Year 11 - English
'Romeo and Juliet': contextualising violence and honour in Elizabethan society
Romeo and Juliet: the integral role of violence and honour to masculinity
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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 look at the interplay between violence, honour, and masculinity in 'Romeo and Juliet'. They look at key scenes, and what they reveal about key male characters, before finally looking at how to use context and quotations effectively in an analytical essay.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain the role of violence and honour in Elizabethan society.
Key Notes
- 'Romeo and Juliet' opens and ends with acts of violence.
- Exposure to violence would have been a reality in Elizabethan England.
- By staging the fights in daylight, Shakespeare implies violence was acceptable in society.
- Honour was a central aspect of men's identities in Elizabethan England.
- Arguably, we might see honour as something that must be proven in public.
Vocabulary To Learn
- masculinity: qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men or boys
- honour: a quality that combines respect, being proud, and honesty
- stereotype: a set idea that people have about what someone or something is like
- dominant: to be in control; to be powerful
- duel: a contest with deadly weapons arranged between two people in order to settle a point of honour
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- That everyone considers 'Romeo and Juliet' to be about love.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
'Romeo and Juliet' opens and ends with acts of violence. Exposure to violence would have been a reality in Elizabethan England.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'masculinity'
qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men or boys.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: That everyone considers 'Romeo and Juliet' to be about love. Correction: Some critics consider 'Romeo and Juliet' to be primarily about violence and society instead.
More Lessons In This Unit
- 'Romeo and Juliet': honour, violence and masculinity in Act 5, Scene 3 Study Guide
- 'Romeo and Juliet': selecting effective quotations and using context effectively Study Guide
- 'Romeo and Juliet': violence, honour and social hierarchy in Act 1, Scene 5 Study Guide
- 'Romeo and Juliet': violence, masculinity and society in Act 1, Scene 1 Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of violence and honour in Act 3, Scene 1 of 'Romeo and Juliet' Study Guide
- Lord Capulet's honour and violence in Act 3, Scene 5 of 'Romeo and Juliet' Study Guide
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