Week 7 Syllabus: May 6
IN ACT ONE, NOTICE THAT KEY CHARACTERS discuss death and it’s horrible impact on their lives. Lord Capulet first mentions death when he tells Paris that all his children, save Juliet, are dead: “[T]oo soon marred are [girls] so early made [into brides]. Earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she. She’s the hopeful lady of my earth” (I.ii.: 13-15). He is clearly affected by the death of a child, and losing Juliet will be the worst loss yet, because she is his only living child. Similarly, the Nurse mentions that he child—who was exactly the same age as Juliet—died when she was a baby. Lady Capulet insists that Juliet is only 13, and the Nurse replied, “I’ll lay fourteen on my teeth. … How long is it till Lammastide. … Come Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen. Susan and she (Godrest all Christian souls!) were of an age. Well, Susan is with God; She was too good for me” (I.iii.19-22). She goes on to talk about remembering when Juliet was a baby, and weening her from breastmilk, and another memory when Juliet, then a toddler, bumped her head. Death is on the mind of all the adults, when love is the only thing Romeo and Juliet can consider. Are they blinded by their love? Or does their optimism better capture what Shakespeare thinks about young love?
MONDAY May 6
Collecting the study guide for act one.
Watching the Globe Theater production of act one.
Starting our study guide for act two.
HW: Finish scenes 1 through 3 for act two.
WEDNESDAY, May 8
Today you are taking the Star reading test for the last time (this year).
Start by either launching the Star app via this icon on your iPad, or by going to this website.
Your username is your 2027XXXX NT id number, and your password is your EIGHT digit birthdate (MMDDYYYY).
Once in, select the reading test icon, and follow the prompts to begin the test. If the test times out, please ask me or the test supervisor to reset the test for you.
When done, you should silently read from act two of Romeo & Juliet (you MAY use earbuds to listen along with the audio).
HW: You will have 30 minutes in class to finish the study guide, but THAT’S ALL. Get most of it done tonight so you can compare notes with your Shakespeare troupe.
THURSDAY, May 9
Spending 30 minutes finishing part of the study guide for Act 2.
We will then break into partners, and practice performing II.ii, the famous balcony scene between Romeo and Juliet, the same night of the Capulet masquerade party.
We will watch the Baz Lehrman version of II.iii, the Friar scene, and Zeffereli version of II.iv, the Mercutio/Nurse scene. We will return to the Lehrman to watch Juliet and the Nurse, II.v.
HW: Read act three. Just as with act one, pay attention to extremes and opposites in your marginal notes!