
Benvolio and Romeo meet (display) ( xbk 1 KB )
Benvolio and Romeo meet (hand out) ( doc 20 KB )
1 ( doc 21 KB )
Characters and their motivations in Romeo and Juliet: the boys ( xbk 2 KB
)
Opening the lesson

This activity can help pupils explore the meaning behind Benvolio and Romeo's
discussion in Act 1, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet. You can read the activity
sequence and find out the resources needed to complete this opening.
Activity sequence
After displaying Benvolio and Romeo meet (display), ask pupils to get into pairs and
read the lines in the range of styles suggested. After ten minutes, ask pupils to
suggest what Romeo is referring to in the last line. You can also provide printed
copies of the text, using Benvolio and Romeo meet (handout).
A follow up or extension to the activity could be to share with the class the extract
from the scene, using the resource Benvolio and Romeo meet Extract from Romeo
and Juliet: Act 1, Scene 1 and ask them to consider what else they discover about
Romeo from what he says to Benvolio.
Resources
Download these resources to complete this activity:
Benvolio and Romeo meet (display) (XBK-1 KB) Attachments - you can
present this resource on a traditional board if you don't have access to an
interactive whiteboard.
Benvolio and Romeo meet (hand out) (DOC-20 KB) Attachments
1.
Node information
Attachments Zip:
62374a41175126775005a1cbacce50a8.zip

File Attachments
Benvolio and Romeo meet (display) ( xbk 1 KB )
Benvolio and Romeo meet (hand out) ( doc 20 KB )
1 ( doc 21 KB )
Main activities
These activities can help you encourage pupils to consider the character and
motivation of the male characters in Romeo and Juliet. You can read the activity
sequence and find out what resources you need to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
This is a good opportunity to draw pupils attention to the transferability of the reading
skills they are using, such as drawing on prior knowledge and eliminating irrelevant
information.
You can:
remind pupils of the work they did on reading Shakespeare during Year 7.
show the resource Characters and their motivations in Romeo and Juliet:
the boys to the class
give pupils time to work in small groups of seven to complete the chart in
the resource sheet. They can then feed back their ideas to the whole class in
an extended plenary. You can advise pupils to use various strategies,
including:
drawing on prior knowledge of the play
reading certain scenes (you can direct this)
using a process of elimination
making intelligent guesses.
All the quotations used in the resource are from Act 1. Another approach is to give
each group of pupils one scene to skim-read to find the relevant reference.
Resources
Download Characters and their motivations in Romeo and Juliet: the boys to

File Attachments
Characters and their motivations in Romeo and Juliet: the boys ( xbk 2 KB
)
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to present ideas in a logical manner
using lines from Romeo and Juliet. You can find the activity sequence to complete
this activity.
Activity sequence
Part 1
Following group work in the main activities of this lesson, each group can feed back
on one line in the chart. You can encourage pupils to present in a logical manner,
using connectives of sequence such as:
First, we are going to explain why we think
Our next point is
Part 2
Ask each pupil to choose one character and his line and to practise saying
the line in an appropriate way. They can consider their tone, pace and
volume.
End the lesson with a communal chant: all the Romeos speak their line
simultaneously.
Repeat the process with the rest of the characters.
Lesson 2: The girls Juliet, Lady

Capulet and Nurse

Focus
This lesson focuses on the character and motivation of 'the girls' in Romeo and Juliet.
Resources
Characters and their motivations in Romeo and Juliet: the girls (XBK-1
KB) Attachments
Romeo and Juliet: Act 1, Scene III. A room in Capulet's house (edited)
(DOC-38 KB) Attachments
Romeo and Juliet boys and girls
Node information
Attachments Zip:
a109e3e5f188ef0a61503f0d5c15d6a8.zip
File Attachments
Characters and their motivations in Romeo and Juliet: the girls ( xbk 1 KB
)
Romeo and Juliet: Act 1, Scene III. A room in Capulet's house (edited) (
doc 39 KB )
Romeo and Juliet boys and girls ( xbk 1 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help pupils explore the character and motivation of the female
characters in Romeo and Juliet. You can read the activity sequence and find out the
Activity sequence
You can show the resource Characters and their motivations in Romeo
and Juliet: the girls to the class.
You can then read through the brief descriptions of the female characters
situations, making links with modern life and the pupils experiences where
possible.
Through whole-class discussion, elicit ideas from pupils to complete the
chart in the resource.

You can use challenging questions to elicit more subtle understandings. For
example, you could ask: Although we can see connections with modern life today,
are there aspects which already locate/place the story in its time?
Resources
Download Characters and their motivations in Romeo and Juliet: the girls to complete
this lesson. You can present this resource on paper or a traditional board if you don't
have access to an interactive whiteboard.
File Attachments
Characters and their motivations in Romeo and Juliet: the girls ( xbk 1 KB
)
Main activity
This activity can help you encourage pupils to explore the character and motivation of
the female characters in Romeo and Juliet. You can read the activity sequence and
find out the resources needed to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
Read Act 1, Scene 3 in its entirety or the edited version Romeo and Juliet:
Act 1, Scene III. A room in Capulet's house (edited).
Share this question with the class: What attitudes to love and romance are
displayed by the three women?
In discussion with pupils, create a spider diagram detailing their
responses. You can keep this displayed in the classroom throughout the
teaching of this unit.
You may wish to support pupils in their reading by:
showing a film version or playing an audio version of the scene
reading the scene aloud to the class
splitting the class into groups for the reading.
Resources
Download Romeo and Juliet: Act 1, Scene III. A room in Capulet's house (edited) to

File Attachments
Romeo and Juliet: Act 1, Scene III. A room in Capulet's house (edited) (
doc 39 KB )
Plenary
This plenary can help pupils consider different ways to group characters in Romeo
and Juliet. You can find the activity sequence and resources you will need to
Activity sequence
Using resource Romeo and Juliet: boys and girls, pupils can review all
the characters discussed so far in this lesson.
Ask pupils to regroup them in diverse ways to show how they might share
viewpoints, motivations or characteristics other than gender. For example,
grouping characters by rank or age.
Ask pupils if their decisions might affect how they would put the play on.
For example, using different clothes for lower ranked characters.
Resource
Download Romeo and Juliet boys and girls to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Romeo and Juliet boys and girls ( xbk 1 KB )
Lesson 3: Romeo and Juliet as a

tragedy
Focus
This lesson focuses on the ideas and themes in Romeo and Juliet.

