Romeo and Juliet - Lesson One

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 2

What do you already know about Romeo and Juliet

Lesson Goals

In this lesson, we are going to watch a video about Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. By the end of the lesson you will be able to:

1.  understand the story 
2. Be able to discuss whether you think the story of Romeo and Juliet is relevant to life today?

What was the relationship between Romeo and Juliet?

Look at the statements and rank them from which is the most to which is the least important thing to have in a relationship. 

Now  discuss your answers with a partner, justifying your answers.

Having things in common

Being from the same town/area

Being the same age

Getting on with each other’s family 

Being able to trust each other

Does anyone know what the problem was in Romeo and Juliet's relationship? 

Match the vocabulary with the correct definition a–h with the numbers 1-8

1........ to take place

2........ to step in

3........ to be keen for something

4........ lifeless

5........ in disguise

6............. poison

7........ a priest

8........ a tomb

a. to really want something 

b.to happen

c. wearing different clothes so that people don’t know who you are 

d. a minister of the church who performs ceremonies, like marriage e. to get involved

f.space under the ground or inside a stone building to bury a dead person

g. dead

h. a substance that causes illness or death

learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

Juliet wakes up, sees Romeo dead and kills herself.

Romeo thinks Juliet is really dead. He takes poison.

Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love.

Juliet takes a drug to make people think she’s dead.

The two families make peace.

Romeo and Juliet secretly get married.

The Montagues and the Capulets hate each other.

The Montagues and the Capulets hate each other so much that they ...

1. don't speak to each other.
2. fight whenever they meet.
3. play horrible tricks on each other.

The Capulets organise a party to ...

1. introduce their daughter to a possible husband.
2. introduce Juliet to the Montagues
3. celebrate Juliet's fourteenth birthday.

Romeo and his friends ...

1. watch the party from a safe distance.
2. plan to cause trouble at the party.
3. go to the party in disguise.

When Romeo and Juliet meet

1. they fall in love immediately.
2. they don't like each other at first.
3. Juliet doesn't feel the same way as Romeo.

Romeo and Juliet go to a priest called Friar Lawrence to ...

1. get advice.
2. ask him to persuade their families to make peace.
3. get married.

Romeo kills Tybalt because ...

1. Tybalt wants to stop him seeing Juliet.
2. Tybalt is planning to kill Romeo.
3. Tybalt kills Romeo's best friend.

Juliet’s parents are angry because ...

1. she won’t marry Count Paris.
2. they think she is too friendly with the Montague family.
3. they find out about the secret wedding.

Friar Lawrence says he will help Juliet by ...

1. helping her to escape with Romeo.
2. giving her a drug to make people think she's dead.
3. talking to her parents.

The plan goes wrong because ...

1. Romeo doesn't get Friar Lawrence's message.
2. the drug is too strong.
3. Juliet's family don't believe that she is dead

Romeo drinks poison because ...

1. he thinks Juliet doesn't love him.
2. he knows he has brought shame on his family.
3. he thinks Juliet is dead.

When Juliet wakes up ...

1. she realises she’s trapped in the tomb.
2. she commits suicide.
3. she shouts for help.

In the end, the Montagues and the Capulets ...

1. are united by their loss and make peace.
2. continue fighting until they are all dead.
3. think the tragedy is Friar Lawrence’s fault.

Discussion:

Are Romeo and Juliet’s deaths just a tragic accident? If not, who is responsible? 

Do you think the story of Romeo and Juliet is relevant to life today?

Goals Recap

• You can give some basic information about the story of Romeo and Juliet
• You can  discuss whether you think the story of Romeo and Juliet is relevant to life today?

Adapted from the British Council lesson by Susan Corrigan