Romeo and Juliet – Act 2 Scene 2

In Act 2 Scene 2 we looked at the start where Romeo is below Juliet’s balcony:

Key Ideas:

• Looking up at Juliet as she appears at the balcony, Romeo compares her to the “sun“. Consider why Shakespeare has used such a metaphor? What are the connotations of the sun? How do we as a modern audience view the sun? What do you know about the Elizabethans beliefs in the sun/stars/astrology? Perhaps take a look here Elizabethan beliefs and http://wilsonsbritworld.weebly.com/uploads/7/0/9/1/7091916/theelizabethanworldview.pdf
• Romeo also mentions the ‘envious moon’ – remember in Roman mythology Diana was the goddess of the moon. ‘Dian’s wit’ is mentioned in Act 1 Scene 1 – to who is Romeo referring to at this point? Investigate the Roman goddess and begin to think about how this links to love.
• Think about the following quote and how you could compare this to other parts of the play but also the sonnets?      

‘Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,

Having some business, do entreat her eyes

To twinkle in their spheres till they return.’

• In this part of the play Shakespeare continues to use light and dark to symbolise their romance. Romeo is in the shadows, Juliet is compared to the earth’s natural light source – the sun. This scene also takes place at nighttime – their love flourishes at nighttime. Perhaps this links to their love being a ‘sin’?

Can you add any references to Act 2 Scene 2 or could you write a separate paragraph on this?

Miss O

Thursday’s exam

Big well done for today guys. I’ve had a look at the exam paper and it looks quite nice. You’ll have aced it!

Attention now turns to Thursday’s poetry exam. I will be running two revision sessions:

Tomorrow – 3.35 until 4.30 in E1.
Thursday – 12.45 until 1.15 in E1.

Spend time looking at poems you feel u certain about. Look at the past posts. Attempt essay questions.

My predictions are:

Higher – Out of the Blue, Come on or Belfast Confetti
Foundation – The Right Word or Come on.

Hopefully see you at one of the revision sessions!

Miss O

Impromptu Revision 8.15am tomorrow in E1

Guys –  I will be running a last minute revision session tomorrow for the Woman in Black/Of Mice and Men exam. Feel free to come along from 8.15am. Cereal bars and water to tempt you.

Revise hard tonight. Remember books tomorrow.

Miss O

Great Of Mice and Men Revision Guide

Take a look at the following Of Mice and Men revision guide. Loads of great stuff to do with context and great chapter by chapter guide if you still feel uncertain of the plot. A brilliant resource.

http://issuu.com/ollymacnamee/docs/project1/1

Miss O

Nice video about Poppies

Take a look at this video featuring the poet Jane Weir talking about her poem Poppies. If you do not feel confident about this poem, then take a look!

Poetry revision after school on Wednesday.

Miss O

The Woman in Black and Of Mice and Men exam on Tuesday

Year 11 – Tuesday is the first English Literature exam. This is on The Woman in Black and Of Mice and Men – you must bring  your books!                                                

Last minute revision advice:

• Read old posts on sections you aren’t confident with.
• Perhaps try just one more question – you never know it might come up! Why not try the Curley extract (on red paper)?
• Reread the book – the more you read it, the more confident you will be. You might just read one chapter!
• Attend the revision session on Monday (3.35-4.30 in E1). I will go over everything for the exam.

Remember:

• Interesting interpretations – perhaps a range of readings.
• Carefully selected quotes (zoom in).
• Language, structure and form (especially the ghost story genre).
• 1930s context for part b – but link it to the text. What is Steinbeck saying about 1930s America?

If I don’t see you before Tuesday – good luck. Let’s pray to the exam gods for nice questions! I’ll be in E1 all Monday and Tuesday morning if any one needs to see me!

Miss O

Act 1 Scene 5 and Sonnet 18

Year 10 – as you know, I am not in school tomorrow. So please work on:

1. Redraft of Act 1 Scene 1/Sonnet 147 paragraph – use my feedback/blog post to help.
2. Paragraph comparing Act 1 Scene 5 and Sonnet 18 – use class notes from yesterday/below information to help.
3. Prologue paragraph.

You need to complete all of the above tasks in lesson – complete for homework, due in Monday 19 May. Print off and bring to class.

How does Shakespeare present love in Act 1 Scene 5 and Sonnet 18?

Here’s your work from today:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Help with a paragraph on Act 1 Scene 5 and Sonnet 18:

• Answer the above question – use the PQEL structure or your own structure if you feel confident.
• You will need to show how the two texts are similar and also how/why they are different in relation to the theme of love.
• Use the sentence starters below if you are unsure how to structure your ideas.
• Print off work at the end of the lesson.

In both Romeo and Juliet and Sonnet 18 Shakespeare presents love similarly/differently …

Love is shown to be ….

The characters are seen to be …

This can be seen in the use of ….

