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Romeo and JulietContemporary Techniques to Instruction in the Classroom
Emilie Gregg
Dr. Adkins
SCED 419
INTRODUCTION
Romeo and Juliet, one of William Shakespeare’s more common plays, is highly sought of in instruction to high school students and the curriculum. Students have a better understanding of Romeo and Juliet and many of his other plays because students can relate to the themes, characters, and plot. The themes that are apparent in Romeo and Juliet are much like the themes in the student’s everyday lives: young love, friendship, loyalty, and teenage suicide. Many renditions of this play are modernized, allowing students to understand the play better. When students can relate to a plot, it makes reading much more interesting and fun. The characters are easily recognizable and students can connect with them on a personal level. Students can choose a character and have some understanding of the same issues that they experience.
When using contemporary literary works, modern music and films, alongside Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, understanding the play becomes a more feasible task. Students won’t be discouraged with the aid of novels that they can understand because of the time period, or listen to songs that best describe the same plot as the play. Students can also see how modern writers use the same techniques to develop characters, manipulate language, and create a plot that is similar in structure to the original work. Modern writers have a grasp on how to intrigue the reader into making connections from modern works to the classic tales.
In this chapter, we will explore different literary texts, songs, films, websites and articles to give students and teachers a better understanding of Romeo and Juliet. First, we will examine modern texts that relate to the theme of young love. As well as texts, many songs relate to the same theme, as well as, teenage suicide. Following music, we will examine film and how students can learn how to utilize all media to better understand Shakespeare. We will explore how texts, music, and film relate to instruction of Romeo and Juliet and allow students to make connections based on different forms of media and text. Lastly, we will see how teachers can use various websites and articles to assist them in teaching Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, the time period, and take a look at an interactive way to include students.
ROMEO AND JULIET
Before introducing contemporary texts and corresponding media, let’s review the play of Romeo and Juliet and discuss the most common theme and the reoccurrence of this theme in other modern novels, music, films, and articles and websites. Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet takes place in Verona, Italy, where the story is revolved around the Capulet and Montague families. Their generational feud extends to Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, who meet and fall madly in love. They are soon married in secret, only to find problems to come. To fake her own death to be with Romeo, Juliet turns to Friar Lawrence for a potion. However, the letter that this is a ruse never reaches Romeo, who hears of her death and decides to kill himself next to her grave. Upon her wakening, Juliet sees Romeo dead next to her and finishes the poison to die beside him.
The most common and apparent theme that is talked about and studied upon is that of young love. Romeo and Juliet are only young teenagers when the fall in love. This is one of the elements that make it a great read for students in middle to high school. Students in high school, more so than middle, have a tendency of relating more to this kind of theme because it is something that they can be or will be experiencing as they grow and mature through school. Students have a better understanding and have more interest in novels or plays that they can relate to directly. All of the related materials to Romeo and Juliet are also about the theme of young love, with some connections to the theme of suicide.
ARTICLES
For students who want to research Shakespeare, the time period, Romeo and Juliet the play, or any other elements of the play, the internet is an accessible tool for them to use. There are many Shakespeare websites and articles that can assist students in further learning about any topic under the umbrella of Shakespeare. These two articles, from the “Shakespeare Resource Center” and from “The Literary Network: William Shakespeare”, are similar in the sense that they provide detailed information about Shakespeare and include information for students to use with research. The “Shakespeare Resource Center” can help assist students when researching on Shakespeare’s time period, other plays, his biography, and the way in which he uses language. This article provides a wealth of knowledge on the basics to understanding Shakespeare and is a great tool for students to use when beginning Shakespeare. While, “The Literary Network” article is much the same that it provides information on everything to know about Shakespeare, it dives deeper into Shakespeare and his works. “Shakespeare Resource Center” centers more on the time period of Shakespeare, while the “Literary Network” provides his collection, a background on his life, and many other tools such as a discussion board. However, both of these articles are great tools for the students to use and access for research into Shakespeare and his plays.
NOVELS
Long after Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, there have been novels upon novels that reflect the same themes, have the same plot, similar characters, or just different versions of the same play. Many are more contemporary and modern for students, which gives an appeal that it is relatable. One of the most recent and contemporary novels that is similar to Romeo and Juliet is that of Twilight, written by Stephanie Meyer. This novel is about two unlikely teenagers falling in love despite their different pasts. Bella is irrevocably in love with Edward, who hides the fact that he is a vampire, trying to not fall for Bella, though it is harder than it seems. They find it hard to stay away from each other and the fascination that comes with falling in love with a vampire. Bella is drawn to Edward because she sees more than just the ‘monster’ that he is. Edward falls in love with Bella because her blood ‘smells so sweet’ to him. Their love story has some twists and turns along the way, but much like Romeo and Juliet, they find a way to love each other regardless. Twilight is the first novel of the Twilight Saga. Their love story continues through three more books, growing and deepening in each new book.
