Year 10 - English
Exploring the conventions of Shakespearean tragedy in 'Romeo and Juliet'
Romeo and Juliet: exploring the role of love and fate
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils read and analyse 'Romeo and Juliet' by focusing on the role of fate. They start by understanding the play's tragedy and the concept of fate, before exploring key characters and themes in detail. They finally prepare and write an essay about the role of fate in the play.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to consider the conventions of Shakespearean tragedies and how 'Romeo and Juliet' meets these conventions.
Key Notes
- A tragedy is a play dealing with tragic events and often ends with a death.
- Shakespearean tragedies conventionally involve a tragic hero with a hamartia.
- Conventionally, Shakespearean tragedies involve supernatural elements and fate which can add discomfort.
- Shakespearean tragedies also involve internal and external conflict as well as a battle of good vs. evil.
- At the end of a tragedy the audience experiences a release of pent up emotions called catharsis.
Vocabulary To Learn
- tragedy: a play dealing with tragic events and often ends with a death
- conventions: a way in which something is usually done
- catharsis: the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions
- tragic hero: the central character of a play, film, etc., depicted as a noble figure who experiences a tragic downfall
- hamartia: a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- That good vs. evil is easy to recognise in characters when reading stories or watching plays.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
A tragedy is a play dealing with tragic events and often ends with a death. Shakespearean tragedies conventionally involve a tragic hero with a hamartia.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'tragedy'
a play dealing with tragic events and often ends with a death.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: That good vs. evil is easy to recognise in characters when reading stories or watching plays. Correction: In tragedies, sometimes a character can embody both good and evil or there could be different perceptions of a character's nature.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Comparing Romeo's love for Juliet with his love for Rosaline Study Guide
- Exploring Benvolio and Mercutio as Romeo's counsellors in Act 1, Scene 4 Study Guide
- Exploring how the prologue sets up the theme of fate in 'Romeo and Juliet' Study Guide
- Exploring Lady Capulet and the Nurse's views on marriage in Act 1, Scene 3 Study Guide
- Exploring Lord Capulet's views on women and marriage in Act 3, Scene 5 Study Guide
- Exploring love and foreshadowing in Act 1, Scene 5 of 'Romeo and Juliet' Study Guide
- Exploring love, masculinity and fate in Act 3, Scene 1 of 'Romeo and Juliet' Study Guide
- Exploring Romeo's unrequited love for Rosaline in 'Romeo and Juliet' Study Guide
- Exploring symbolism in Romeo and Juliet's last meeting in Act 3, Scene 5 Study Guide
- Exploring the development of Romeo and Juliet's relationship in Act 2, Scene 2 Study Guide
- Exploring the role of Friar Lawrence in Act 2, Scene 3 of 'Romeo and Juliet' Study Guide
- Exploring the role of the Nurse and comedy in Act 2, Scene 4 Study Guide
- Planning an essay on the role of fate in Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' Study Guide
- Writing an essay on the role of fate in Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' Study Guide
- Writing analytically about Shakespeare's presentation of Romeo and love Study Guide
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