Resources
The Tragedies (XBK-1 KB) Attachments
Prologue
Node information
Attachments Zip:
757f37075408e97a27316873541840e3.zip
File Attachments
The Tragedies ( xbk 1 KB )
Prologue ( xbk 2 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help pupils understand the issues, themes and ideas in exploring
Romeo and Juliet as a tragedy. You can read the activity sequence and find out the
Activity sequence
Using The Tragedies, you can remind pupils of prior learning about
Shakespeare's tragedies. Pupils may remember this resource from lesson 6
of 'Introducing Shakespeare to Year 7 pupils'. You can discuss these
questions with pupils:
What are the serious issues in Romeo and Juliet?
What might the main characters fatal flaws be?
In tragedies, the characters are supposed to learn something.
Who might learn what at the end of Romeo and Juliet?
Draw pupils attention to the idea that theme, idea, issue are not terms
only related to English, but could be applied to other subject areas. For
example, a key theme of the First World War was the idea of sacrifice.
A useful discussion question to explore at this stage might be What
impact does it have on the audience when they know from the beginning that
the lovers kill themselves?' You can explain that by the end of the lesson,
pupils will be expected to have more detailed answers to these questions.

Resources
Download The Tragedies to complete this activity. You can present this resource on
paper or a traditional board if you don't have access to an interactive whiteboard.
File Attachments
The Tragedies ( xbk 1 KB )
Main activity
This activity can help you encourage pupils to explore the prologue of Romeo and
Juliet. You can read the activity sequence and find out the resources needed to
Activity sequence
You can choose to display the resource, 'Prologue' on an interactive
whiteboard or give out printed copies to pupils. You can then read it aloud to
pupils.
Ask pupils to highlight or underline one word from each line which seems
most important or summarises the line. You can refer to the model on the
second slide of the resource.
Discuss pupils' thoughts and make sure the class have understood the
content of the prologue.
Remind pupils that in Year 7, they studied some of the choices
Shakespeare made about how he opened his plays. You can refer to the first
two weeks of 'Introducing Shakespeare to Year 7 pupils'.
Ask them to write about the prologue as a dramatic opening. The third
slide of the resource provides some key words which could be used in a
response to this writing task. Watching the Prologue in the film Shakespeare
in Love (Madden, 1998) can help pupils to understand how the Prologue
works as an opening.
You may wish to provide additional support in modelling, sentence starters or writing
frames.
Resources
Download Prologue to complete this activity.

File Attachments
Prologue ( xbk 2 KB )
Plenary
This plenary can help pupils to consider the issues and ideas the prologue reveals in
Romeo and Juliet. You can find out the activity sequence to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
In pairs, pupils return to the questions explored in the opening activity:
What are the serious issues in Romeo and Juliet?
What might the main characters fatal flaws be?
In tragedies, the characters are supposed to learn something.
What might they learn at the end of Romeo and Juliet?
Now ask pupils to try answering these questions drawing only on the
words that they highlighted or underlined in the prologue during the main
activity.
You may wish to ask pupils to consider the following question: Surely the prologue's
a waste of time it gives away the ending. This could lead into some brief
exploration of Shakespeare's audiences and the notion that most stories made for
the stage were already well-known.

pupils focus on the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet and the scene where they first
meet. Find out the focus for learning during these lessons, the relevant learning
objectives and assessment focuses (AFs).


What can we learn about Romeo and Juliet from their first meeting, and
how do performers bring out the key elements and ideas in the scene?
How does the language Shakespeare uses in this scene aid our
understanding?
Through Romeo's character, how does Shakespeare use language in the
balcony scene to convey key ideas about character, theme and story?
Relevant objectives
Speaking and listening (Sp/L), Writing and Reading.
Sp/L 2.1: Select the most appropriate way to structure speech for clarity
and effect, taking into account task, audience, purpose and context and the
range of supporting resources available.
Sp/L 3.1: Listen carefully, ask pertinent questions and make suggestions
in order to solve problems and test ideas.
Reading 5.1: Make relevant notes when researching different sources,
comparing and contrasting information.
Reading 5.2: Respond to a text by making precise points and providing
relevant evidence in support of those points.
Reading 6.1: Relating texts to the social, historical and cultural contexts in
which they were written.
Reading 6.2: Explore the range, variety and overall effect on readers of
literary, rhetorical and grammatical features used by writers of literary and
non-literary texts.
Writing 7.1: Explore, problem solve, connect and shape ideas, and identify
the most appropriate approach to planning their writing.
Writing 10.2: Commenting on language use, selecting the objective as
appropriate for the particular level to assist pupils in using appropriate
language terms to describe language.
Relevant AFs
Reading


tradition.
Writing
paragraphs.
AF6: Write with technical accuracy of syntax and punctuation in phrases,
clauses and sentences.
Lesson 4: Romeo first sees Juliet

Focus
This lesson focuses on the text in performance
Resources
Romeo sees Juliet for the first time (DOC-28 KB) Attachments
Romeo and Juliet talk
Node information
Attachments Zip:
b3b17eada0f4d15e1c71e5f7ccfb7aa6.zip
File Attachments
Romeo sees Juliet for the first time ( doc 28 KB )
Romeo and Juliet talk ( doc 29 KB )

Opening the lesson

This activity can help pupils consider different ways of performing Romeo's speech
on first seeing Juliet. You can read the activity sequence and find out the resources
needed to complete this opening.
Activity sequence
Using Romeo sees Juliet for the first time, display and read Romeo's
speech on first seeing Juliet.
Watch one or two film versions of this moment in the play.
Instruct one-third of the pupils in your class to make notes on Romeo's
facial expressions, one-third to make notes on music and lighting and onethird on Romeo's movements and body language.
Resources
Download Romeo sees Juliet for the first time to complete this activity.
To play the films, you will need one or two different film versions of Romeo and Juliet.
File Attachments
Romeo sees Juliet for the first time ( doc 28 KB )
Main activities
This activity can help you encourage pupils to consider performances of Romeo and
Juliet. You can read the activity sequence and find out what resources you need to
Activity sequence
Group the class into threes so that they can share their notes from the
opening activity. Each group of three includes a note-taker on facial
expressions, a note-taker on body language and a note-taker on music/
lighting effects.
Working in these groups of three, ask pupils to read the extract in the
resource, Romeo and Juliet talk.

