How do we interpret Shakespeare's use of wordplay?

Text: Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 5, lines 95-112

Materials:

• Lines 95-112 copied on a single page, writ large.
• The Sourcebook Shakespeare CD, track 6

Development of Learning Activity:

1. Read lines 95-112 with two actors (students)
2. Listen to excerpt from CD
3. Discuss the play on words

• What does Romeo compare his lips to? (Pilgrims)
• What are pilgrims?
• Who is the "holy shrine"? (Juliet)
• Profane means...? (let students come up with definition, offer the word profanity if they seem stuck)
• Romeo is trying to do what to Juliet? (kiss her!) Identify a line that shows this. ("Let lips do what hands do.")
• What lines tell us that Romeo was successful in getting a kiss out of Juliet? (lines 109-110)
• Compare this "wooing" to what happens now.
  • Do people talk like this now to get a kiss? What do they say? Why do we say sweet things when we're trying to get a kiss (or something else/more)?
  • How do you think Juliet felt about what Romeo was saying? Would she have given him a kiss if he had just demanded one?

Assessment:

• Students will demonstrate understanding by participating in class discussion and asking questions. (Short term)
• Students will succesfully interpret other instances of wordplay, independently or in groups. (Long term)

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