ROMEO AND JULIET – COURSEWORK ASSIGNMENT

Contents

1. What to do in six stages

Use this guide to plan the writing of your essay. It tells you what you need to do
in six, easy to understand stages.
2. Scene structure table
Use this table to divide the scene into four sections. When you write your essay
you will write about these sections in turn. By doing this you will explore the
dramatic structure of the scene.
3. The PEE chain
Use the PEE (point – evidence – explanation) chain to structure the points in your
essay.
4. Sequence the events of Act 3 Scene 5
Understand what happens in Act 3 Scene 5 by putting these seven statements into
the correct order. Answers included!
5. What happens before Act 3 Scene 5?
Use this fourteen stage summary of the play to understand the events leading up
to Act 3 Scene 5.
What to do in six stages

1. Write an introduction. Tell me what you are going to do in the essay and what
has happened in the story before Act 3 Scene 5. Keep this section brief –
assume I know who Shakespeare is and the plays he wrote.
2. Write about the first part of the scene. Tell me what happens, and what the
tone is. Provide evidence to back up your opinion. Then tell me how
Shakespeare gains the audience’s sympathy for Juliet and how she relates to
Nurse, Lady C and Capulet. Explain the relationships between the characters.
3. Write about the second part of the scene. Tell me what happens, and what the
tone is. Provide evidence to back up your opinion. Then tell me how
Shakespeare gains the audience’s sympathy for Juliet and how she relates to
Nurse, Lady C and Capulet. Explain the relationships between the characters.
4. Write about the third part of the scene. Tell me what happens, and what the
tone is. Provide evidence to back up your opinion. Then tell me how
Shakespeare gains the audience’s sympathy for Juliet and how she relates to
Nurse, Lady C and Capulet. Explain the relationships between the characters.
5. Write about the fourth part of the scene. Tell me what happens, and what the
tone is. Provide evidence to back up your opinion. Then tell me how
Shakespeare gains the audience’s sympathy for Juliet and how she relates to
Nurse, Lady C and Capulet. Explain the relationships between the characters.
6. Write a conclusion. Tell me what you have just done. Summarise the
dramatic structure of the scene – how it starts calmly, becomes more dramatic
and violent and ends on a quieter, desperate note. Tell me what you think of
the scene. Is it effective? Moving? Why is it important? What must happen
afterwards?
Scene structure table

Section 1 Section 2
Line numbers: 1-36 Line numbers: 37-125
What happens in this section? What happens in this section?
What is the overall mood (anger, What is the overall mood?
sympathy etc.)?
How does Shakespeare make us feel
How does Shakespeare make us feel sympathy towards Juliet?
sympathy towards Juliet?
How does Juliet relate to the Nurse, Lady
How does Juliet relate to the Nurse, Lady Capulet and/or Capulet?
Capulet and/or Capulet?

Section 3 Section 4
Line numbers: 126-175 Line numbers: 176-242
What happens in this section? What happens in this section?
What is the overall mood? What is the overall mood?

How does Shakespeare make us feel How does Shakespeare make us feel
sympathy towards Juliet? sympathy towards Juliet?

How does Juliet relate to the Nurse, Lady How does Juliet relate to the Nurse, Lady
Capulet and/or Capulet? Capulet and/or Capulet?
The PEE chain

You should use the PEE Chain to help you structure your responses to texts.
Try to picture the chain in your head as you answer.
.

EXAMPL EXPLAIN
POINT LINK LINK
PHRASE E PHRASE /EXPLOR
1 (Quote) 2 E

For example … This quotation shows …

I know this because he This example highlights …
says … The writer says this to suggest
This is apparent in the line …
… I chose this quotation because
This is shown by … …

An example:
During the balcony scene in Act 3 Scene 5 Shakespeare makes us feel sympathy for Juliet by
using dramatic irony. For example, Juliet says ‘Methinks I see thee now, thou art so low, As one
dead in the bottom of a tomb.’ The audience responds sympathetically because they know that
Juliet’s husband will in fact soon be dead; it is as if she cannot escape fate.
Sequence the events of Act 3 Scene 5

1. Lady Capulet tells Juliet that she is to marry Paris next Thursday. Juliet says she
is not happy about this.

2. The sun rises and Romeo and Juliet talk about parting. The Nurse enters to
announce Lady Capulet’s approach and Romeo leaves.

3. Lord Capulet is very angry with Juliet. He threatens to disown her if she refuses
to marry Paris. He exits. Lady Capulet offers no sympathy for Juliet and exits.

4. Juliet decides to see Friar Lawrence for advice. Juliet exits.

5. Lord Capulet enters and wonders why Juliet is crying so much. He asks Lady
Capulet whether she has given Juliet the news of her marriage to Paris. Lady
Capulet tells Lord Capulet that Juliet isn’t happy about this news.

6. Lady Capulet enters and asks why Juliet is crying: she thinks it’s because Tybalt
has died.

7. Juliet asks Nurse what she should do. Nurse advises marrying Paris because
Romeo is as good as dead, having been exiled from Verona (this would mean that
Juliet would commit bigamy!) Nurse exits.
The correct order is:

1. The sun rises and Romeo and Juliet talk about parting. The Nurse enters to
announce Lady Capulet’s approach, and Romeo leaves.

2. Lady Capulet enters and asks why Juliet is crying: Lady Capulet thinks it’s
because Tybalt has died.

3. Lady Capulet tells Juliet that she is to marry Paris next Thursday. Juliet says she
is not happy about this.

4. Lord Capulet enters and wonders why Juliet is crying so much. He asks Lady
Capulet whether she has given Juliet the news of her marriage to Paris. Lady
Capulet tells Lord Capulet that Juliet isn’t happy about this news.

5. Lord Capulet is very angry with Juliet. He threatens to disown her if she refuses
to marry Paris. He exits. Lady Capulet offers no sympathy for Juliet and exits.

6. Juliet asks Nurse what she should do. Nurse advises marrying Paris because
Romeo is as good as dead, having been exiled from Verona (this would mean that
Juliet would commit bigamy!) Nurse exits.

7. Juliet decides to see Friar Lawrence for advice. Juliet exits.

What happens before Act 3 Scene 5?
1. There is a fight between the Montagues and Capulets on the streets of Verona.
The Prince intervenes and says anyone caught fighting will be executed.
2. Romeo is depressed: he is in love with Rosaline. She has vowed never to sleep
with anyone.
3. Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio go to a party.
4. Tybalt sees Romeo at the party and threatens to kill him. Lord Capulet stops him.
5. Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love.
6. Romeo and Juliet see each other on the balcony.
7. They agree to marry.
8. Friar Lawrence agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet.
9. They are married (off stage).
10. Mercutio and Tybalt meet on the street. Romeo (who is now related to Tybalt by
marriage) appears. Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo kills Tybalt.
11. The Prince appears. Benvoilio tells him what happens and The Prince banishes
Romeo.
12. Friar Lawrence arranges for Romeo and Juliet to meet in Mantua.
13. Lord Capulet agrees for Paris to marry Juliet – a father’s word is law back in the
14th Century.