Ask pupils to annotate the text to show how the scene could be performed
by two actors. Aim for at least five annotations.
Groups can swap annotations with another group to add alternative ideas
for the performance.
A similar approach could be adopted with a non-literary presentation, such as a
business idea presented on TV's Dragon's Den or a chef on a cookery programme
presenting their ideas. This can help you elicit pupils' generic skills.
Resources
Download Romeo and Juliet talk to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Romeo and Juliet talk ( doc 29 KB )
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to consider the performance of Romeo
and Juliet. You can find out the activity sequence to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
Reread the extract from the main activity.
As a whole class, consider what actions the two actors must perform in
order for Shakespeare's lines to make sense. For example, this might
include touching hands or kissing.
Use the pass-the-parcel plenary technique. Pass a safe object around the
room to music, stopping the music to select pupils to comment on
performance ideas for random lines.
Lesson 5: Romeo and Juliet's first

meeting

Focus
This lesson focuses on the language in the scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet.
Resources
Riddle (XBK-683 bytes) Attachments
A sonnet within a scene?
Node information
Attachments Zip:
b3b5d19e83af6b0a2adaffff51ddc0cf.zip
File Attachments
Riddle ( xbk 1 KB )
A sonnet within a scene? ( doc 32 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help pupils explore the language used in Romeo and Juliet using a
riddle. You can read the activity sequence and find out the resources needed to
Activity sequence
As pupils arrive for the lesson, display the resource 'Riddle' and offer a small reward
for the first pupil to answer correctly (sonnet). Alternatively, you could put copies of
this resource on pupils' desks as they arrive.
Resources
Download Riddle to complete this activity. You can present this resource on paper or
a traditional board if you don't have access to an interactive whiteboard.
File Attachments
Riddle ( xbk 1 KB )

Main activity
This activity can help you encourage pupils to consider the techniques Shakespeare
used in the scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet. You can read the activity
sequence and find out what resources you need to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
Ask the class to work through the worksheet A sonnet within a scene?. You can
complete this activity on computers, for example, in an IT suite with individuals or
pairs working at a screen. However, it can easily be adapted to a paper exercise.
Resources
Download A sonnet within a scene? to complete this activity.
File Attachments
A sonnet within a scene? ( doc 32 KB )
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to present ideas in a logical manner
using a scene from Romeo and Juliet. You can find the activity sequence to complete
this activity.
Activity sequence
Ask six pupils with different responses to the main activity to read their
points out at the front of the room. Refer to the activity in 'Sonnet within a
scene? (Resource 13)' which asks pupils to consider how Shakespeare uses
language to make the scene of Romeo and Juliet's first meeting romantic.
Ask another pupil to sequence these points by moving their classmates to
create a coherent answer.

Lesson 6: The balcony scene

Focus
This lesson focuses on the language in the balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet.
Resources
Download the Romeo and Juliet: the balcony scene to complete this lesson.
File Attachments
Romeo and Juliet: the balcony scene ( doc 28 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help pupils consider the meaning of the word 'light'. You can read
the activity sequence below.
Activity sequence
As a whole class, make a spider diagram around the word light. Encourage
figurative, metaphorical and literal responses. You may need to re- or pre-teach
these terms (figurative, etc.). You could do this by modelling something similar with
the word dark.
Main activities
This activity can help you encourage pupils to consider the language use in the
balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet. You can read the activity sequence and find out
the resources needed to complete this activity.

Activity sequence
You might emphasise the situation in this scene: a young man has put his
life in danger by breaking into/climbing into the garden of the daughter of his
enemy. Pupils can then read or perform this scene with this knowledge. For
this activity, pupils read Romeo and Juliet: the balcony scene.
Model the annotation of Romeo's opening speech with reference to some
of the ideas that emerged in the opening spider diagram activity. Write
annotations which incorporate linguistic terms such as personification,
extended metaphor, and simile.
In pairs, pupils annotate the rest of the extract with prompts displayed on
the board to support them. For example:
exclamation
question
simile
imperative (instruction).
Individually, ask pupils to turn one of their annotations into a Point,
Evidence, Explanation (PEE) paragraph. See Point, evidence, explanation
and more to find out more about this approach. Some pupils may need
additional support and a reminder about PEE paragraphing.
They can use the PEE paragraph to help them answer the questions:
how does Romeo use language to describe Juliet?
what can we tell about Romeo and Juliet's relationship by the
way Romeo uses language?
Encourage more able pupils to discuss the effect of Shakespeare's language
choices, as well as explaining them.
Resources
Download Romeo and Juliet: the balcony scene to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to use Point, Evidence, Explanation
(PEE) paragraphs when writing about Romeo and Juliet. You can use the activity
sequence to complete this activity.

Activity sequence
Ask six pupils with different PEE paragraphs from the main activity to read
them out at the front of the room. See also Point, evidence, explanation and
more for details.
Ask another pupil to sequence the paragraphs by moving their classmates'
paragraphs to create a sensible, coherent answer.
Point out that the PEE sequence is a clear, logical approach to explaining
ideas that can be used in a range of subjects. However, encourage pupils to
use it creatively. What would be the effect, for example, of starting with the
quotation? For example: Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon. With
these words, Romeo looks at Juliet and immediately links their love to death.
Alternatively, you can electronically collate the PEE paragraphs and the sequencing
exercise can be completed using an interactive whiteboard.

pupils focus on Romeo and Juliet's deaths. Find out the focus for learning during
these lessons, the relevant learning objectives and assessment focuses (AFs).

In what different ways might the deaths of Romeo and Juliet be performed
and interpreted?
What writing skills and features are required when responding to the text
in performance?
What roles do the ideas of blame and guilt have in the play?

Sp/L 1.2: Explain the speaker's intentions and make inferences from
speech in a variety of contexts.

Sp/L 3.1: Make a sustained contribution to group discussion, and illustrate

and explain their ideas.
Sp/L 3.2: Develop the skills required for group discussion by taking a
variety of designated roles in discussion including acting as spokesperson
for the group by reporting the main strands of thought or decisions.
Sp/L 4.2: Develop and sustain processes, narratives, performances and
roles through the use of a variety of dramatic conventions, techniques and
styles.
Sp/L 4.2: Evaluate the impact and effectiveness of a range of dramatic
conventions and techniques.
Reading 5.1: Use a range of reading strategies to retrieve relevant
information and main points from texts, distinguishing between fact and
opinion where appropriate.
Reading 5.2: Trace the development of a writer's ideas, viewpoint and
themes.
Writing 8.1: Select techniques and devices used by writers, and draw on a
range of evidence, opinions, information and the purpose of the task, in order
to develop a consistent viewpoint in their own non-fiction writing.
Writing 8.5: Use a range of cohesive devices with audience and purpose
in mind, drawing on experience of how writers develop and connect ideas
within and between paragraphs.
Relevant AFs
Reading
tradition.
Writing
AF3: Organise and present whole texts effectively, sequencing and
structuring information, ideas and events.


paragraphs.
AF5: Vary sentences for clarity, purpose and effect.
AF6: Write with technical accuracy of syntax and punctuation in phrases,
clauses and sentences.
Lesson 7: Romeo and Juliet die

Focus
This lesson focuses on the text in performance, particularly in relation to the deaths
of Romeo and Juliet.
Resources
Romeo and Juliet die
File Attachments
Romeo and Juliet die ( doc 28 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help pupils consider different ways of performing Romeo's speech
on first seeing Juliet. You can read the activity sequence for this opening.
Activity sequence
Ask pupils to contribute to a quick recall exercise of some of the actions
they chose for the performance of Romeo and Juliet's first meeting in lesson
5.
You can record these actions on the board.
Keep an electronic record of the performance suggestions to support
pupils writing at a later point.

