1. To explore Shakespeare’s ideas of love
Mock 1 Act 1, Scene 4
To explore Shakespeare’s ideas of love

2. How does Shakespeare present ideas about love in the following extract from Act 1, Scene 4?
MERCUTIO: Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance. ROMEO: Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes With nimble soles, I have a soul of lead So stakes me to the ground I cannot move. MERCUTIO: You are a lover, borrow Cupid’s wings, And soar with them above a common bound. ROMEO: I am too sore enpiercèd with his shaft To soar with his light feathers, and so bound I cannot bound a pitch above dull woe: Under love’s heavy burden do I sink. MERCUTIO: And to sink in it should you burden love, Too great oppression for a tender thing. ROMEO: Is love a tender thing? it is too rough, Too rude, too boist’rous, and it pricks like thorn.

3. How does Shakespeare present ideas about love in the following extract from Act 1, Scene 4?
Dance
Cupid
Heaviness
Rose
Puns/word play/double meaning:

4. How does Shakespeare present ideas about love in the following extract from Act 1, Scene 4?
Dance
Cupid
Heaviness
Rose
M: We must have you dance
R: You have dancing shoes/With nimble soles, I have a soul of lead/So stakes me to the ground I cannot move.
M: You are a lover, borrow Cupid’s wings,/And soar with them above a common bound.
R: I am too sore enpiercèd with his shaft/To soar with his light feathers.
R: Under love’s heavy burden do I sink.
M: And to sink in it should you burden love,/Too great oppression for a tender thing.
M: Too great oppression for a tender thing.
R: Is love a tender thing? it is too rough,/Too rude, too boist’rous, and it pricks like thorn.
Puns: Sole/soul, soar/sore
What points can be made using these ideas about love?
Shakespeare compares love to…
Shakespeare presents love as a...
Shakespeare alludes to...

5. ShakesPEELA
Point = State the act/scene, the ideas/main topic of the questions, and technique
In Act 4, Scene 1, Shakespeare presents love as a tricky and confusing feeling using puns.
Evidence = Embed the line/word/phrase in a sentence
When exchanging comments about love, Romeo states that Mercutio has shoes “With nimble soles,” while he himself has “a soul of lead.”
Explanation = Explain the meaning of the line, and its relation to the question.
Romeo, who is deeply in love (or lust) with Rosaline, refuses to enjoy Capulet’s party and dance with other women. By stating that Mercutio has shoes with “nimble soles,” Romeo references Mercutio’s easygoing attitude to love. Romeo, on the other hand, changes the meaning of the word and instead comments on his spiritual self, his ”soul,” which is made ”of lead” and thus cannot allow him to dance freely.

6. ShakesPEELA
Language = Explain the purpose of the technique, and the connotations of the keywords.
By using puns, which are a play on words, Shakespeare presents love as a tricky feeling, with multiple meanings which could often leave a person feeling confused. In addition, a person’s ”soles” allow them to move freely and with flexibility, connoting a relaxed attitude to love. However, a person’s “soul” refers to a person’s thoughts, feelings, personality, and attitude, implying that Romeo’s state of mind overcomes his ability to love freely.
Audience = Explain the effect of of the line and/or idea on Elizabethan audience, and if applicable, on modern audiences. Also, if applicable, relate to the context of the play.
Back in Elizabeth times, dancing was considered to be an appropriate way to approach a person and declare your love for them. The audience back then would recognise Romeo’s metaphor as a comment on Mercutio’s attitude to love and flirting, and view him accordingly as a flirtatious character. The Elizabethan society was also deeply religious, and so Romeo’s comment about his soul would convince them of his mental and emotional distress, since the soul represented the person’s spiritually.

7. In Act 4, Scene 1, Shakespeare presents love as a tricky and confusing feeling using puns. When exchanging comments about love, Romeo states that Mercutio has shoes “With nimble soles,” while he himself has “a soul of lead.” Romeo, who is deeply in love (or lust) with Rosaline, refuses to enjoy Capulet’s party and dance with other women. By stating that Mercutio has shoes with “nimble soles,” Romeo references Mercutio’s easygoing attitude to love. Romeo, on the other hand, changes the meaning of the word and instead comments on his spiritual self, his ”soul,” which is made ”of lead” and thus cannot allow him to dance freely. By using puns, which are a play on words, Shakespeare presents love as a tricky feeling, with multiple meanings which could often leave a person feeling confused. In addition, a person’s ”soles” allow them to move freely and with flexibility, connoting a relaxed attitude to love. However, a person’s “soul” refers to a person’s thoughts, feelings, personality, and attitude, implying that Romeo’s state of mind overcomes his ability to love freely. Back in Elizabeth times, dancing was considered to be an appropriate way to approach a person and declare your love for them. The audience back then would recognise Romeo’s metaphor as a comment on Mercutio’s attitude to love and flirting, and view him accordingly as a flirtatious character. The Elizabethan society was also deeply religious, and so Romeo’s comment about his soul would convince them of his mental and emotional distress, since the soul represented the person’s spiritually.

8. Mock 1 Write two PEELA paragraphs, focusing on one CONCEPTUALISED IDEA
(One main idea that all evidence, explanation, techniques, word-analysis and impact on the audience relate to)
35 minutes