Gerry Doot

Warner

English 112B

Due: May 2, 2007

Helping Teens Understand Perspective

Introduction

One of the most recognizable works in history is William Shakespeare’s canonical play, “Romeo and Juliet.” This play demonstrates a great number of lessons such as: the importance of family, true love vs. infatuation, and the art of Shakespeare. But what ties these things together is the idea of perspective. Perspective changes everything in almost every situation. It creates an opportunity for people to see things from a different angle and understand someone or something on a completely different level. “Romeo and Juliet” is a perfect book to promote these ideas. In this book, there are a huge number of perspectives ranging from the main characters, to their friends, their family, and even church officials. Reading “Romeo and Juliet” with the proper instruction and supplemental work can give students a better understanding for the book, William Shakespeare, and for their own personal lives.

Launching the Unit

Since “Romeo and Juliet” is taught to freshman, it would be fun to begin the unit with a little introduction to Shakespeare with Shakespearean Insults. This is a fun way to get students acquainted with the often difficult language of William Shakespeare. From here the class can expand into the main idea of the unit.

With the idea of perspective in mind, a teacher must show other works that also have different perspectives. The following examples have ideas that change depending on audience’s perspective (The third is thrown in for fun):

-Michelangelo’s David

-Songs: -“Hello, I Love You” The Doors

-“I Saw Her Standing There” The Beatles

-Have the students do a free write on their perception of love at first sight.

-Have the class go through a number of songs, poems, movies, etc… and analyze them from at least two different perspectives first as a class, then by themselves in a free write.

Assignments

-Have students make a friendship card using their favorite line from the play. They will write the line on the outside of the card and translate it into modern English on the inside of the card. This is a good introductory learning tool.

-Have students pick a character and argue for or against Romeo and Juliet’s relationship from that character’s perspective in a short 2 page paper.

-Have the students create an alternate ending to the play and perform them in class. This will give the students a chance to use their creativity to change the minds of the characters in the play.

-Have students perform the play, or excerpts of the play, in class. This should go along with reading the play to supplement the student’s understanding of a potentially difficult text.

-There would be a paper at the end of the unit where students would have a few options:

-Compare and contrast the perceptions of the families and the lovers. Is there a right perception? Is there a wrong perception? Explain…

-Does love conquer all? Why or why not? What factors influence this? Use examples from the play.

Extending the Unit

-Have the students write another free write on their perception of love at first sight and compare it to their original free write. Have them journal about how it has changed.

Other Readings

-“West Side Story” By Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim. This play is based on “Romeo and Juliet” but is set in the 1950’s in New York. The two rival gangs battle similarly to the warring families in “Romeo and Juliet. “West Side Story” will give students a direct comparison to “Romeo and Juliet” with a more modern twist. It can help them contextualize “Romeo and Juliet” and understand the text a little better.

-Stargirl By Jerry Spinelli. This book is excellent in representing the idea of perception and passing judgment. Although no one dies, Stargirl is a free spirit that conforms to a life she does not want because of those around her. She does eventually get to live as she wishes, but must struggle with acceptance due to other people’s perception of her.

-“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” By William Shakespeare. This play will give students a fun look at different worlds and how they work when people do not meet eye to eye. There are a number of perceptions in this play that can be analyzed in many different ways.

-Godless By Pete Hautman. This sarcastic story challenges perspectives from its premise. The main character decides to move on from the catholic religion to worship a water tower. Although this book does not directly relate to “Romeo and Juliet,” perception plays a big factor in the story.

Concluding the Unit

-End the unit on a fun note by having the students choose to watch either the 1966 or the 1996 version of “Romeo and Juliet.” Another option would be to watch the film version of “West Side Story.”

Works Cited

Beatles, The. “I Saw Her Standing There.” Please Please Me. Capitol Records. 1963.

Doors, The. “Hello, I Love You.” Waiting For the Sun. Electra Records. 1968.

Greenblatt, Stephen, ed. The Norton Shakespeare Based on the Oxford Edition. W.W. Norton and Company: New York, London. 1997.

Johnson, Edward. “Experiencing ‘Romeo and Juliet.’” Web English Teacher. April 25, 2007. http://www.remc11.k12.mi.us/bstpract/bpIII/210/210.PDF.

Roth, Eileen; Burdett, Jean. “Friendship Cards from Romeo and Juliet.” The Educator’s Reference Desk. March 1997. April 25, 2007. http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Language_Arts/Literature/LIT0007.html.

Stom, Lauren. “Romeo and Juliet – Alternative Endings.” The Educator’s Refetence Desk. August 28, 2002. April 25, 2007. http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Language_Arts/Literature/LIT0209.html.

Spinelli, Jerry. Stargirl. New York: Knoph Books for Young Readers.

Web English Teacher. William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet Lesson plans and other teaching ideas. April 25, 2007. http://www.webenglishteacher.com/romeoandjuliet.html.

“West Side Story.” Dir. Robbins, Jerome; Wise, Robert. Laurents, Arthur; Sondheim, Stephen. MGM Studios. 1961.