Main activities
This activity can help you encourage pupils to consider different ways of performing
the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. You can read the activity sequence and find out the
Activity sequence
Part 1
Read the lines dealing with the deaths in relation to both Romeo and Juliet
to the class. You can refer to the extracts from Act 5 Scene 3 in the resource
'Romeo and Juliet die'.
Establish some success criteria for considering this extract. Pupils can
think about whether the scene makes the audience:
empathise
feel sympathetic
feel tension.
Pupils can also consider:
even though the outcome is known, what if Juliet were to halfwake?
how can this be achieved? For example, through the
audience believing in Romeo's grief.
how would the actor playing Romeo show this
without making it corny?
Part 2
As a whole class, use a forum theatre approach to try out suggestions for
a performance of Romeo's, and then Juliet's, death.
One member of the class acts as Romeo, one acts as Juliet,
one reads the lines and one adds to the list of possible
performance ideas on the board.
Other members of the class can make suggestions on how to
perform the lines.
Those acting use these suggestions and the rest of the class
comments on how successful they were.
Try to incorporate some ideas that were used in Romeo and
Juliet's first meeting, so that the end is an echo of when they fell in
love.
As a way of engaging pupils, mention that the 1995 Royal Shakespeare
Company production of the play by Adrian Noble showed Juliet's hand
momentarily lifting, out of sight of Romeo, as he kissed her, as if she were
about to wake up.

Ask pupils how they could use ideas such as dramatic irony here and
also how to avoid a melodramatic ending.
Resources
Download Romeo and Juliet die to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to annotate extracts and incorporate
performance ideas for the death scenes in Romeo and Juliet. You can find out the
activity sequence to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
You can explain that the work pupils have completed in the lesson will be used in the
following lesson. Working individually, pupils can annotate their own copies of the Act
5, Scene 3 extract, using the resource Romeo and Juliet die. They can include their
choice of ideas from all those suggested in the main activities.
You may choose to annotate your own copy on an interactive whiteboard to
demonstrate and model the process.
Resources
Download Romeo and Juliet die to complete this activity.
File Attachments

Lesson 8: The meeting or the

deaths
Focus
This lesson focuses on writing about the text in performance and allows pupils to
have the choice of considering either Romeo and Juliet's meeting scene or their
deaths.
Resources
Romeo and Juliet die (DOC-28 KB) Attachments
Romeo and Juliet: the balcony scene (DOC-28 KB) Attachments
Reading Assessment Focuses
Node information
Attachments Zip:
9b0775128961ecb8c9e58213a8fc2210.zip
File Attachments
Opening the lesson

This activity can help pupils consider the performance of Romeo and Juliet. You can
read the activity sequence for this opening.
Activity sequence
Set pupils the following task focusing on exploring text in performance.

Ask pupils to choose an extract from 'Romeo and Juliet: the

balcony scene' or 'Romeo and Juliet die'.
As an essay question, ask pupils to consider what advice they
would give the actors playing Romeo and Juliet to help them show
the power of their feelings and connect with the audience.
Give pupils a few minutes to discuss the question, reviewing the
previous two lessons and rereading their notes.
A way of supporting this activity is to ask pupils to rehearse it as a director
speaking to a prospective actor about how they envisage the scene. This
could be done in pairs.
Resources
Node information
Attachments Zip:
4f74bdd5f27cce7fde76c50c10ff1bb3.zip
File Attachments
Main activities
This activity can help you encourage pupils to write about the performances of either
Romeo and Juliet's meeting or death. You can read the activity sequence and find
out what resources are needed to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
Once pupils have discussed the essay question from the opening activity,
you can model an opening paragraph relating to one of their chosen extracts,
either Romeo and Juliet: the balcony scene or Romeo and Juliet die .
For a second paragraph, use a shared writing approach in which pupils
contribute ideas but do not write anything themselves.
Ask pupils to complete the answer started in the shared writing approach
or write their own answer if they prefer to answer on a different extract.

Provide further scaffolding in the way of sentence starters, a vocabulary

bank and a reminder of the Point, Evidence, Explanation (PEE) structure as
needed. For more information on PEE, see Point, evidence, explanation and
more.
Resources
Node information
Attachments Zip:
4f74bdd5f27cce7fde76c50c10ff1bb3.zip
File Attachments
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to use reading assessment focuses
(AFs) as they read their independent writing. You can find out the activity sequence
to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
Using the list of Reading Assessment Focuses ask pupils to read their independent
writing to each other in pairs. They can attempt to annotate their writing showing
where the AFs have been achieved.
Pupils may be familiar with the Reading AFs from lesson 8 of Introducing
Shakespeare to Year 7 pupils.
File Attachments

Lesson 9: Who's to blame?

Focus
This lesson focuses on the ideas and themes surrounding who is responsible for
Romeo and Juliet's deaths.
Resources
Romeo and Juliet in twenty statements (DOC-32 KB) Attachments
Who's to blame? (DOC-28 KB) Attachments
Events at end of Romeo and Juliet (XBK-111 KB) Attachments
Spinner
Node information
Attachments Zip:
dbbcaef85db24e3a97c7716b1d6a8b2b.zip
File Attachments
Romeo and Juliet in twenty statements ( doc 33 KB )

Who's to blame? ( doc 28 KB )
Events at end of Romeo and Juliet ( xbk 111 KB )
Spinner ( xbk 109 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help pupils act out parts of Romeo and Juliet. You can read the
activity sequence and find out the resources needed to complete this opening.
Activity sequence
Give out Romeo and Juliet in twenty statements
Divide the class into groups and allocate sets of four to five statements to
each group.

