LESSON 3 - Personal Response Journals

Objectives:

-to use students’ own experiences as reference points in their study of Shakespeare (i.e. personal response journals)
-To introduce students to Shakespeare’s play and the language used.

Materials:
Romeo and Juliet (new version)

Sequence:
1. Hand-out personal response journals and explain expectations and marking.
2. Start reading the play and view the corresponding scenes in the movie keeping in mind the modern changes made to the play.

PERSONAL RESPONSE JOURNALS

    From the following list, you are responsible for choosing one per week to write about. Since this is a personal response journal, there are no incorrect responses; however, your response must be on topic and relevant to the question you are answering.

        Your response:
-Should be a minimum of onepage in length,
-Have the number of the response you have chosen to write about at the top of the page,
-Be neat, be written in pen and be readable

One response journal is due every Friday. (Reminder that you will loose 10 percent per day your response journal is late)
1. Is Romeo in love with Rosaline or is it infatuation? What is the difference? If you had a friend who was in a similar situation to Romeo’s what advice would you give that person? (This can be a letter, a telephone conversation or a dialogue).

2. When Romeo and Juliet meet at the party they fall in “love at first sight”. Considering their age, is this real love? What is your opinion of “love at first sight”?

3. Romeo seems to be fickle with his affections. First he loves Rosaline and then he loves Juliet with a passion. How would you treat Romeo if he were your friend? What advice would you give him based on your knowledge of ‘fickle’ friendships?

4. What qualities do you look for in friends? Which of these qualities did Benvolio and Mercutio share? Which of the two would you prefer to have as a friend?

5. Romeo and Juliet see each other despite the fact they know their parents would disapprove. Would their relationship have ended differently if they had tried to reason with their respective parents? 

6. Juliet is never seen with any friends of her own age. If she had a close friend, what would Juliet say about Romeo and their relationship to her? (This can be a letter, a telephone conversation or a dialogue).

7. If Romeo and Juliet were modern teenagers, they would be unlikely to turn to a monk and a nurse for advice/help. Who would their modern mentors be and why?

8. Design a family crest for Romeo and Juliet based on crests and heraldry. Provide short written explanation of the symbols and the relevance of each one to Romeo and Juliet.

9. Write the letter that Romeo left for his father. Remember to include his feelings about the feud, his family and Juliet.

10. Write an interview with either Lord Capulet or Lord Montague that would take place after the deaths of their children. Include questions that would reflect his personality, his relationship with other characters and his feelings at the moment.