Romeo and Juliet

Lesson 7
icon/ela/white

ELA

Unit 11

9th Grade

Lesson 7 of 23

Objective


Explain in a well-crafted essay how Shakespeare and Luhrmann each create mood in act 1, scene 5.

Readings and Materials


  • Movie: Romeo and Juliet (Directed by Baz Luhrmann, 1996)  — Act 1, Scene 5

Fishtank Plus

Unlock features to optimize your prep time, plan engaging lessons, and monitor student progress.

Target Task


Discussion Prompt

During the film: How does Luhrmann create the mood of the scene? (music, costumes, actions, dream-like feel, dancing)

Writing Prompt

After viewing and discussing: Both Shakespeare and Luhrmann create a dream-like/surreal mood for this scene. Explain how each achieves this in his medium. Use evidence from both the film and the play.

Key Questions


  • What is the mood in the opening moments of the scene in the film? How does the director use music to create the mood? What else does he use?
  • In what ways does the film’s portrayal of the scene match the mood you felt in the text? In what ways is it different? Use specific evidence.
  • In the text, we see Romeo say, “I ne’er saw true beauty til this night,” indicating to the reader that he has fallen instantly in love with Juliet. How does the filmmaker communicate this same sentiment?
  • What liberties does the director take with Shakespeare’s original depiction of this scene? 
  • How does this film portrayal impact your opinion of Romeo from yesterday?

Notes


The writing prompt could also be, “Explain how Luhrmann draws on and transforms Shakespeare’s original version in order to create the mood in this scene of the film.” (This prompt is slightly more rigorous but is also more aligned to the writing prompt on the end-of-unit exam.)

Next

Explain how the interactions between Romeo and Juliet develop the themes of the play.

Lesson 8
icon/arrow/right/large

Lesson Map

A7CB09C2-D12F-4F55-80DB-37298FF0A765

Request a Demo

See all of the features of Fishtank in action and begin the conversation about adoption.

Learn more about Fishtank Learning School Adoption.

Contact Information

School Information

What courses are you interested in?

ELA

Math

Are you interested in onboarding professional learning for your teachers and instructional leaders?

Yes

No

Any other information you would like to provide about your school?

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

We've got you covered with rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free