Home & Family Reading Guide: ​Romeo & Juliet​ by William Shakespeare

Focus Standards for this unit include: 

● RL & RI.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what
the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
● RI.9-10.2: Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development
over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
● RL.9-10.2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text,
including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker
in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
● RL&I.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text;
analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.

Anchor Text Analysis: Act I, Scenes I-V 

1. Write an OBJECTIVE SUMMARY of [​Act # Scene #​]:

Act 1 scene 1: A conflict which will go on through the story is made up by both families
Act 1 scene 2: Paris will ask Lord capulet if he has permission to marry his daughter, Juliet.
The Capulet's feast occurs and Romeo and Benvolio will attend.
Act 1 scene 3: Juliet is asked who she wishes to marry by Lady Capulet and the nurse.
Act 1 scene 4: Romeo starts to think on the way to the feast that he will be killed if he goes.
Act 1 scene 5: At the feast, Romeo and Juliet meet and then fall in love.

RL.9-10.4: Author’s Use of Language

2. Act I Scene V

Folger Text Explanation/Analysis of Vivid or Figurative

Language

Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! Teach the torches to burn bright.” This is
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night saying juliet brings light to the room
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear,
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear. “A snowy dove trooping with crows” This says
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows that juliet is better than everyone else
As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I’ll watch her place of
stand, “Make blessed my rude hand” He wants her
And, touching hers, make blessèd my rude to hold his hand.
hand.
Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.

No Fear Text
Oh, she shows the torches how to burn
bright! She stands out against the darkness
like a jeweled earring hanging against the
cheek of an African. Her beauty is too good
for this world; she’s too beautiful to die and
be buried. She outshines the other women
like a white dove in the middle of a flock of
crows. When this dance is over, I’ll see where
she stands, and then I’ll touch her hand with
my rough and ugly one. Did my heart ever
love anyone before this moment? My eyes
were liars, then, because I never saw true
beauty before tonight.

3. Act I Scene V

Folger Text Explanation/Analysis of Vivid or Figurative

Language

ROMEO “My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand

To smooth that rough touch with a tender
(taking​ JULIET​’s hand)​ If I profane with my
kiss.” He’s ready and wants to kiss her
unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender
kiss.
“For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands
  do touch,
JULIET And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss.” As
Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too they cannot kiss they come up with the
much, solution of substituting the kiss by holding
Which mannerly devotion shows in this, hands.
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do
touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.

No Fear Text 

ROMEO
(taking​ JULIET​’s hand)​ Your hand is like a
holy place that my hand is unworthy to visit. If
you’re offended by the touch of my hand, my
two lips are standing here like blushing
pilgrims, ready to make things better with a
kiss.
 
JULIET
Good pilgrim, you don’t give your hand
enough credit. By holding my hand you show
polite devotion. After all, pilgrims touch the
hands of statues of saints. Holding one palm
against another is like a kiss.

RL.9-10.2: Theme Development

Thematic Concept in Act I

Parental Influence/Expectation

Thematic Statement for Act I

4. Love has no limits

Textual Evidence Explanation

5. “My only love sprung from my only
hate!”
6. “His name is Romeo, and a
montague, The only son of your great
enemy”
Juliet loves someone whom she hates and
therefore this shows that no matter what the
situation is, love is love, there are no limits to
it.

Supplemental Text Analysis:

Title: ​"Orphans' Lonely Beginnings Reveal How Parents Shape a Child's Brain" by Carl
Pickhardt

What claim/theme is developed Parents do so much for their kids

in the text?

What is evidence of that The orphans didn’t have high intelligence at all
claim/theme?

What language is worth analysis In this article, I believe particularly vivid is worth analysis
in this text? and I think this because throughout the text it built images
(Particularly vivid? Figurative? in your head just by the facts given
Creating a specific tone?)

How can this text connect to In both texts, their parents give them hate.
R&J?