Romeo and Juliet Extra Credit Assignment
Directions: You will be creating a “soundtrack” to the play. Please use the worksheet that is attached. Fill in all the spaces to receive your extra credit. You must have four songs per act. You must also give an explanation as to why you chose the song that you did. I have provided an example from Of Mice and Men. I have only provided one song per chapter, as this should be sufficient to provide you with a clear understanding of what is expected of you. Your explanations do not need to be as long as the ones in my example, although they might be. My explanations are longer because I only chose one song per chapter. Had I chosen four songs per chapter, I would not have had to explain so much for each song. Your explanations do need to give me a clear understanding of why you chose the song you did. Remember that I may not have heard the song you chose, so you need to make sure you explain what each song is about. Do not assume I know what songs are about! You are still expected to provide four songs per act for the play, for a total of twenty songs. To receive extra credit, you must type in your answers on the given worksheet, print out the sheet, and turn it in on or before the day of your Romeo and Juliet exam.
Of Mice and Men Example:
Chapter / Song Title / Artist / ExplanationOne / “Carry on My Wayward Son” / Kansas / The song is about a traveler that leads a difficult life, and is finally able to “lay [his] weary head to rest”; in this chapter, the reader is introduced to George and Lennie, the main characters, who are migrant workers. They have spent the day (and much of their lives) traveling, and are finally getting to rest after a long, tiresome journey.
Two / “Maneater” / Hall and Oates / This song discusses a woman that is deceitful and uses men for her own personal gain. In this chapter, the readers are introduced to Curley’s wife. When she enters the scene, she blocks the sunlight, and we realize that she will symbolically be an obstacle to George and Lennie obtaining their dream. We later discover that Curley’s wife also uses men to her advantage, and tries to get what she wants from them.
Three / “Mama Said Knock You Out” / LL Cool J / Toward the end of the chapter, Curly begins picking on Lennie because he thinks Lennie is laughing at him. Lennie doesn’t know what to do, and eventually George tells Lennie to fight back. When he does, he shatters Curly’s hand. Thus, the appropriate use of the song which encourages fighting.
Four / Isolation / Alter Bridge / This song discusses the feelings of someone that is disconnected and that has been torn away from society. John Steinbeck uses chapter four not to enhance the plot, but to give the reader a deeper understanding of some of the characters on the ranch, specifically Crooks and Curley’s wife. In doing so, Steinbeck clearly shows the reader the theme of loneliness and isolation that was present during the great depression, as well as the sense of powerlessness is brought to those that were isolated at this time.
Five / “There Will Be a Day” / Jeremy Camp / This is a religious song that discusses the idea that Heaven will be a place with no more suffering. This directly relates to what George tells Lennie in the clearing before he kills him. George tells Lennie that “nobody gonna hurt nobody nor steal from em”, and assures Lennie that “everybody gonna be nice to [him].” This ties directly to what the song discusses in its lyrics.
Romeo and Juliet Extra Credit Worksheet:
Act Number / Song Title / Artist / ExplanationOne
One
One
One
Two
Two
Two
Two
Three
Three
Three
Three
Three
Four
Four
Four
Four
Five
Five
Five
Five