Shakespearean drama: genre, methods and context1 h of study
Macbeth3 h of study
Romeo and JulietReading · 0%
Much Ado About Nothing2 h of study
The Merchant of Venice2 h of study
The Tempest2 h of study
Other set plays: Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, Othello, Henry V and Cambridge plays2 h of study

This unit is ≈20% of the GCSE English Lit, across 7 lessons. Full syllabus

Lesson 3 of 7 · Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet

3 quick checks≈4% of the testCore: Core: tested on most papers

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By the end you’ll be able to

Analyse the presentation of love (Petrarchan, romantic and physical), hate and violence, fate, youth and age, and family honour
Trace Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, Tybalt, the Nurse, Friar Laurence and Lord and Lady Capulet, and how each shapes the tragedy
Analyse the key scenes: the Prologue sonnet, the Capulet ball and shared sonnet (1.5), the balcony (2.2), Mercutio’s death (3.1), Capulet’s rage at Juliet (3.5) and the tomb (5.3)

Practice this skill

Adaptive questions on Romeo and Juliet.

Practise this topic

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Explore Shakespeare’s methods: light and dark imagery, oxymoron, dramatic irony, the compression of time, and sonnet form

Link the play to Elizabethan attitudes to patriarchy, arranged marriage, honour and religion

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