1. by William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Act I
Scenes 1-5

2. Literary Response & Analysis
Which character played the most important role in Act I?
Step One – Think about the question and possible answers.
Which characters are the BEST options?
Step Two – Select the text details that best SUPPORT your answer.
Focus on the words and actions of the character.
List the details that support you would use.

3. Literary Response & Analysis
Which character played the most important role in Act I?
Step One – Think about the question and possible answers.
Which characters are the BEST options?
Step Two – Select the text details that best SUPPORT your answer.
Focus on the words and actions of the character.
he attempts to break up the first fight, he tries to find out what is bothering Romeo, and he persuades Romeo to go to the party

4. Literary Response & Analysis
Which character played the most important role in Act I?
3. Step Three – Think about the order in which to express your thoughts and ideas.
How could the details be organized?
Strongest to Weakest
Weakest to Strongest
Chronological
Importance
???

5. Literary Response & Analysis
Which character played the most important role in Act I?
3. Step Three – Think about the order in which to express your thoughts and ideas.
How could the details be organized?
Importance (least to most important) ?

6. Literary Response & Analysis
Which character played the most important role in Act I?
4. Step Four – Write your response in a well-thought out and complete paragraph.
Write about one detail at a time.
TOPIC SENTENCE
__________ show his/her importance
when ________________________________
because ______________________________

7. Literary Response & Analysis
EXAMPLE
Write about one detail at a time.
DETAIL/SUPPORTING SENTENCES
Benvolio persuades Romeo to attend the Capulet party with the idea that meeting other girls will help Romeo forget about Rosalind and his broken-heart. His actions while well-meaning serve as both positive and negative rising actions for the play. Benvolio’s concern for his friend and cousin are clear by his desire to help Romeo in the best way he knows. Benvolio also demonstrates his mischievous side by going to the Capulet’s so soon after the Prince’s warning about fighting. He is willing to take signficigant risks in order to help Romeo, but his actions show that he is rash and may not think things out before acting.

8. Literary Response & Analysis
Write about one detail at a time.
CONCLUDING SENTENCE
Benvolio’s actions and words help to start a chain reaction that even he will not be able to stop. His inability to see the possible consequences of his actions will play a part in the death of the very person he is trying to help.

9. Things to Know Elements of Drama and Tragedy Purpose of Drama
Purpose of the Prologue
Modifiers for the Characters
Role the Characters have Played
Shakespeare’s Language/Vocabulary
Literary Terms – soliloquy, monologue, aside, foil…

10. Sidebar Information
Review the sidebar information and write down any BOLD PRINT WORDS/PHRASES you see.
Stage directions
Aside
Comic Touch
Rhyme
Contradictions
Comic Scenes
Character Foil
Monologue
Sonnet

11. Act I Questions Pages 840-841 Answer Questions 1-11 on page 840
Read the Vocabulary Development Information
on page 841
Review the Literary and Reading Focus Questions on the Bottom of the Textbook Pages Throughout the Act
(You should be doing this as you read the text!!!)

12. The lovers’ deaths end the feud between the two families.
Act I Questions
Pages
Answers that demonstrate an understanding of the text.
Reading Focus
What does the prologue say ends the rage between the two families of Verona?
The lovers’ deaths end the feud
between the two families.

13. He is Lady Capulet’s nephew.
Act I Questions
Pages
Reading Focus
2. Who is Tybalt? What does he do that is unsafe?
He is Lady Capulet’s nephew.
He quarrels with Benvolio and vows to fight Romeo.

14. Act I Questions They meet at the Capulet feast.
Pages
Reading Focus
3. Where do Romeo and Juliet first meet?
They meet at the Capulet feast.

15. Act I Questions
Pages
Reading Focus
4. In Act I, have Romeo and Juliet merely been victims of fate or have they made conscious decisions about their actions? Explain your answer.
Romeo decides to go to the party although he has a bad feeling about what will happen.
Juliet fatefully falls in love with Romeo without knowing his identity.

16. The effect is that they fall in love. Any prediction is valid.
Act I Questions
Pages
Reading Focus
5. You recorded the causes that led Romeo to the party where he meets Juliet. What is the effect of their meeting? What do you predict will happen: will they marry, run off together, break up?
The effect is that they fall in love.
Any prediction is valid.

17. Literary Focus – Literary Analysis
Act I Questions
Pages
Literary Focus – Literary Analysis
6. Analyze – Mercutio is a character foil to Romeo. In a drama, a character foil is a character who sets off another character by strong contrast. In what way is Mercutio a foil to Romeo?
Mercutio is confident and the life of the party, while Romeo is more withdrawn and introspective.

18. Literary Focus – Literary Analysis
Act I Questions
Pages
Literary Focus – Literary Analysis
7. Interpret – Romeo and Juliet first speak to each other in a sonnet in which Romeo sees himself as a pilgrim and Juliet as the saint he worships. How does the language and imagery embody their feelings for each other?
Their love is compared to pure, spiritual love. Their actions mimic those of a person in prayer with their hands and lips being pressed together.

19. Literary Focus – Literary Analysis
Act I Questions
Pages
Literary Focus – Literary Analysis
8. Evaluate – Romeo and Juliet fall deeply in love at first sight. Does Shakespeare succeed in making this scene convincing? EXPLAIN.
The audience will probably recognize their attraction but may think that they are only infatuated.

20. Literary Focus – Literary Skills: Tragedy
Act I Questions
Pages
Literary Focus – Literary Skills: Tragedy
9. Analyze – What problem, or complication, is presented in Scenes 2 and 3 that may limit Juliet’s freedom?
Her parents want her to marry Paris, and she needs their permission to marry.

21. Both characters recognize and accept their doom after their meeting.
Act I Questions
Pages
Literary Focus – Literary Skills: Tragedy
10. Analyze – The title of the play tells us it is a tragedy – a play in which the main characters come to an unhappy end. How do Romeo’s and Juliet’s reactions in Scene 5 (when they learn of each other’s identity) foreshadow, or give clues to, what trouble may lie ahead?
Both characters recognize and accept their doom after their meeting.

22. Juliet is not close to her mother. Juliet has no interest in marriage.
Act I Questions
Pages
Literary Focus – Literary Skills Review Characterization
11. Analyze – The process of revealing the personality of a character is called characterization. In Scene 3, what do you learn about Juliet’s relationship with her mother and her feelings about marriage?
Juliet is not close to her mother.
Juliet has no interest in marriage.

23. Vocabulary Term Word Origin Archaic Meaning Modern Meaning
maid
Middle English
unmarried girl
girl who cleans
stay
cease to do something or make a stand
remain
still
ever or constantly
at or up to the time indicated
soft
quiet or hush
gentle or low
wit
intellect or reason
power of thinking or reasoning

24. Which character in ACT I do you think was the most important?
Describe the character and his or her important traits?
Defend his or her importance and significance.

25. Which scene in ACT I do you think was the most important?
What happened in the scene?
Defend its importance and significance.

26. What do you know about the following characters?
Act I
Characters
What do you know about the following characters?
Romeo
Juliet
Nurse
Benvolio
Mercutio
Capulet
Montague
Lady Capulet
Lady Montague
Tybalt
Paris
Prince Escalus

27. STUDY Review a little each night as you read the play.
Re-read what you do not understand.
Read the extra information about the play.
Pay attention to the videos.
Pay attention to what the teacher says.
Pay attention to what other students have to say.
Ask questions when you do not understand.
Do all of the assigned work, especially when it is difficult.
Think about the play and try to make a personal connection to the events and characters.