A key quote to show this is…

Shakespeare is suggesting …

As a modern audience we can interpret this as…

The use of (language/technique)…

The use of religious imagery suggests…

Shakespeare’s use of an extended metaphor…

 

Links between the two texts

Act 1 Scene 5	Sonnet 18
About love at first sight.Love at first sight is based on appearance.Romeo is awestruck by Juliet’s beauty (Rosaline vanishes from his mind – love at first sight or a shallow boy?)	About an established love in which he has admiration for his beloved.Focus on appearance/beauty – Shakespeare obsesses over his love’s beauty.
Romeo and Juliet communicate through a sonnet. 14 lines, alternate rhyming scheme, rhyming couplet.Rhyming couplet results in the kiss.	14 lines, alternate rhyming scheme, rhyming coupletRhyming couplet states that beauty and love will defy time because of the sonnet.
Religious imagery “good pilgrim”“holy shrine””pray””sin” – link to the era.	Nature imagery “summer’s day”“rough winds””darling buds””eye of heaven…golden complexion” – link to precious jewel in A1 S5 and “Juliet is the sun” in Act 2 Scene 2.
Extended metaphor Love compared to religion	Extended metaphor Love compared to weather
Immortality after death Romeo and Juliet – live on forever together (social context – Catholic belief) and in their societies memory;	Immortality after death Sonnet 18: lives on in the fame and reverence of Shakespeare.

Good websites to look at:

Light and Dark in Romeo and Juliet

 

 

See you Monday.

Miss O

Need to see three Year 11 students tomorrow – please read!

Year 11 –

I need to see Scott T, Michael Y and Myles T tomorrow. If you read this please come and see me tomorrow either before your exam or after, I will be in E1/English block from 8am. I need to see you about Literature/Language – nothing to worry about. If you read this and will see these students please tell them to come and see me!

The following students from other Year 11 classes also need to find their English teacher tomorrow to sign some key documents. Again if you know/see the students please please please tell them to head over the English or find their teacher at some point tomorrow!

AS’s Group – Harry B, Matty C, Jonny M, Josh N, Alex NG, Joe Y

BW’s Group – Peter W, Josh R, Harvey L, Jacob L

SJO’s Group – Adam D, Reece L, Rob J, Brody

CLS Group – Josh L, Joe E, Dan C, Ruari, Dan Y, Sam O

DT’s Group – Kieran B, Joe D, Harry F, Matthew G, Will M, Lloyd, Alex W

Thank you!

 

Thank you!

Revision tomorrow

Just a reminder for Year 11 students –  Of Mice and Men revision session after school tomorrow (Wednesday 14/05) in E1.

Hopefully see you there!
Miss O

Act 1 Scene 1 and Sonnet 147

For the last few lessons we have been comparing the theme of love in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Sonnet 147. We have specifically looked at the character of Romeo in Act 1 Scene 1 and the speaker in Sonnet 147.

In Act 1 Scene 1, through a conversation between Benvolio and Romeo, we discover that Romeo is depressed; he is ‘out of [Rosaline’s] favour’ – that is, she is not in love with him. Romeo displays lovesickness, whilst the object of his love adopts a cool attitude towards him. Benvolio tells Romeo to ‘examine other beauties’ – an idea which Romeo rejects – ironic because it is precisely what he does do! Consider why Shakespeare has included so much detail, at this point of the play, to show the audience how deeply Romeo is in love with Rosaline. Why is this important in terms of structure? 

The next link has a basic overview and some analysis of Act 1 Scene 1. You may wish to use to help your understanding of the scene: Spark Notes Act 1 Scene 1

Shakespeare uses oxymorons to present Romeo as ‘confused’ due to his unrequited love. An oxymoron is a phrase containing two contradictory words. The effect is often to show a conflict of feelings. We can link this to Sonnet 147 and the idea of the speaker being ‘frantic mad’.

‘O brawling love! O loving hate!

O anything of nothing first create!

O heavy lightness, serious vanity!

Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms!

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!’ (1.1, 175-182)

The following link explores the character of Romeo and his ‘loves’: Romeo and his loves and this video explores the use of oxymorons:

Act 1 Scene 1 also uses disease imagery – offering a direct link to Sonnet 147. Romeo could be considered ill because has has been rejected by Rosaline. In Act 1 Scene 1 he makes reference to a will and a ‘sick man’ – one interpretation could be that Romeo feels he is so ‘ill’ he may die, another interpretation could be that Romeo simply feels the pain of a dying man. Could Shakespeare be presenting to theme of love in any other way here?

‘Bid a sick man in sadness make his will –

A word ill urged to one that is so ill’ (1.1, 193-194)

Later on in Act 1 Scene 2 Benvolio tells Romeo that love is like an eye infection and the only way for the old infection to die (Rosaline) is to get a new infection, or new love; Juliet.

‘Take thou some new infection to thy eye,

And the rank poison of the old will die’ (1.2, 48-49)

In Sonnet 147 present the speaker in a disturbed state as he realises that he is too far in love. The speaker/poet cannot distance himself from his lover and his reasoning begins to fail him. Shakespeare uses a metaphor to compare love to a disease, from which he cannot escape. Take a look at this website for further help: Good stuff on Sonnet 147. Also take a look at this line by line analysis if you are struggling with your interpretations:

Use this to help you during Friday’s lesson.

Miss O