Introductory Materials
and Resources
Notes on Shakespeare and Tragic Heroes/Heroines
Questions? Email Miss Smith
alice.l.smith@adams12.org
Click here for sample daily agendas
Readers Theater
First hand out the character list. Use sign-up sheets so students can choose their parts ahead of time. In my classroom I used cardstock to create "table tent" name tags for each character. The students who signed up sat at the front of the room facing their classmates. The rest of the class was divided into Montegues and Capulets. You can print sign-up sheets for Act I, Act II, Act III, Act IV and Act V.

Tragic Hero/Heroine Character Analysis Essay
As they read students can fill out Quote Search Worksheets for Act I, Act II, Act III, Act IV and Act V. These worksheets might help them collect quotes for their essays.

Pre-writing activities include Brainstorming and an Outline. Here are some resources for Introductory Paragraphs; Body Paragraphs; and Concluding Paragraphs.

Students may also benefit from the Rough Draft Checklist. You can use the character analysis rubric for grading purposes. Sometimes students enter your class at the end of this unit, in which case you may want to give them a summary of the play and an alternative writing assignment.
  Other Activities
Reader's theater can get kind of monotonous if you do it every day. Here is a list of other activities you might want to include:
  • Shakespearean Terms - List of terms in Old English
  • Romeo and Juliet License Plates - print the template and have students design a license plate based on a line or theme from the play. (For example, "a thousand times goodnight" might read "1KGDNT.")
  • Shakespearean Insults - students can create their own Shakespearean Insults and write a dialogue between characters in the play. You too will enjoy this activity, you frothy, milk-livered varlet!
  • Love Letters - First have the students read some famous historical love letters written during Shakespeare's time. Using Shakespearean terms from the list, students write a love letter from Romeo or Juliet's perspective that includes at least one line from the play. Here are some sample love letters written by students.
  • Songs - Here are some lyrics for various songs written about Romeo and Juliet. (It helps if you have actual recordings to play for the students). You can also have them write their own songs in a style they enjoy.
  • Sonnets - Read some sonnets together and take notes. Have students write their own.
  • Film - Here is an article about the 1968 film.