Give each group 30 seconds to act out their statements in front of the
class.
Resources
Download Romeo and Juliet in twenty statements to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Romeo and Juliet in twenty statements ( doc 33 KB )
Main activities
This activity can help you encourage pupils to consider different viewpoints within
Romeo and Juliet. You can read the activity sequence and find out what resources
you need to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
Divide the class into groups.
Give each group one short speech by either the Prince, Friar Lawrence,
Capulet or the Nurse, referring to the resource Who's to blame?
Each group works together to come up with a confession of what their
allocated character did that might have contributed to the deaths of Romeo
and Juliet. Pupils come up with a defence to explain why they did it.
Groups present to the rest of the class within the main part of the lesson.
Next, you can use the resource Spinner to determine the order of
presentations and create a link to the idea of fate.
You might wish to develop this activity in class into an inquest in which you
preside as judge. In this situation:
Pupil A from each group takes on the role of the chosen
character.
Pupil B plays a defence lawyer.
Pupil C plays a prosecuting lawyer who can question/attack
other characters.
Pupil D plays a character witness who will speak on behalf of
Pupil A (i.e. Lady Capulet, another Friar, and so on).
Resources
Who's to blame? (DOC-28 KB) Attachments

Spinner
Node information
Attachments Zip:
840ce872c5b15f77caf5934734d5bf2c.zip
File Attachments
Who's to blame? ( doc 28 KB )
Spinner ( xbk 109 KB )
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to consider who they think is to blame for
the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. You can find the activity sequence and resources
Activity sequence
You can recap the order of events in Act 5 of the play with the resource
Events at end of Romeo and Juliet
Show the second slide of the resource, then ask a selection of pupils to
write their names on the sliding scale of blame.
Use this to visually represent who the class decides should be blamed for
the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
As a non-ICT alternative activity, you can use the sliding scale activity across the
classroom. Complete this by using two corners of the room to represent the two
contrasting statements and pupils standing in a position which represents their point
of view.
Resources
Download Events at end of Romeo and Juliet to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Events at end of Romeo and Juliet ( xbk 111 KB )


As part of this unit on Romeo and Juliet for Year 8 pupils, these three lessons help
pupils focus on studying and responding to this play. Find out the focus for learning in
these three lessons and the relevant assessment focuses (AFs).

You may choose to share these focus areas with your pupils, to help them
understand what they will investigate and learn.
Respond to Romeo and Juliet in assessment conditions, with a focus on
reading and preparation for writing.
Learn how to develop a written response to Shakespeare, with a focus on
paragraphing and assessment criteria.
Relevant AFs
tradition.
Lesson 10: Responding in

assessment conditions

Focus
This lesson focuses on reading and preparing writing.
Resources
Hamlet Assignment (DOC-22 KB) Attachments
Year 8 Assignment (DOC-32 KB) Attachments
Reading strategies for Shakespeare
Node information
Attachments Zip:
9318c4889719a9c78cd8a7f0ba98789a.zip
File Attachments
Hamlet Assignment ( doc 22 KB )
Year 8 Assignment ( doc 32 KB )
Reading strategies for Shakespeare ( xbk 1 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help pupils understand the assessment procedures and reflect on
work they have completed in Year 7, including targets set for Year 8. You can read
the activity sequence and find out the resources needed to complete this opening.
Activity sequence
Explain that at the end of Key Stage 4, pupils are assessed on the reading
of Shakespeare using reading assessment objectives. Throughout Key
Stage 3, they are assessed using the reading assessment focuses.
Give out the Year 7 resource Hamlet Assignment . This was an
assignment task which pupils completed in Year 7. You can refer to Lesson
9: Assignment task for details of this task.
Allow time for pupils to re-familiarise themselves with:
the requirements of the assignment
the work they did on the assignment
what they achieved in Year 7
the targets they set themselves for Year 8. You can refer to
Plenary to find out about the target-setting activity.

Resources
Download Hamlet Assignment to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Hamlet Assignment ( doc 22 KB )
Main activities
This activity can help pupils practise reading to prepare for assessment. You can
read the activity sequence and find out the resources needed to complete this
activity.
Activity sequence
Give out copies of Year 8 Assignment which focuses on two extracts from
Romeo and Juliet.
Display a range of reading strategies that might be appropriate to apply
and demonstrate to pupils, modelling annotation on the extracts. Explain as
you annotate how you are planning the building blocks of PEE (Point/
Evidence/Explanation) paragraphs. You can also help more able pupils learn
how to evaluate Shakespeare's choices as a writer by extending their PEE
paragraphs. See Point, evidence, explanation and more to find out how to
model approaches with your pupils.
Give pupils 15 to 20 minutes to complete the reading and annotation of the
two extracts as advance preparation for the assessment in lesson 11. As this
is a test of reading skills, you can give pupils the chance to devote time and
practise to reading the assessment text before starting to write.
Resources
Download Year 8 Assignment to complete this activity.
File Attachments

Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to reflect on and share reading
strategies. You can find out the activity sequence to complete this activity.
Activity sequence
You can help pupils reflect on reading strategies by displaying the
resource Reading strategies for Shakespeare. If you wish to extend this
plenary, you can use the matching exercise to this resource.
Ask pupils to share with the class how they used the reading strategies
during this lesson. For example, a pupil might say I used scanning first to
check which characters were involved in the scene.
You may wish to spend an additional preparation lesson exploring the
differences between the two extracts and scaffolding pupils responses to the
two scenes.
Resources
Download Reading strategies for Shakespeare to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Reading strategies for Shakespeare ( xbk 1 KB )
Lesson 11: Shakespeare Year 8

Assignment
Focus
This lesson focuses on an assignment involving reading and annotating two extracts
of Romeo and Juliet. Pupils complete this task in controlled conditions.

Resources
Year 8 Success criteria
Node information
Attachments Zip:
737359fb798a2e5e6418811901e7e1b3.zip
File Attachments
Year 8 Success criteria ( doc 24 KB )
Opening the lesson

This activity can help you encourage pupils to read and annotate extracts of Romeo
and Juliet. You can read the activity sequence and find out the resources needed to
Activity sequence
You can give out copies of the Year 8 Assignment on two extracts from Romeo and
Juliet. Guide pupils through how they might read and annotate the extracts.
You can adjust timings, content and support to separate different parts of this task.
Resources
Download and give out copies of Year 8 Assignment to complete this activity.
File Attachments

Main activity
This activity can help pupils complete the assessment in authentic controlled
conditions. You can read the activity sequence and find out the resources needed to
Activity sequence
Pupils complete the assignment task detailed in the opening activity of this
lesson in controlled conditions.
You can try to make the controlled conditions authentic but nonthreatening. For example, enforcing quiet, independent working and
providing time warnings can give pupils a useful experience in managing
their ideas and working to time.
By liaising with pupils Year 7 teachers you can make sure that support is
scaled down or that alternative support is provided to help pupils progress.
Plenary
This plenary can prepare you for using the assignment success criteria and provide
pupils with the chance to debrief each other. You can find out what to do before
marking and the activity sequence to complete this activity.
Before marking
Before marking this lesson, you could use a teacher development exercise to agree
the exemplification for the success criteria for marking this assignment. Refer to
Year 8 Success criteria for this list. Alternatively, you could work together with pupils
during this process to prepare them for assessment.
Activity sequence
You can collect pupils responses and give them an opportunity to informally debrief
each other by discussing their experiences of the assignment.
File Attachments

Lesson 12: Peer assessment and

feedback
Focus
After you have marked their work, this lesson focuses on allowing pupils to reread
each other's work, apply a mark scheme and set targets for Year 9.
Resources
Year 8 Success criteria
Node information
Attachments Zip:
737359fb798a2e5e6418811901e7e1b3.zip
File Attachments
Opening the lesson

This activity encourages pupils to read over their marked assignments on Romeo
and Juliet both privately and in pairs. You can read the activity sequence and find out
Activity sequence
You can distribute pupils' marked assignments. Refer to Year 8 Assignment for the
original task.

