LESSON 5-Use of Time

Objective:   to have students begin their study of Shakespeare’s use of time in the play

Materials:         handout/overhead on: A Time Chart

Sequence:         1. Review the fact that Shakespeare ‘borrowed’ the idea for Romeo and Juliet and in doing so had to make some adjustments to make the idea fit on the stage. One of these adjustments was the compression of time (from months to days)

-stress that hasty decisions cause the eventual tragedy of the lovers
-the action of the play seems rushed throughout

  1. Handout "Time chart" and explain that this is an ongoing assignment for the play.

A TIME CHART

DAY OF WEEK

EVENTS

Sunday

 

 

 

Monday

 

Tuesday

 

 

Wednesday

Thursday

 

Friday
  1. Street fight in Verona
  2. Capulets throw a party
  3. Romeo and Juliet meet
  4. Juliet talks to Romeo from the balcony
  1. Romeo and Juliet
  2. Mercutio is killed by Tybalt
  3. Tybalt is killed by Romeo
  4. Romeo is banished
  5. Capulet accepts Paris’ proposal
  6. Romeo and Juliet spend their only night together
  1. Romeo goes to Mantua
  2. Juliet hears of the bad news of her marriage to Paris
  3. Capulets prepare for the wedding
  4. Juliet drinks Friar’s potion
  1. Capulets find Juliet dead
  1. Romeo kills Paris near Capulet tomb
  2. Romeo poisons himself
  3. Juliet stabs herself

1. The feud ends early Friday (the final events could occur either late Thursday or early Friday morning)