Twilight would be a great source to show a modernized Romeo and Juliet. It shows the readers how two people from different backgrounds can find a romance between all the complications, much like that of Romeo and Juliet. This book has been recently famous and popular, showing the students that modern novels can relate to a classical play. Though the ending of the series of Twilight is different than that of Romeo and Juliet, thematically they both target the same issue of young love.
Another novel that is a great source to show young love is Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson. This novel is about two families growing up in California, who are feuding over various events that happened in the past. A father in jail, an accidental murder, and money problems, all fall upon the shoulders of Kait Malone. While under false identity, she falls for the rival family’s son Bram, only allowing her lies to escalate. Finally, the world collapses and the weight of the families’ feud rises beyond her control. However, the novel ends happily, much like the classical love story.
Pearson’s novel is a great text for students to relate back to Shakespeare’s play because it’s accurate in terms of having a similar theme, plot line, and various other elements to show connections back to Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare wrote the play Romeo and Juliet as a tragedy, meanwhile, other versions of the play end happily, not really narrowing the focus on the theme of suicide. Scribbler of Dreams deals with more issues that affect students directly: family problems, money, identity, belonging, whereas those who read Romeo and Juliet only see the one relevant theme of love and the subtheme of suicide.
Along with novels that have similar themes and plots of Romeo and Juliet, there are other tools and texts that can help students with understanding the play. Graphic novels are a great tool to help reluctant readers, but also can assist students in the understanding of the play. Graphic novels put pictures to the words that, especially with Shakespeare, students may have a hard time grasping the meaning. There are many graphic novels that revise Shakespeare’s play into a more simple way to help students with the meaning of the play. Using a graphic novel in the classroom would enhance the student’s understanding of the play and allow them to see a different device to imply the same message. The graphic novel from Sparknotes is a great tool because not only does it provide pictures in sequence with drawings that grab the reader’s attention, but it rewrites the language of the play into more common terms for students to understand clearer. Also included in this graphic novel, much like others, are the same lines of Shakespeare from the original play. This element drives home the point that graphic novels are a good source to help students understand the play.
MUSIC
Different forms of media can deliver the same message as a novel or other form of literary text. Music is a great form to address the issues that many young adults experience. Music is a media tool that students like to use because it is a big part of their lives. In this generation, music has become an escape for young adults because it speaks to them, it lights a fire in them and intrigues them to keep listening. Music can portray many messages, ones from life and death, to love and friendship. There are various kinds of musical mediums that assist students in their everyday lives.
Music can also be a tool inside the classroom. It is a new media that relates to young adults more and more in this generation than in prior periods of time. Audio tracks can convey messages and meaning more than novels or other texts. There is a wide variety of themes and messages that songs portray.
For Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, there were numerous songs that related directly to the name of the play itself. For example, using a song such as “Love Story” by Taylor Swift, tells a tale similar to the one Shakespeare wrote. The lyrics provided below show the resemblance to the actual play. Swift sings of the ball where they meet, the famous late night conversation outside her balcony, and trying to escape to a place where they can finally be alone and in love. This song is a great match to the play because of its very similar story line.
“See the lights
See the party, the ball gowns
I see you make your way through the crowd
And say hello, little did I know
That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles
And my daddy said stay away from Juliet
And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you please don't go, and I said
Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story baby just say yes”
Another song, which takes on a different tone and mood, by The Decemberists, “O Valencia!” speaks of the love story, but also mentions the downfall of the lovers. In this song, the artist’s intention was to take the listener through the journey of Romeo and Juliet’s love. It begins much like the play, acknowledging the differences between them. It flows into waiting for rocks at the window, love written in the stars, and moves into spilled blood on the ground. The song ends like the play, foreshadowing to the illusion that suicide was the result of not being able to be together.
“You belong to the gang
And you say you can’t break away
But I’m here with my hands on my heart
So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we’ll go, we’ll go
Oh, Valencia
With your blood still warm on the ground
Valencia
And I swear to the stars
I’ll burn this whole city down”
Songs are a great way to retell a story, especially one of love. There are many other songs such as the one mentioned above, all expressing the same feelings. Using a song to help teach a lesson on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, there is none better than one that is a pop culture marvel. Music can be a great way to involve students and keep them interested.
FILM
Showing a film in the classroom can be more than just filling time or valuable instruction time. It can be a great time to inform the students of another media to help better understand a certain topic. For Shakespeare, seeing the play performed and seeing the actions, rather than hearing the words and reading the stage directions, students can get a better feel for what the play is really about with visual stimulation. Showing a film in the classroom is actually beneficial, when showing the right film and at the right time. Many teachers show the film at the end of a unit to reiterate the material covered, while other teachers may show the film in the beginning to give a little bit of prior knowledge to the students.
Many modern films can be substituted for just another rendition of a Shakespearean play, for example. Teachers can use other genres of film to show students the differences between film and text. Some of the genres can include, but are not limited to, comedy, drama, and romance.