Give pupils opportunity to reread their answers privately before asking them to team
up with two or three other pupils and read each other's work.
Resources
Download Year 8 Assignment to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Main activity
This activity can help pupils use the assignment success criteria to mark their own
and a partner's work. You can read the activity sequence and find out the resources
Activity sequence
You can give out Year 8 Success criteria to pupils.
Ask them to work in pairs to mark their own and their partner's assignments, applying
the mark scheme and annotating the papers accordingly.
Resources
Download Year 8 Success criteria to complete this activity.
File Attachments
Plenary
This plenary can help you encourage pupils to reflect on this unit, and set targets for
studying Shakespeare in Year 9. You can find out the activity sequence to complete
this activity.

Activity sequence
Pupils can end this lesson by reflecting on the Shakespeare lessons they have
completed during this unit, and setting themselves a target for their Year 9 study of
Shakespeare.
They can complete this by using a learning log or an Assessment for Learning form.
Romeo and Juliet at the Globe

Theatre 2009
You can incorporate these audio clips of The Globe Theatre's March 2009 production
of Romeo and Juliet in your teaching of Shakespeare. The playlist also includes
interviews with the director, and the actors who played Romeo, Juliet, the nurse, and
the friar and Montague.
Flash
Prologue
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our Scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;

Whose mis-adventured piteous overthrows

Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-marked love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
Gregory
Draw thy tool! Here comes two of the house of the Montagues.
Sampson:
Quarrel, I will back thee.
Enter ABRAHAM and BALTHASAR
Abraham:
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
Sampson:
I do bite my thumb, sir.
Abraham
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
Sampson
Is the law of our side, if I say ay?
Gregory
No.
Sampson
No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite my thumb, sir.
Gregory
Do you quarrel, sir?
Abraham
Quarrel sir! No, sir.
Sampson
If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you.
Abraham
No better.

Sampson
Well, sir.
Gregory
Say better: here comes one of my master's kinsmen.
Sampson
Yes, better.
Abraham
You lie.
Sampson
Draw, if you be men.
Enter BENVOLIO
Benvolio
Part fools! Put up your swords; you know not what you do.
Enter TYBALT
Tybalt
What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?
Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.
Benvolio
I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword,
Or manage it to part these men with me.
Tybalt
What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,
As I hate hell, all Montague's, and thee:
Have at thee, coward!
They fight
Enter Capulet in his gown and Lady Capulet
Capulet
What noise is this? Bring me my long sword, ho!
Lady Capulet
A crutch, a crutch! why call you for a sword?
Capulet
My sword, I say! Old Montague is come

And flourishes his blade in spite of me.

Enter MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE
Montague
Thou villain Capulet, hold me not, let me go.
Enter PRINCE
Prince
Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbor-stained steel,
Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts,
That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground,
And hear the sentence of your moved Prince.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets.
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
For this time, all the rest depart away:
You Capulet; shall go along with me:
And, Montague, come you this afternoon,
To know our further pleasure in this case,
To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.
Exeunt all but Montague, Lady Montague and Benvolio
Montague
Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?

Speak, nephew, were you by when it began?

Benvolio
I drew to part them: in the instant came
The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared,
Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears,
He swung above his head and cut the winds.
Lady Montague
O, where is Romeo? saw you him to-day?
Right glad I am he was not at this fray.
Benvolio
Madam, an hour before the worshipped sun
Peered forth the golden window of the east,
A troubled mind drive me to walk abroad;
Where, underneath the grove of sycamore
That westward rooteth from the city's side,
So early walking did I see your son:
Towards him I made, but he was ware of me
And stole into the covert of the wood.
Montague
Many a morning hath he there been seen,
With tears augmenting the fresh morning dew.
Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs.
Benvolio
But my noble uncle, do you know the cause?
Montague
I neither know it nor can learn of him.
Enter ROMEO
Benvolio
But see where he comes: so please you, step aside;
I'll know his grievance, or be much denied.
Montague
I would thou wert so happy by thy stay,

To hear true shrift. Come, madam, let's away.

Exeunt Montague and Lady Montague
Benvolio
Good-morrow, cousin.
Romeo
Is the day so young?
Benvolio
But new struck nine.
Romeo
Ay me! Sad hours seem long.
Was that my father that went hence so fast?
Benvolio
It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo's hours?
Romeo
Not having that, which, having, makes them short.
Benvolio
In love?
Romeo
Out
Benvolio
Of love?
Romeo
Out of her favour, where I am in love.
Benvolio
Alas, that love, so gentle in his view,
Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!
Romeo
Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still,
Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will!
Where shall we dine? O me! What fray was here?
Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all.
Here is much to do with hate, but more with love.
Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!
O any thing, of nothing first create!

This love feel I, that feel no love in this.

Dost thou not laugh?
Benvolio
No, coz, I rather weep.
Romeo
Good heart, at what?
Benvolio
At thy good heart's oppression.
Romeo
Why, such is love's transgression.
Farewell my coz.
Benvolio
Soft! I will go along;
An if you leave me so, you do me wrong.
Romeo
I have lost myself; I am not here;
This is not Romeo, he is some other where.
Benvolio
Tell me in sadness, who is that you love.
Romeo
What, shall I groan and tell thee?
Benvolio
Groan! Why, no. But sadly tell me who.
Romeo
In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.
Benvolio
I aim'd so near, when I supposed you loved.
Romeo
A right good mark-man! And she's fair I love.
Benvolio
A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit.
Romeo
Oh, in that hit you miss: she'll not be hit
With Cupid's arrow; she hath Dian's wit;
She will not stay the siege of loving terms,

Nor bide the encounter of assailing eyes,

Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold:
O, she is rich in beauty, only poor,
That when she dies with beauty dies her store.
Benvolio
Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste?
Romeo
She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste.
Benvolio
Be ruled by me, forget to think of her.
Romeo
O, teach me how I should forget to think.
Benvolio
By giving liberty unto thine eyes; examine other beauties.
Romeo
Show me a mistress that is passing fair,
What doth her beauty serve, but as a note
Where I may read who passed that passing fair?
Farewell my coz, thou canst not teach me to forget.
Benvolio
I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in debt.
Exeunt
Scene II. A street.

