Let s play the blame game Year level: 9

Let s play the blame game Year level: 9 by Julie Riley, St Augustine s College, Vic R9530 'Leave us alone' by Mel Stringer. With permission of Mel Stringer. Reproduced courtesy of Express Media. About the unit Unit description In this unit students will be introduced to Shakespeare, his life, some of his works and his language. Particular focus will be given to Romeo and Juliet. The unit culminates with a classroom court scene, with students deciding who is to blame for Juliet s death. Knowledge, understandings, skills, values Students will understand the language and drama of Shakespearean plays Students will analyse a play Students relate the issues within a Shakespearean play to issues teenagers have today. Focus questions Why is Shakespeare still popular, centuries after his death? Is Shakespeare relevant in the 21st century? Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 1

Resources The Le@rning Federation digital curriculum resources R10561 Romeo + Juliet, 1996: A dangerous solution R10560 Romeo + Juliet, 1996: Capulets and Montagues Internet sites Shakespearean insult kit: http://www.pangloss.com/seidel/shake_rule.html BBC s 60 second Shakespeare : http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/shakespeare/60secondshakespeare/watch/ Print Primary text: Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare (your preferred edition) Secondary texts: The Shakespeare Book, R Baines, Oxford University Press, 2006 Other resources Assorted dramatic props such as fake moustache, hat, glasses, or apron A3 paper and coloured markers Romeo and Juliet song by Dire Straits A Shakespeare masterclass by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie from the Cellar tapes Available on DVD in the second series of A bit of Fry and Laurie Pink tights and plenty of props skit by Rowan Atkinson. Available on DVD in Rowan Atkinson live! 'A small rewrite' sketch made for Comic Relief, with Hugh Laurie as Shakespeare and Rowan Atkinson as the editor Romeo + Juliet, directed by Baz Luhrmann, 1996 Attached printable resources The following teacher-created learning resources referred to in the Unit of work are available for you to modify, print and use in your own teaching and learning context: Moved synopsis Moved synopsis script Prologue A trio of sonnets The balcony scene Romeo s speech (Act 1:5:43-52) Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 2

Teaching the unit Setting the scene Resources Shakespearean insult kit: http://www.pangloss.com/seidel/shake_rule.html Moved synopsis (page12) Moved synopsis script (page 13) Dramatic props A3 paper and markers Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits A Shakespeare masterclass by Fry and Laurie Teaching and learning activities Shakespeare? You ve got to be joking! Explain to students that they are going to be studying a play by Shakespeare. (Wait for the boos to die down.) Direct students to make a line across the room from Really excited to be studying Shakespeare through to I would rather watch paint dry than study Shakespeare. Simply state that Shakespeare is everywhere. Many authors borrow Shakespeare s plots (eg A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, Mama Day by Gloria Naylor); children s television shows rework his ideas (Wishbone, Duck Tales); television shows allude to his work (Star Trek, Frasier); cartoonists play with the Bard s words (Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield); he is referred to in films (Renaissance Man, Clueless); and advertisements borrow his snappier phrases for captions and voice-overs. Students miss out on a lot if they are not Shakespeare-literate. As a class, discuss: Does Shakespeare have any relevance to today? What does anyone here know about Shakespeare? Who finds Shakespeare easy to read? Who can quote anything from Shakespeare? The language of the Bard Display following website on an overhead: http://www.pangloss.com/seidel/shake_rule.html Have students use this and write out five good insults. Then in partners, ask them to use their new insults to take turns to verbally abuse their partner. Try that again with another partner. As a class, discuss how they feel now. Play to the class the Dire Straits song, Romeo and Juliet. This track is an example that there are references to and influences from the Bard s work everywhere. Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 3

