Romeo and Juliet teacher's guide - California Shakespeare Theater

DIALOGUE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
ROMEO AND JULIET
Romeo and Juliet have been young lovers in almost every incarnation and genre across the estimated 417 years since
Shakespeare wrote his play. But Shakespeare, too, took a familiar story and changed it for his own purposes, and
other authors have done the same with Shakespeare’s version. In 1748, David Garrick’s production added 70 lines to
Shakespeare’s play so that the lovers being could be reunited one last time, and Prokofiev’s orchestral score, for a ballet in
1935, changed the story to have an ostensibly happy ending in which the lovers live.
Overview: To give students an opportunity to explore Shakespeare’s text and characters and use that information to create
dialogue for an alternative scene.
Grade: 7-12
State Standards: English Literary Response & Analysis §3; Speaking applications §2
Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate discriminatory thinking in their choice of scenes, expand upon the dramatic
moments of Shakespeare’s play, and create dialogue.
Activity
What to do:
1. Students should be familiar with the plot and characters of the story.
2. Have your students read Garrick’s version (see next page).
3. Have students brainstorm the key scenes or actions that could have changed the outcome of the story and list them on
the board. For example:
• The nurse could have told Juliet’s parents about her plan to elope with Romeo.
• Friar John could have convinced the Mantua guard that he didn’t need to be quarantined and then could have
delivered Friar Lawrence’s message telling Romeo not to worry, that Juliet will only look dead for 42 hours.
• Montague and Capulet could have worked out a truce.
• Romeo could have stopped the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt without killing Tybalt, etc.
4. Assign each group of students a “scene”.
5. Students should highlight the line(s) from the original text that best illustrate where their new scene would begin.
6. Students should create the dialogue for the changed scene in standard English.
7. Advanced students should rewrite their scene in Elizabethan English. See BRUSH UP YOUR SHAKSPEARE, p. 42.
8. Students perform their altered scenes for the class.
9. Students explain their scene and answer questions/get feedback from classmates.
Rubric for Scenes and Presentations:
• Scene must reflect a good understanding of the plot and characters.
• Scene must reflect an understanding of Elizabethan culture, values, ideals, morals and politics.
• Dialogue should be interesting and creative.
• All members of the group should participate equally.
• The performance should be interesting and loud enough to be heard.
• The performance can include music or minimal props, but the most important things are the dialogue and the idea.
Reflection:
Why did you choose this scene? How would your scene change the outcome of the play?
What did you especially like about this performance?
What improvements would you make?
Which scenario is more satisfying to you as an audience member? Does Garrick’s version above influence your decision?
Why?
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