Week 4 Day 5 post

Agree or disagree with the following statement from the Prince at the end of the play: "All are punished." Support your response with evidence of the text.

Reminder- final papers are due Monday. Contact me with any questions.

Week 4 Day 4 post

Pick a line from either Romeo or Juliet's death soliloquy. Explain the line through the lens of "tragedy."

Week 4 Day 3 post

If you were directing a version of Romeo and Juliet: would you include Friar Lawrence in the final scene, or omit him (both the Zepherelli and the Lurhmann versions of the film omit Friar Lawrence)? Defend your stance.

Week 4 Day 2 post

Create a thesis statement and support with evidence on: the role of timing and dramatic irony in Act 5 of Romeo and Juliet.

Week 4 Day 1 post

1. View the following scene from the modern film version of Romeo and Juliet.

2. How does the director emphasize one of the main themes we have discussed thus far?

Week 3 Day 5 post

Is the nurse ultimately helpful in the negotiation of Juliet's familial relationships? What role does the nurse play in the family? What role does she play in the narrative?

Week 3 Day 4 post

What are the motivations behind Friar Lawrence's plan to reunite Romeo and Juliet? What are the implications of these motivations upon Shakespeare's messages about fate versus free will?

Week 3 Day 3 post

Is Shakespeare's decision to have Romeo and Juliet spend the night together surprising and/or racy by the standards of Shakespeare's time? Support your argument with facts from pages linked from the "resources" page.

Week 3 Day 2 post

What is a modern analogue for Romeo's banishment? How does this help you understand the implications of this punishment?

Week 3 Day 1

How does the specific mood that Shakespeare sets at the start of Act 3, Scene 1 (I pray good Mercutio, let's retire- the day is hot and if we meet the Capels we shall not scape a brawl) affect major messages and themes present in this scene?

Week 2 Day 5 post

Find one of Shakespeare's sonnets online by searching on the internet. Relate a major theme in the sonnet you choose to a theme in Acts 1-2 of Romeo and Juliet.

Week 2 Day 4 post

How does the Friar's tone towards the marriage of Romeo and Juliet change in Act 2, Scene 3? Why does Shakespeare do this?

Week 2 Day 3 post

Explain the key metaphors for love that Shakespeare employs in the famous "balcony" scene that we read in class today, Act 2 Scene 2.

Week 2 Day 2 post

Watch the continuation of yesterday's scene here and use the resource page to respond to the following question:

What type of power and influence did Queen Elizabeth I have during Shakespeare's time?

Week 2 Day 1 post

Watch this scene (from Shakespeare in Love)and use the resource page to answer the following question:

How would attending this play during Shakespeare's time be fundamentally different than attending the play today?

Week 1 Day 5 post

Respond: Describe foreshadowing that occurs in Act 1, especially centering around the love and fate of Romeo and Juliet.

Week 1 Day 4 post

1. Watch this film clip of Act 1, Scene 5

Respond: What choices by the director emphasize the immediate connection between Romeo and Juliet?

Week 1 Day 3 post

What are the main character traits that Romeo displays in Acts 1-3 of Romeo and Juliet? What do you think the implication of this will be on the play's theme of love?

REMEMBER: Post your own response AND respond to at least one other student in class.

Week 1 Day 2 post

After reading Act 1, Scene 1:

Which character is most responsible for re-starting the feud between Montagues and Capulets? Why?

REMEMBER: Post your own response AND respond to at least one other student in class.

Week 1 Day 1 post

1. Read the prologue (before the play).

2. Watch the depiction of the prologue in the 1996 film version of Romeo and Juliet here

3. Respond: Why do you think Shakespeare tells us what is going to happen in the play in the prologue?

REMEMBER: Post your own response AND respond to at least one other student in class.

Welcome to the Romeo and Juliet unit!

Welcome, 8th graders! This is the website for the Romeo and Juliet discussion board.

Every day in English class, you will go to this website and respond to the Romeo and Juliet post. You must respond to the question, and respond to at least one of your classmate's posts. Therefore, you will post at least TWO times per day on this website.

There are two more websites that will be used from this class. You can access these websites using the links below. You can also access these websites using the links on the side of the page.

ASSESSMENTS
This website is where you will find the weekly writing assignments, and the final essay assignment. You will submit these assignments to me by emailing asamuels@dcprep.org.

RESOURCES
This website is where you will find helpful resources for both your writing assignments and your daily discussion board postings. Resources are in the categories of Scene Summaries, Historical Context, and Character Information.

Make sure to contact me with any questions. The first discussion board postings are due by the end of school (5:00 PM) today.