Students will learn the basics of iambic pentameter by studying the rhythm of blank verse orally, aurally, visually and kinesthetically. Explain the idea of feet, the smallest repeating rhythmic units. (In Shakespeare s case, the iamb is the metrical foot.) Also teach the word iamb, a foot of two syllables with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Introduce students to the term iambic pentameter. Have the students puzzle out the meaning through analysis of the component parts meter, iambic and penta. Have students repeat a line of five I ams with the emphasis on the am syllable. Explain that this is one way to remember the iambic rhythm. Practise saying some sentences that begin with I AM in a weak-strong pattern: I AM a great student; I AM going to be nice to my dad. To really feel the iambic rhythm, get students up on their feet and say the next line: I am a soldier with a wooden leg, dragging their wooden legs on the unstressed syllables and stepping strongly on the stressed syllables. Have students draw parentheses around the iambs and note that some divide in the middle of words: meter is about sound, not spelling. Finally, have students write their own iambic pentameter lines in pairs, as a conversation. After a few minutes, have some of the pairs perform their conversations. Be sure they understand how the meter works in this blank verse. What do teenagers know about life? Watch Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie from the Footlights Revue in A Shakespeare masterclass. This is a wonderful example of taking Shakespeare and acting too seriously. Shakespeare s work is to be enjoyed, relished not give you an ache in the buttocks! Using A3 paper make three signs: Agree, Disagree and Undecided. Pin these up on three different walls around the classroom. Explain to students that you will write a statement on the board related to teenage issues. They are to read the statement and then decide whether they agree or not. They should then stand near the sign that shows their opinion. Stress that it is very important they stand up for their opinion and not follow the crowd. When everyone has moved to their point of view there will be an opportunity for debate. Statements that could be used: Teenagers do not have enough experience to understand love. Most teenagers are irresponsible. Adults make better decisions than teenagers. All teenagers like to belong to a group or a gang. Teenagers commit more violent crimes than adults. There is a lot of prejudice against teenagers. Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 4

Moved synopsis Allocate parts to students and where possible give a small prop (eg a moustache, hat, glasses or apron). Using the Moved synopsis (page 12) and Moved synopsis script (pages 13 and 14), read the story to the class and ask relevant actors to play their parts and read their lines. Print and hand out the lines. (Ensure there is one line per page in big print so everyone can see it.) After this activity ask the students to retell the story. Can they remember any of the lines? Can they think of any modern films that have a similar story? Investigating Resources Romeo and Juliet, (your preferred edition) Prologue (page 14) A trio of sonnets (page 15) Pink tights and plenty of props skit by Rowan Atkinson The balcony scene (page 16) Teaching and learning activities Exploring sonnets Distribute copies of A trio of sonnets (page 15) to the class. Explain that Shakespearean sonnets are highly structured poems of 14 lines with the ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme. Each line is written in iambic pentameter. Briefly revise iambic pentameter. Read through the sonnets and discuss the possible meanings for each. Read one sonnet aloud while the students tap their palms against their desks to the iambic pentameter. Once they understand the meter, students should push desks to the corners of the room (or move to an open space) and sit in a circle on the floor. Explain that everyone will tap out an original iambic pentameter sentence, one at a time. Give an example, such as: Today I think I ll see some students; great! Ask for volunteers, and remind students that the lesson is a learning process and no one is expected to be an expert. If someone gets stuck, encourage the class to help out. Everyone should have a go. Ask the students to return to their desks and take out a blank sheet of paper. Have them number lines from 1 to 14 on the extreme right hand side of the page. Ask a volunteer to give you a word, and have students write that word at the end of line 1. Ask for another word for line 2 write this at the end of line 2. Then, for line 3, solicit a word that rhymes with line 1. Line 4 must likewise rhyme with line 2. Continue this way, rhyming lines 5 and 7, 6 and 8, 9 and 11, 10 and 12. Lines 13 and 14 must rhyme with each other. Students now write a sonnet using these rhyming words that appear at the end of each line. Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 5

Students can work on this individually or in pairs, depending on the confidence of the students in the class. These sonnets will be read aloud to the class. Encourage the class to be humorous and creative. Complete these sonnets for homework. The prologue is Shakespeare a party pooper for giving away the ending? Read aloud the sonnets from the previously set homework. When students read their sonnets aloud, encourage raucous applause. Now we re getting into the spirit of the Globe Theatre experience! Hand out copies of the prologue from Romeo and Juliet (page 14). Read the prologue aloud, changing speakers at the end of each line. Remind the students of the basic sonnet form and discuss any vocabulary questions. Divide students into pairs. One student should underline any words that have to do with love while the other underlines words that refer to fighting. (If possible, have students underline references to love in one colour, and fighting in another.) Then, have the students discuss: Are there more words about love or more about fighting? Why? Reconvene the class and project the prologue text on an overhead. Work through the prologue with the students colour-coding to help emphasise the point that Shakespeare's prologue about star-crossed lovers has far more words about fighting than about love. What do the students make of the emphasis on violence? Does the emphasis on violence change how they feel the play will develop? Now, circle every example of the word two in the prologue. The play starts with the word! How does the word two relate to love and fighting? Shakespeare gives away the ending of the play. Does including this spoiler ruin the suspense? For homework the students should write a prologue for any book they have read or film they have watched. Will they give away the ending for their prologue? Why or why not? The balcony scene figuratively speaking Show students the Rowan Atkinson clip, Pink tights and plenty of props. Luckily we won t be wearing pink tights for these activities, so there s a blessing! Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 6

