1. Romeo and Juliet
This unit is designed for students at the Intermediate and Advanced Fluency Level.

2. A Tragic Pattern: How the Play is Built
Tragedy: A narrative about serious and
important actions that end unhappily.
Usually ends with the death of main
characters
Sometimes innocent characters
are affected
Sometimes the main characters
are responsible for their downfall

3. Shakespeare’s Tragic Plays
Five-Part Pattern
ACT III
Crisis / Turning Point
ACT II
Rising Action
ACT IV
Falling Action a
ACT I
Exposition
ACT V
Climax & Resolution

4. Exposition (ACT I) Establishes the setting
Introduces the main characters
Explains background
Introduces the characters’
main conflict

5. Romeo and Juliet (Exposition)
Verona, Italy

6. Rising Action (ACT II) Consists of a series of complications
Occurs when main characters take action to resolve their problems

7. Romeo and Juliet (Rising Action and Complications)
Forbidden Love

8. Crisis or Turning Point (ACT III)
Moment when a choice is made by one of
the main characters that determines the
direction of the action
Upward = happy ending (comedy)
Downward = sad ending (tragedy)
Dramatic and tense moment when the
forces of conflict come together

9. Romeo and Juliet (Crisis/Turning Point)
Fight between Romeo and Tybalt

10. Falling Action (ACT IV)
Presents events that result from the action taken in the turning point
Events usually lock characters deeper into disaster
With each event we see each character falling into tragedy

11. Romeo and Juliet (Falling Action)
Juliet taking poison to avoid Paris at all costs

12. Climax & Resolution (ACT V)
Highest point of emotional intensity of
the story
The greatest and final event that takes
place (death)
RESOLUTION:
The loose parts of the plot are tied up
and resolved
Any questions are answered
Signifies the end of the play

13. Romeo and Juliet (Climax)
“ O happy dagger!”

14. Romeo and Juliet (Resolution )
“For never was there a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”