For many students, Romeo and Juliet is the first experience they have with Shakespeare. And it’s a huge leap for them from what they’ve read in school before. The language is difficult, the cultural context is foreign, and the material looks indecipherable. However, as a teacher, there are steps you
For most students “Romeo and Juliet” is their first exposure to Shakespeare’s language. And if you don’t set them up properly, Shakespeare can seem too difficult and before you’ve gone too far, you’ve lost them. So what’s the best place to begin? It isn’t with Act One. Act One begins
I have taught Romeo and Juliet so many times in my career that I don’t have to read it anymore to teach it (isn’t that a great place to be?) However, there’s always something new to discover in the play. For instance, I read recently that all the good stuff
Is there anything more fun than teaching the balcony scene? We get to expose students to some of the best writing that’s ever been produced in the English language as well as an easily accessible scene with understandable conflict and a little romance. In fact, I find the balcony scene
I’m teaching Romeo and Juliet for the first time in eight years and it’s been a lot of fun to get back into the text with freshmen. One of the great benefits of teaching is getting to know a text really well, and I know Romeo and Juliet well enough
