1. Synonyms: Moral excellence goodness righteousness
Virtue (noun)
Growing up my mother always told me that patience was a virtue.
Sarah thought that John’s greatest virtues were his devotion and compassion.
Synonyms:
Moral excellence
goodness
righteousness
Santa doing charity=virtuous!
My greatest virtue is…

2. Definition An amoral habit Synonyms: fault Failing weakness
Vice (noun)
Definition
An amoral habit
Synonyms:
fault
Failing
weakness
Caffeine was the high school teacher’s only vice.
While Sarah thought John had many virtues, his greatest vice was procrastination. She had to nag him every day to do his English homework.
My greatest vice is… Or
A common vice many teenagers have is…

3. to be recognized as valid, genuine, credible, or true
VALIDITY (noun)
to be recognized as valid, genuine, credible, or true
Synonyms:
Genuineness
Legitimacy
Credibility
John wanted to take Sarah to see Paranormal Activity 4 but couldn’t get in because he didn’t have a valid id to prove he was 17.
When conducting research you must always question the validity of a website. Some sites are not written by trustworthy authors.
Explain a time when you questioned someone or something’s validity, or explain when your validity was questioned.

4. Transgressions (noun)
Def: A violation of a law, duty, or command
Synonyms:
Misbehavior
Misdemeanor
Breach
defiance
Yesterday John committed a major transgression at ACHS; he texted Sarah during class which resulted in both of them receiving referrals.
Explain why Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is a transgression.
According to your own parents, what would constitute a transgression?

5. Envious (adj)
Def: closely related to jealousy; the feeling of wanting something that belongs to another
John was secretly envious of Sarah’s higher grade on the English essay.
Dylan was envious of Mark’s new Mustang; Dylan didn’t even have his license yet.
Synonyms:
Jealous
Resentful
Covetous
I was envious of _____________ because…

6. Vulnerable (adj)
Def: capable of being hurt, susceptible to temptation, attack, etc.
The newborn baby was so vulnerable his mother constantly watched over him.
John felt that his love for Sarah made him vulnerable.
In what ways is Romeo and/or Juliet vulnerable?
List three things that are vulnerable.
Synonyms:
Susceptible
Unguarded
Accessible

7. Def: common, boring, ordinary
Mundane (adj)
Def: common, boring, ordinary
Sarah complained to John that their relationship was too mundane; they never did anything different or exciting.
I hate Mondays because they always feel mundane.
What is the irony in the cartoon? Why are the sports listed on the left mundane?

8. Overly severe or strict
Relentless (adj)
Synonyms:
Unyielding
Overly severe or strict
Adamant
unbending
Romeo’s courtship was relentless; nothing prevented him from seeing Juliet. He was so relentless he was willing to die to be close to her.
Who is the most relentless person you know? What makes him or her relentless?
Why is relentless an appropriate name for an energy drink?

9. Russell Crowe in the movie Gladiator is a relentless fighter.

10. Dilemma (noun) Def: any difficult or perplexing situation or problem
Synonyms:
Problem
Predicament
After realizing Sarah is a bit high maintenance, John has a dilemma: to break up or stay together.
Now that Tybalt is dead and Romeo is banished, what is Juliet’s biggest dilemma?
What moral dilemma must Friar Laurence face?
What is the biggest dilemma you have ever faced?

11. Alliance (noun) Def: an agreement or treaty between two or more people/groups to cooperate for specific purposes.
Synonyms:
Agreement
Treaty
Deal
On the show Survivor, competitors often form alliances; they agree not to vote their ally off the island.
Friar Laurence decides to marry Romeo and Juliet because he hopes the marriage will create an alliance between the two families.
With whom do you have an alliance?

12. Agile (adj) Def: quick and well coordinated in movement
Synonyms:
Nimble
Athletically quick
My dog, while small, is extremely agile; he can dart, twist, and jump away from bigger dogs.
The basketball season started and Sarah was impressed with John’s agility; he moved better than most of the guys on this team.
A really agile athlete is _________ because…

13. Aspire (verb) Def: to long, aim, or seek for ambitiously
Synonyms:
Hope
Dream
Strive
Although John was only 5’6,” he still aspired to play in the NBA, so he worked harder than everyone else on his high school team.
Sarah’s aspirations include the following: graduating with honors, winning state in soccer, and fixing her relationship dilemmas with John.
What are Lord Capulet’s aspirations for Juliet?
Something I aspire to do is _________ because…

14. Word Cells
Mort = death
Mortician
Mortuary
Mortal

15. transmit, transfer, transport
Trans= across
transmit, transfer, transport
Friar John is supposed to transfer a letter from Friar Laurence to Romeo. However, transportation was difficult during this time. He had to travel on horseback through plague-infested lands.

16. destroy, destructive, descend, detract
De = down/away
destroy, destructive, descend, detract
When Romeo was descending from Juliet’s bedroom, she thought he looked like he was descending into a tomb.
Hasty actions are destroying their relationship and their lives.
Lord Capulet engaged in destructive behavior; nothing would detract him from his aspiration to wed Juliet to Paris.