Year 11 - English
'Romeo and Juliet': exploring Juliet's character and conceptualising agency
Romeo and Juliet: Juliet and female agency
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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 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 characterisation in 'Romeo and Juliet' relates to ideas of the patriarchy and female agency.
Key Notes
- In a patriarchal society, women's choices were restricted and they were expected to marry and bear children.
- Arguably, Shakespeare's structuring of 'Romeo and Juliet' conforms to the notion that men had precedence over women.
- Furthermore, Juliet's interactions with her surroundings could represent the restricted nature of women's lives.
- Our first and last impression of Juliet is around her marriage which could imply that women were defined by marriage.
- Considering agency is important because it allows us to consider the power dynamics in society.
Vocabulary To Learn
- patriarchal: relating to or denoting a system of society or government controlled by men
- agency: the capacity of an individual to act independently from others and to make their own free choices
- precedence: the condition of being considered more important than someone or something else
- subservient: less important; subordinate
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Women were completely powerless in patriarchal societies.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
In a patriarchal society, women's choices were restricted and they were expected to marry and bear children. Arguably, Shakespeare's structuring of 'Romeo and Juliet' conforms to the notion that men had precedence over women.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'patriarchal'
relating to or denoting a system of society or government controlled by men.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Women were completely powerless in patriarchal societies. Correction: While women's lives were restricted, they were not completely powerless.
More Lessons In This Unit
- 'Romeo and Juliet': exploring ideas of sex and forgiveness in Act 3, Scene 2 Study Guide
- 'Romeo and Juliet': exploring Juliet's agency in Act 4, Scene 1 Study Guide
- 'Romeo and Juliet': exploring Juliet's agency in Act 4, Scene 3 Study Guide
- 'Romeo and Juliet': exploring Juliet's agency in Act 5, Scene 3 Study Guide
- 'Romeo and Juliet': Juliet's agency in Act 1, Scene 5 and Act 2, Scene 2 Study Guide
- 'Romeo and Juliet': using tentative language to write about writer's intentions Study Guide
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