1. Common Core Standards:
RL , , L
Thursday, March 7th, 2019
Aim: How can we breakdown and understand the prologue of Romeo and Juliet?
Objective: Students will analyze the function of Shakespeare’s literary and poetic devices in the prologue of Romeo and Juliet.
Do Now: Answer one of the following questions.
1.) What is the purpose of a movie trailer or commercial? OR
2.) What is a prologue?

2. Common Core Standards:
RL , , L
Thursday, March 7th, 2019
Aim: How can we breakdown and understand the prologue of Romeo and Juliet?
Objective: Students will analyze the function of Shakespeare’s literary and poetic devices in the prologue of Romeo and Juliet.
Agenda
1). Do Now: Answer one or both questions, and turn and talk with your tablemates. Captains will share with the class.
2). Mini-Lesson: Together we will read aloud the prologue of Romeo and Juliet, stopping to analyze certain lines and discuss the language. We will translate the text to modern English together, take notes of literary devices employed by Shakespeare and identify their effect on the text.
3). Reflection: What was the most challenging aspect of today’s reading Shakespeare? Why did you find it difficult? OR
How did the strategy of breaking down the prologue help your understanding of the text? How do you feel about it now?

3. The Prologue Two households, both alike in dignity
(In fair Verona, where we lay our scene)
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.
The fearful passage of their death-marked love
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove,
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;
The which, if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
There are two very similar families in beautiful Verona where our story takes place. There is a long lasting hatred between the two.
Violence between the two has citizens staining their hands with the blood of other citizens. Two children from these enemy families become lovers and take their lives. It is only then that the family feud ends. For the next two hours we will watch the story of their tragic love and parents’ anger unfold. Only the death of the children could stop the hate. If you listen carefully, we’ll cover everything that has been left out of the prologue on the stage.

4. Dissecting the Prologue
What did we learn about the fate of both Romeo and Juliet from the prologue of the text?
Answer: Romeo and Juliet will die before the end of the play
The prologue is written in a certain format, can anyone identify what it is? We also discussed the many works Shakespeare wrote. (He wrote over 30 plays and 150 ________?)
Answer: Sonnets!
What did we learn about the two families?
We learned that the Capulets and Montagues are both pretty noble families, but they hate each other and they don’t even know WHY they hate each other anymore.
What literary devices can we identify in the prologue?
Alliteration:"from forth the fatal loins of these two foes" - the repetition of the "t" and "f" sounds draws attention to the lines. They further emphasize the severity of the danger and turmoil that the lovers will be facing.
Metaphor: “Civil blood makes civil hands unclean” is a metaphor where “hands” represent an entire person or entire town.
“Star-crossed lovers” - The relationship between Romeo and Juliet is destined to fail

5. Reflection/Exit Slip:
What was the most challenging aspect of today’s reading of Shakespeare? Why did you find it difficult? OR
How did the strategy of breaking down the prologue help your understanding of the text? How do you feel about it now?