Break students up into groups of three. Give each group a line of figurative language from the balcony scene, written on an index card. (Refer to The balcony scene on page 16). Each group has three minutes to plan how they will represent the ideas as charades for the rest of the class. Put the lines up on an overhead. When the students are ready, have each small group act out its line, while the rest of the class guesses which line is being portrayed. Wrap up with a discussion on the power of the images in the balcony scene. Ask the students to identify specific examples of different figures of speech. Ask the students to identify the speaker of each line, Romeo or Juliet. Then see if the students can successfully sequence the lines written on the board. Bringing it all together Resources Romeo + Juliet, 1996 'A small rewrite' sketch with Hugh Laurie and Rowan Atkinson Romeo s speech (act 1:5:43-52) BBC s 60 second Shakespeare : http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/shakespeare/60secondshakespeare/watch/ The Shakespeare Book, R Baines Teaching and learning activities Watching a contemporary film of the play Over two lessons, watch Baz Luhrmann s Romeo + Juliet as a class. Getting into character Students will be looking closely at the thoughts, actions, and possible motivations of the major characters in Romeo and Juliet. Divide the class into groups or pairs. Assign each group a character from the play: Romeo Juliet Lady Capulet Lady Montague Lord Capulet Lord Montague Friar Laurence Mercutio Tybalt Nurse Paris Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 7

Each group chooses one member to be their representative of the character. For example, if one group is assigned Romeo, the group decides who will be Romeo in the discussion. The group is responsible for discussing the actions, thoughts, feelings, and motivations of the character based on the film and previous class discussion so that their representative will be able to speak, react, and become the character. Have the groups discuss: How will the character enter the stage? What will his/her general attitude be? How would he/she respond to any obvious question? What questions would he/she ask? The representative should have answers to these in mind. Allow at least 30 minutes for students to prepare. Have these rules up on an overhead or large paper during the discussion: All the characters must speak at least three times No character may cut off another character Only one character speaks at a time Students must remain in character. Have all the characters sit on stage facing the rest of the class (the audience). Pick a student to be the host to introduce the characters and/or moderate the discussion. The host should prompt one character to speak. If the discussion ever comes to a lull, the moderator can interject by asking the characters to consider a particular situation. This could be contextual or a modern day situation but must be relevant to the character (eg do not ask Juliet a parenting question because she does not have children). Conclude with some debriefing and reflection. Discuss with your class: If you portrayed a character, how did you feel on stage? What did you feel you did well? Where could you have improved? As an audience member, did you feel your representative portrayed the character accurately? What did they do well? What were some areas they could improve? Was there anything your group could have done differently to prepare? Which were the most difficult questions to answer? Why? Did the audience feel the representatives remained true to their characters? Why or why not? Were there differences between the characters in the text and those in the interpretation? Did you learn anything new from this activity? Students to remember which groups they were in as there will be follow up activities. Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 8

If I ve told you once I ve told you a thousand times, don t exaggerate! Show the students the 'A small rewrite' sketch. Would Shakespeare s plays have been so enduring if they had been subjected to savage editing? Hand out the speech (page 17) from Romeo when he gatecrashes Capulet s party and describes Juliet s beauty. Initially, the class read this out loud together as a chorus. Next, pair the students up and have them take alternate lines. Firstly they should read the speech straight. Guide the students to continue as pairs, but direct the emotions or emphasis they are to use when reading (eg sad, arrogant, frightened, indifferent, constipated, loud, hurried). How does this change the meaning and/or delivery for them? Return students to their groups from the Getting into character exercises. Students choose some text spoken by their character (at least eight lines where possible). The group is to choose which emotion this text will be acted out in to the class. Give students time to practise this in their groups. Groups then perform in front of class. How do students feel about their allocated character are they starting to get a feel for them? Does the script start to feel natural when you try it in different ways? Don t be a drama queen Play a drama warm-up/energiser. For example, everyone walks around the room and responds to the commands that are gradually introduced: stop, start, fast, slow, jump, wiggle. They then respond with the reverse of the command (eg they stop when they hear the command start ). Students move into groups of four. Each group is given a hypothetical location (see below for examples). With no preparation the group must improvise a scene in the given location. The scene ends in the death of one of the characters. Suggest that the scene start with two performers with the others gradually joining in as the scene develops. Do not decide in advance who is going to die, just let that develop from the action. The death(s) must be varied and very dramatic. The scene should not last longer than one minute. Location suggestions: a launderette, a library, a fast food shop, a telephone box, a courtroom, a police station, a footy changing room, or a supermarket. Romeo and Juliet: in a minute! Choose two 60 second Shakespeare performances of Romeo and Juliet from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/shakespeare/60secondshakespeare/watch/. Play them to the class. Have the class form into groups of five. Students should choose five significant plot points from Romeo and Juliet and create five freeze-frames of those plot points. When they are performed, the other students need to guess which part of the play is being represented. In the same groups, students should perform the complete play in 60 seconds. Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 9

