Romeo and Juliet: Act III

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

In Act II, you saw Romeo and Juliet fall in love.

Write a brief one-paragraph summary of the plot of Act II and share it with your teacher or parent.

Before reading Act III, it is necessary to define some vocabulary from the scene, since Shakespeare was known for usng a wide vocabulary in his plays. Using the following list, look up each word in a dictionary and write down the definition. You can use Dictionary.com or another dictionary of your choice. After writing down the definitions for the vocabulary in Act III, write a sentence for each word, using it correctly within the sentence's context. Once you have finished the definitions and the sentences, share them with your teacher or parent. Have him or her check the sentences to see if each word is used correctly, based on the definitions:

Act III vocabulary

After you have had your parent or teacher check your sentences, you are ready to begin reading Act III. I recommend you use the following version of Romeo and Juliet, because it is a revised version that normalizes the spelling of words and includes line numbers. You can also use another version of the text, as long as it is the complete, full text. The recommended text is:

• The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet from the Folger Shakespeare Library

Remember to read the act aloud so you can hear the speeches as dialogue. To help inspire your reading, watch the following Act 3 Scene 5 — Romeo and Juliet — Royal Shakespeare Company clip from Act III, Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet, performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company. If you prefer to follow along with a text, the video clip begins with line 117 from Act III, Scene 5:

Once you have finished watching the scene, you can begin reading Act III. When you've finished the act, move on to the Got It? section to assess your comprehension of the scenes.