Romeo and Juliet Act 4 Scene 1, 2 and 3 Date: Objectives Finish Act 4 Scene 1, 2 and 3 See Juliet and Friar Laurence set out their master plan. By the end of the class, students should have a deeper understanding of Juliet's character. Warm –up – write the quote, answer the questions “O bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, From off the battlements of any tower! Romeo and Juliet keep considering suicide as a response to their problems. This is meant to be a sign that they are young and have not developed the skills to think of other ways to do things. Our question is thus: In their positions, how would you fix their situations? Imagine you’re Romeo; exiled in Mantua or Juliet; trapped in a marriage proposal. What would you do? Show that you are smarter than these two people.

Today’s Reading Act 4 Scene 1 2.07 – 2.15 Juliet goes to Friar Laurence for help. Paris is there. They have an awkward conversation and then she and Friar Laurence come up with a plan. Scene 2 2.15 – 2.17 Juliet starts the plan. First she will pretend to go along with the wedding. She’ll play daddy’s little girl and be nice. Scene 3 2.17 – 2.21 Juliet will then take a sleeping potion and pretend to be dead. She is nervous the plan could go wrong and it will. Audiobook at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYDFQL_LfeY

Notes – Act 4 Scene 1 Juliet and Romeo have now both considered suicide. This is due to their separation and being too short-sighted to see life is worth continuing. The key part of this scene is Friar Laurence’s desperate plan to reunite Romeo and Juliet so that they can live in exile together. They are aware there are some risks but Juliet is determined to remain faithful to her one true husband. The plan is that Juliet agree to marry Paris. On the day before the wedding then, she takes a potion that simulates death. When she is brought to her tomb, Romeo is to appear and bring her to Mantua to live happily ever after. It is important to note that the conversation between Juliet and Paris is uncomfortable. She is cold and formal. He believes this is due to Tybalt’s death and he remains determined to marry her.

Notes – Act 4 Scene 2 and 3 Juliet carries out the first part of the plan, pleasing her father by accepting the marriage proposal. This makes Lord Capulet very happy. Already Juliet’s plan comes apart however as Lord Capulet decides to move up the wedding date. Juliet comes across as very young and vulnerable in scene three. She is afraid to take the sleeping drug and imagines several bad ways the plan could end. She prefers the possibility of death to the idea of marrying Paris and not ever being with Romeo however. There is a sense of sadness when Juliet says goodnight to the Nurse and her mother. She believes she may not see them again. We know the end of the play is approaching and that she must die soon.

Exercises In pairs, discuss and complete the following: What do you think it would be like to be a servant in a rich family. Pretend you are one, either in the past or modern day. Draw a line down the middle of a page and list all the good points and bad points about being a servant. To be precise, you are a servant, not a slave. There is a difference.

Exercise In pairs, write and perform the following scenario. There is an upcoming event you do not want to go to or participate in. You go to a friend looking for help. That friend gives you a drug that will do something to you. You know it is not a good idea and list the things that might happen to you, before taking the drug anyway. End with ‘ I drink to thee’.

Questions – Point, “reference”, explain. What is your impression of Paris from this scene? Explain Friar Laurence’s plan with reference to the text. What is Lord Capulet doing at the start of scene two? Why does Lord Capulet want to move the wedding from Thursday to Wednesday in your opinion. Why is Juliet afraid of taking the potion? What does she imagine might happen.

Cooldown Question Juliet places a great deal of trust in Friar Laurence? What makes you trust another person? Is there a list of things that make someone worthy of your trust? Finally, imagine a world or a class where you do not trust each other at all. What would it be like if we all thought any one of us could suddenly try to kill the other?