Extension activity If the class needs more time getting to know the play and the dramatic context, you might consider engaging the class in the Entrances activity on page 88 of The Shakespeare Book by R Baines. Drawing conclusions Teaching and learning activities Preparing for your day in court Students will be demonstrating their understanding of the play, and deciding who is guilty of the death of Juliet. In their character groups, students prepare their defence to prove their character s innocence of the death of Juliet. They may wish to prepare lines from the play to help them. (Allocate main characters to students or pairs as appropriate.) Choose five students, three of whom should be judges, and the other two to be a defence lawyer and a prosecution lawyer. The latter must prepare their position, and the judges need to decide what they are looking for. Students may bring props and costumes for the actual trial if they wish. They may use their prepared lines from the script. Explain that there cannot be any calling out or students will be in contempt of court. Characters on the stand are chosen from the character groups and they may take advice from their lawyers (other students in their group) but they must ask for that advice and the advice must be whispered to them. At the conclusion of hearing all evidence the judges decide who is guilty. Did the class agree with the decision? What evidence persuaded them? Rewind As a class, repeat the exercise from the beginning of the unit where students stood on a line depending on what they thought of Shakespeare. Have they moved along the continuum? Assessment Tasks that could be used as assessment opportunities include: end of unit court scene assess student s performance in court scene and relevance to character contribution to group discussions questions asked during class. Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 10

Writer: Julie Riley The material in this unit of work may contain links to internet sites maintained by entities not connected to Education Services Australia Ltd and which it does not control ( Sites ). Education Services Australia Ltd: provides the links for ease of reference only and it does not sponsor, sanction or approve of any material contained on the Sites; and does not make any warranties or representations as to, and will not be liable for, the accuracy or any other aspect of the material on the Sites or any other matter connected to the use of the Sites. While the material in this unit of work is not remunerable under Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968, material on the Sites may be remunerable under Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968. It is your responsibility to read and comply with any copyright information, notices or conditions of use which apply to a Site. Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 11

Moved synopsis Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare As soon as the play begins it is clear that there is a violent dispute in the city of Verona. The war is between two families whose hatred for one another is old and bitter. We hear them fighting: [1] [2] The Prince, who wants peace, tells them: [3] Then we meet ROMEO, who is a Montague. We find out he s in love but with ROSALINE, not with JULIET. His friends, BENVOLIO and MERCUTIO, find him moping about and decide to gatecrash the Capulet party to cheer him up. Benvolio tells Romeo: [4], and forget Rosaline. At the party Romeo takes Benvolio s advice and sees Juliet: [5]. They manage to dance together and even kiss. She says: [6] It is not until the end of the party that Romeo and Juliet realise they are enemies. But they don t feel like enemies. Romeo manages to give his mates the slip and then climbs over the walls of the Capulet s garden. Juliet s bedroom window opens out onto this garden. Romeo sees her there and says: [7] They get to talk to one another, and arrange to meet the next day. Then Juliet has to leave because her NURSE is calling her and Romeo says: [8] Juliet explains that there s nothing they can do that night, so Romeo leaves and enlists the help of his friend FRIAR LAURENCE to get married. Romeo and Juliet marry in secret. Meanwhile the feud continues. TYBALT, Juliet s cousin, is looking for Romeo because he saw him crash the Capulet party, but Mercutio takes him on instead: [9] They fight and Mercutio gets killed. In anger, Romeo kills Tybalt, his wife s cousin, and Romeo says: [10] The Prince banishes Romeo to Mantua, but before he leaves Romeo and Juliet spend the night together. In the morning she says: [11] Once Romeo has left for Mantua, Juliet finds out her father, Mr Capulet, has arranged for her to marry the Count PARIS. Her father says: [12] Juliet is desperate to get out of the marriage with Paris and asks Friar Laurence for help. He devises a plan. Juliet will take a potion that makes her look like she s dead when she s only really asleep. Juliet agrees and takes the potion: [13] It works. Juliet is found by her family in the morning: [14] Romeo, now in Mantua, hears and believes that Juliet is dead. He decides to see Juliet one last time and buys poison on his way back to Verona. Romeo isn t the only one on his way to the tomb. Paris goes to mourn his almost wife. Friar Laurence goes to get Juliet when her potion wears off. Romeo arrives at the same time as Paris and kills him. Paris says: [15] Then Romeo takes poison himself: [16] Then Friar Laurence arrives, finds Juliet, and tries to console her, saying: [17] But Juliet kills herself instead. Romeo and Juliet are found in the tomb by their families, who finally see that their quarrels have gone too far. They vow to make peace because: [18] Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 12

