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Year 11 - English

'Romeo and Juliet': exploring ideas of sex and forgiveness in Act 3, Scene 2

Romeo and Juliet: Juliet and female agency

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils explore the presentation of Juliet's agency in 'Romeo and Juliet'. After recapping Juliet's character and conceptualising agency, they look at five scenes through the prism of Juliet's agency. At the end, they learn how to use tentative language to write about female agency.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how Juliet's language around sex and forgiveness relate to ideas of female agency.

Key Notes

  • Female sexual desire was frowned upon in Elizabethan England.
  • Juliet's language around sex implies that she anticipates pleasure and wants to take an active role.
  • However, Juliet's comparison to a child at the end of her speech about sex may undermine her agency.
  • After finding out Romeo killed Tybalt, Juliet's initial reaction is one of anger.
  • We may see Juliet's forgiveness as her exerting agency or bowing to societal pressure to forgive her husband.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • female agency: the ability of the female characters to take action and make their own decisions that affect their lives
  • consummated: make (a marriage or relationship) complete by having sexual intercourse
  • transactional: relating to the conducting of business, especially buying or selling
  • infantalisation: treat (someone) as a child or in a way which denies their maturity in age or experience
  • submissive: ready to conform to the authority or will of others; meekly obedient or passive

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • That forgiveness is always a personal choice.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

Female sexual desire was frowned upon in Elizabethan England. Juliet's language around sex implies that she anticipates pleasure and wants to take an active role.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'female agency'

the ability of the female characters to take action and make their own decisions that affect their lives.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: That forgiveness is always a personal choice. Correction: Sometimes people feel societal pressure to forgive someone.

More Lessons In This Unit

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