Enter CAPULET, PARIS and Servant
Paris
Now, my lord, what say you to my suit?
Capulet
But saying o'er what I have said before:
My child is but a stranger in the world;
She hath not seen the change of fourteen years,
Let two more summers wither in their pride,

Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.

Paris
Younger than she are happy mothers made.
Capulet
And too soon marred are those so early made.
But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
My will to her consent is but a part;
An she agree, within her scope of choice
Lies my consent and fair according voice.
This night I hold an old accustomed feast,
Whereto I have invited many a guest,
Such as I love; and you, among the score,
One more, most welcome, makes my number more.
Come, go with me.
To Servant
Go, sirrah, trudge about
Through fair Verona; find those persons out
Whose names are written there, and to them say,
My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.
Exeunt Capulet and Paris
Servant
Find them out whose names are written here! I am sent to find those persons
whose names are here writ, and can never find what names the writing person
hath here writ. I must to the learned.
Enter BENVOLIO and ROMEO
Benvolio
What, Romeo, art thou mad?
Romeo
Not mad, but bound more than a mad-man is;
Shut up in prison, kept without my food,

Whipped and tormented Good-e'en, good fellow.

Servant
God gi' good-e'en. I pray, sir, can you read?
Romeo
Ay, mine own fortune in my misery.
Servant
Perhaps you have learned it without book: but, I pray, can you read any thing
you see?
Romeo
Ay, if I know the letters and the language.
Servant
You say honestly: rest you merry!
Romeo
Stay, fellow; I can read.
Reads
'Signor Martino and his wife and daughters;
County Anselme and his beauteous sisters;
The Lady widow of Vitruvio;
Signor Placentio and his lovely nieces;
Mercutio and his brother Valentine;
Mine uncle Capulet, his wife and daughters;
My fair niece Rosaline; Livia;
Signior Valentio and his cousin Tybalt,
Lucio and the lively Helena.'
A fair assembly: whither should they come?
Servant
Up.
Romeo
Whither?
Servant
To supper; to our house.
Romeo
Whose house?

Servant
My master's.
Romeo
Indeed, I should have asked you that before.
Servant
But now I'll tell you without asking: my master is the great rich Capulet; and if
you be not of the house of Montagues, I pray, come and crush a cup of wine.
Rest you merry!
Exit Servant
Benvolio
At this same ancient feast of Capulet's,
Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so loves,
With all the admired beauties of Verona:
Go thither; and, with un-attainted eye,
Compare her face with some that I shall show,
And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.
Romeo
One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun
Ne'er saw her match since first the world begun.
Benvolio
You saw her fair, none else being by,
Herself poised with herself in either eye:
But in that crystal scales let there be weigh'd
Your Lady's love against some other maid
That I will show you shining at this feast,
And she shall scant show well that now seems best.
Romeo
I'll go along, no such sight to be shown,
But to rejoice in splendor of mine own.
Exeunt

Scene III. A room in Capulet's house.

Enter LADY CAPULET and NURSE
Lady Capulet
Nurse, where's my daughter? Call her forth to me.
Nurse
What, lamb! What, Ladybird!
God forbid! Where's this girl? What, Juliet!
Enter JULIET
Juliet
How now! who calls?
Nurse
Your mother.
Juliet
Madam, I am here. What is your will?
Lady Capulet
This is the matter: Nurse, give leave awhile,
We must we talk in secret: Nurse, come back again;
I have remember'd me, thou hear'st our counsel.
Thou know'st my daughter's of a pretty age.
Nurse
Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour.
Lady Capulet
She's not fourteen.
Nurse
I'll lay fourteen of my teeth, And yet, to my teeth be it spoken, I have but four
She is not fourteen. How long is it now to Lammas-tide?
Lady Capulet
A fortnight and odd days.
Nurse
Even or odd, of all days in the year,
Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen.
Susan and she God rest all Christian souls!
Were of an age: well, Susan is with God;

She was too good for me: but, as I said,

On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen;
That shall she, marry; I remember it well.
'Tis since the earthquake now eleven years;
And she was weaned I never shall forget it
But then she could stand all alone; nay, by the rood,
She could have run and waddled all about;
For even the day before, she broke her brow:
And then my husband God be with his soul!
He was a merry man he took up the child:
'Yea,' quoth he, 'dost thou fall upon thy face?
Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit;
Wilt thou not, Jule?' and, by my halidom,
The pretty wretch left crying and said 'Ay.'
To see, now, how a jest shall come about!
Lady Capulet
Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace.
Nurse
Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace!
Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nursed:
And I might live to see thee married once,
I have my wish.
Lady Capulet
Marry, that 'marry' is the very theme
I come to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet,
How stands your disposition to be married?
Juliet
It is an honour I dream not of.
Nurse
An honour! were not I thine only nurse,
I would say thou hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat.

Lady Capulet
Well, think of marriage now; younger than you,
Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,
Are made already mothers: by my count,
I was your mother much upon these years
That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief:
The valiant Paris seeks you for his love.
Nurse
A man, young Lady! such a man
As all the world why, he's a man of wax.
Lady Capulet
Verona's summer hath not such a flower.
Nurse
Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower.
Lady Capulet
What say you? can you love the gentleman?
This night you shall behold him at our feast;
Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face,
And find delight writ there with beauty's pen;
Examine every married lineament,
And see how one another lends content
This precious book of love, this unbound lover,
To beautify him, only lacks a cover:
What say you, can you love the gentlemen?
Juliet
I'll look to like, if looking liking move:
But no more deep will I endart mine eye
Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.
Enter a Servant
Servant
Madam, madam, look the guests are come, supper served up, theres
champagne in the bucket, you called, my young Lady asked for, the nurse

cursed in the pantry, and every thing in extremity. I must hence to wait; I
beseech you, follow straight.
Lady Capulet
We follow thee.
Exit Servant
Juliet, the county stays.
Nurse
Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.
(Juliet & Nurse, singing) Relight my fire, relight my fire, your love is my only desire.
Relight my fire, cos I need your love.
Exeunt
Scene IV. A Street.