Moved synopsis script from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare 1. Down with the Capulets! 2. Down with the Montagues! 3. If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit. 4. Examine other beauties. 5. O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright. 6. You kiss by th'book. 7. But soft what light through yonder window breaks? 8. O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied? 9. Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk? 10. O, I am fortune's fool! 11. Then, window, let day in, and let life out. 12. Hang thee young baggage! Disobedient wretch. 13. Romeo! Here's drink I drink to thee! 14. Alack the day, she's dead, she's dead, she's dead! 15. O, I am slain! 16. Here's to my love!... Thus with a kiss I die. 17. I'll dispose of thee among a sisterhood of holy nuns. 18. Never was a story of more woe, Than this of Juliet and her Romeo. Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 13

Prologue from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Two households, both alike in dignity (In fair Verona, where we lay our scene), From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents strife. The fearful passage of their death-marked love And the continuance of their parents rage, Which, but their children s end, naught could remove, Is now the two hours traffic of our stage; The which, if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. Underline any words that have to do with love and with fighting. Is the play going to be more about love or more about fighting? Now, circle every example of the word two. What is the significance of this word? Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 14

A trio of sonnets Three sonnets by William Shakespeare Sonnet XXVII Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed, The dear respose for limbs with travel tir'd; But then begins a journey in my head To work my mind, when body's work's expired: For then my thoughts--from far where I abide-- Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee, And keep my drooping eyelids open wide, Looking on darkness which the blind do see: Save that my soul's imaginary sight Presents thy shadow to my sightless view, Which, like a jewel (hung in ghastly night, Makes black night beauteous, and her old face new. Lo! thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind, For thee, and for myself, no quiet find. Sonnet LVII Being your slave what should I do but tend, Upon the hours, and times of your desire? I have no precious time at all to spend; Nor services to do, till you require. Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour, Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you, Nor think the bitterness of absence sour, When you have bid your servant once adieu; Nor dare I question with my jealous thought Where you may be, or your affairs suppose, But, like a sad slave, stay and think of nought Save, where you are, how happy you make those. So true a fool is love, that in your will, Though you do anything, he thinks no ill. Sonnet CXVI Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark, That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me prov'd, I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd. Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 15

The balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Print out the following and cut it in to strips. Give one strip to each group. But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words of thy tongue's uttering, yet I know the sound With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls There lies more peril in thine eyes than twenty of their swords I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes It is too rash... like the lightning which doth cease to be ere one can say it lightens This bud of love, by summer s ripening breath, may prove a beauteous flower My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books, but love from love toward school with heavy looks Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 16

Romeo s speech from Romeo and Juliet (Act 1:5:43 52) Read out loud together as a class. Next, take turns with your partner reading alternate lines to each other. Thirdly, try reading aloud using different feelings, for example: sad, arrogant, frightened, indifferent, constipated, loud, hurried. O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night As a rich jewel in an Ethiop s ear Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear: So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, As yonder lady o er her fellow shows. The measure done, I ll watch her place of stand, And touching hers, make blesséd my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? foreswear it, sight! For I ne er saw true beauty till this night. Let s play the blame game by Julie Riley, St Augustine's College, Vic 17