Enter ROMEO, MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, with five or six Maskers, Torchbearers, and
others
Romeo
Give me a torch: I am not for this ambling;
Being but heavy, I shall bear the light.
Mercutio
Nay, nay gentle Romeo, we must have you dance.
Romeo
Not I, believe me: you have dancing shoes
With nimble soles: I have a soul of lead
So stakes me to the ground I cannot move.
Mercutio
You are a lover; borrow Cupid's wings,
And soar with them above a common bound.
Romeo
I am too sore enpierced with his shaft
To soar with his light feathers, and so bound,
Under love's heavy burden do I sink.

Mercutio
And, to sink in it, should you burden love;
Too great oppression for a tender thing.
Romeo
Is love a tender thing? It's too rough,
Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn.
Mercutio
If love be rough with you, be rough with love;
Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.
Benvolio
Come, knock and enter; and no sooner in,
But every man betake him to his legs.
Romeo
And we mean well in going to this masque;
But 'tis no wit to go.
Mercutio
Why, may one ask?
Romeo
I dream'd a dream to-night.
Mercutio
And so did I.
Romeo
Well, what was yours?
Mercutio
That dreamers often lie.
Romeo
In bed asleep, while they do dream things true.
Mercutio
O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you.
She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate-stone
On the fore-finger of an alderman,
Drawn with a team of little atomies
over men's noses as they lie asleep;

Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut

her wagon-spokes of long spinners' legs,
The traces of the smallest spider's web,
The collars of the moonshine's watery beams,
Her whip of cricket's bone, the lash of film,
Her wagoner a small grey-coated gnat,
Not so big as a round little worm
Prick'd from the lazy finger of a maid;
And in this state she gallops night by night
Through lovers' brains, and then, then they dream of love;
O'er courtiers' knees, that dream on court'sies straight,
O'er lawyers' fingers, that straight dream on fees,
O'er ladies ' lips, whose straight on kisses dream,
Which oft the angry Mab with, with blisters plagues,
Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are:
Sometime she driveth o'er a soldiers neck,
And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats,
This is that very Mab
That plats the manes of horses in the night,
And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs,
This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs,
That presses them and learns them first to bear,
Making them women of good carriage: This is she
Romeo
Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace!
Thou talk'st of nothing.
Mercutio
True, I talk of dreams,
Which are the children of an idle brain,
Begot of nothing but vain fantasy,

Which is as thin of substance as the air

And more inconstant than the wind, who wooes
Even now the frozen bosom of the north.
Benvolio
This wind, you talk of, blows us from ourselves;
Supper is done, we shall come too late.
Romeo
I fear, too early: for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels and expire the term
Of a despised life closed in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
But He, that hath the steerage of my course,
Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen.
Benvolio
Strike, drum.
Exeunt
Scene V. A hall in Capulet's house.

Enter CAPULET, with JULIET and others of his house, meeting the Guests and
Maskers
Capulet
Ladies that have their toes
Unplagued with corns will walk about with you.
Ah ha, my mistresses! Which of you all
Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty,
She, I'll swear, hath corns; am I come near ye now?
Welcome, gentlemen! Come, musicians, play.
Romeo
[To a Servingman] What Lady is that, which doth enrich the hand

Of yonder knight?
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder Lady o'er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand,
And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.
Tybalt
This, by his voice, should be a Montague.
What dares the slave
Come hither, cover'd with an antic face,
To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
Now, by the stock and honour of my kin,
To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.
Capulet
Why, how now, kinsman! wherefore storm you so?
Tybalt
Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe,
A villain that is hither come in spite,
To scorn at our solemnity this night.
Capulet
Young Romeo is it?
Tybalt
Tis he, that villain Romeo.
Capulet
Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone;
He bears him like a portly gentleman;
Therefore be patient, take no note of him:

It is my will, the which if thou respect,

Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,
And ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.
Tybalt
It fits, when such a villain is a guest:
I'll not endure him.
Capulet
He shall be endured:
What, goodman boy! I say, he shall: go to;
Am I the master here, or you? go to.
You will make a mutiny among my guests!
You will set cock-a-hoop! you'll be the man!
Tybalt
Why, uncle, 'tis a shame.
Capulet
Go to, go to;
You are a saucy boy: is't so, indeed?
This trick may chance to scathe you, I know what:
Well said, my hearts!
You are a princox; go: I'll make you quiet.
What, cheerly, my hearts!
Tybalt
I will withdraw: but this intrusion shall
Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall.
Exit
Romeo
[To Juliet] If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.
Juliet
Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,

Which mannerly devotion shows in this;

For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.
Romeo
Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
Juliet
Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
Romeo
O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.
Juliet
Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.
Romeo
Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.
Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged.
Juliet
Then have my lips the sin that they have took.
Romeo
Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged!
Give me my sin again.
Juliet
You kiss by the book.
Nurse
Madam, your mother craves a word with you.
Romeo
What is her mother?
Nurse
Marry, bachelor,
Her mother is the Lady of the house,
And a good Lady, and a wise and a virtuous
Romeo
Is she a Capulet?
O dear account! my life is my foe's debt.
Benvolio
Away, begone; the sport is at the best.

Romeo
Ay, so I fear; the more is my unrest.
Capulet
Nay, gentlemen, prepare not to be gone;
We have a trifling foolish banquet towards.
Is it e'en so? why, then,
I thank you all I thank you, honest gentlemen; good night.
Come on then, let's to bed. I'll to my rest.
Exeunt all but Juliet and Nurse
Juliet
Come hither nurse, what is yond gentleman?
Nurse
His name is Romeo, and a Montague;
The only son of your great enemy.
Juliet
My only love sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to me,
That I must love a loathed enemy.
Nurse
What's this? what's this?
Juliet
A rhyme I learn'd even now
Of one I danced withal.
One calls within 'Juliet.'
Nurse
Anon, anon!
Come, let's away; the strangers are all gone.
Exeunt

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1.
Chapter 1: Romeo and Juliet Act 1

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6.
Chapter 6: Interview with the director

7.
Chapter 7: Interview with Romeo

8.
Chapter 8: Interview with Juliet

9.
Chapter 9: Interview with the nurse

10.
Chapter 10: Interview with the friar/Montague

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Teaching and Learning Resources p.

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Opening the lesson

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Teaching Shakespeare in Key

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Using these resources

Using the substrands

What does the Framework for secondary English offer?

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Linking to Speaking and listening

Benefits of teaching these elements

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Benefits of teaching these elements

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Benefits of teaching these elements

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explore use of language and performance interpretations

Benefits of teaching these elements

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character and motivation

Progression statements according to years

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Explain orally and in

Explore plays and

Select, use and adapt

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Character and motivation

Key focus areas for learning

Creating written and spoken responses

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Developing a personal interpretation

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Interpretation and analysis

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Spot the quotation

Role on the wall

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Teaching and Learning Resources p.20

Key focus areas for learning