Hello, everyone.

It's lovely to see you here today.

My name's Dr.

Clayton, and I'm going to guide through your learning journey today.

So today's lesson's called "Exploring the Convention of Shakespearen Tragedy in 'Romeo and Juliet.

'" So we're gonna start by thinking more generally about what a tragedy play is and what the conventions of a tragedy are.

Then we'll start to think about Romeo and Juliet specifically and how it meets those conventions.

So if you're ready, grab your pen, laptop, whatever you're using for this lesson, and let's get started.

So by the end of the lesson, you'll be able to consider the conventions of Shakespearean tragedies and how "Romeo and Juliet" meets those conventions.

So we have five words today we're going to be using as our keywords.

They've been identified in bold throughout the learning material, and I'll try to point them out too as well, so you can see them used in context.

So our first keyword is tragedy, which means a play dealing with tragic events and often ends with a death.

Our second keyword is conventions.

So that's the way in which something is usually done.

So throughout this lesson, we're going to be thinking about the way a tragedy play is usually constructed and what elements it usually contains.

Our third keyword is catharsis, which is the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

Our fourth keyword is tragic hero, which means a central character of a play or a film depicted as a noble figure who experiences a tragic downfall.

And our last keyword is hamartia, which means a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine.

Now, catharsis, tragic hero, and hamartia are all conventions of a tragedy play.

So you usually find all of them within a tragedy.

So we're going to think about how they apply to Shakespearean tragedy more generally and then think about how they specifically apply to "Romeo and Juliet." So I'll just give you a moment to write down those keywords and their definitions.

So pause the video, write them down now.

Fantastic.

Let's get started with the lesson.

So we have two learning cycles in our lesson today.

For our first learning cycle, we're going to think more broadly about the conventions of Shakespearean tragedy.

So we're going to think about the main features of a tragic hero, supernatural elements, catharsis, hamartia, conflict, tragic waste, fate, and good versus evil, and think about not only what they are, but also why they might be tragic conventions.

How do they add to the of nature tragedy? For our second learning cycle, we're going to think about "Romeo and Juliet" as a tragedy and how it meets the conventions of a tragedy but also what the major difference between "Romeo and Juliet" and other Shakespearean tragedies are, the prologue.

The prologue tells us the outcome before we've seen the play.

We're going to think about how that affects the nature of the tragedy.

So a tragedy is a play dealing with tragic events and often ends with death.

Now, tragedies have been a part of theatre for thousands of years.

Shakespeare himself wrote 12 tragedies.

So we have "Antony and Cleopatra," "Coriolanus," "Cymbeline," "Hamlet," "Julius Caesar," "King Lear," "Macbeth," "Othello, "Romeo and Juliet," "Timon of Athens," "Titus Andronicus" and "Troilus and Cressida." Now, the main features of a Shakespearean tragedy are a tragic hero, supernatural events, catharsis, hamartia, conflict, tragic waste, fate, and good versus evil.

We're going to define these within the lesson and think about how they fit into Shakespearean tragedies and why they might be a feature of a tragedy.

So let's begin with a tragic hero.

Now, a tragic hero is the central character of a play or a film, depicted as a noble figure who experiences a tragic downfall.

So here are the characteristics of a tragic hero.

They have high status and power, they have a hamartias, they have a fatal flaw, they're admirable and good, and their downfall comes from personal error.

So what I'd like you to start off by thinking about is what do you think the implications are of a tragic hero traditionally being of high status and power? So think about what the conventions of tragedy might tell us about society.

Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone, some fantastic ideas there.

As Alex says, "Maybe the audience wouldn't be as emotionally moved by the downfall of someone of lower class status.

Maybe that only people with high status are admirable?" Now, this convention has specifically been subverted by more recent playwrights, such as Arthur Miller, to show that tragic events don't have to happen to just higher class people to make the audience emotionally connect with them.

So now for a quick check for understanding.

Which of the following are characteristics of a tragic hero? Is A, low status and without power, B, high status and power, C, downfall comes from personal error or D, demise comes from someone else's error? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

The correct answers, that have high status and power, that their downfall comes from personal error.

So very well done if you got those right.

Now, a tragic hero has hamartia, a fatal flaw leading to their downfall.

So for example, being too overprotective or too angry.

So let's think about some of the tragic heroes in Shakespearean tragedies and what you think their hamartias might be.

So we have Othello who kills his wife because he believes false tales of her infidelity.

We have Macbeth who kills King Duncan because of the witches' prophecy that he'll become king.

And we have King Lear who banishes his youngest daughter because she refuses to flatter him in order to receive her inheritance.

So what I'd like to think about is what do you think the hamartias of those Shakespearean tragic heroes are? What is their fatal flaw? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, Othello kills his wife because he believes she's been unfaithful.

So his hamartia's arguably jealousy.

Macbeth kills King Duncan because he wants the crown himself.

So we might say his fatal flaw is ambition.

And King Lear desires flattery from his daughter.

So we might say his fatal fall is pride.

Now, at the end of a tragedy, the audience should experience catharsis.

Catharsis is the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

You might hear people saying, for example, that watching a sad film's cathartic because it allows them to cry.

So in Shakespearean tragedies, Shakespeare's "Othello" is a play where Othello becomes driven mad by jealousy and kills his innocent wife.

We feel the buildup of intense emotion throughout the play.

When Othello commits suicide at the end of the play, we feel catharsis because those intense emotions of anger and jealousy are finally released.

So what I would like you to think about is why do think catharsis is an important part of tragedy? Why do you think it's important to release emotions in a tragedy? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone, some great ideas there.

As Laura says, "I think the release and relief from strong emotions could be a way of the audience dealing with their own fears and anxieties around life.

It helps us deal with the different emotional sides of human nature." So now for a quick check for understanding.

What I'd like you to do is tell me whether the following statement is true or false.

So is it true or false that catharsis is an important part of the tragedy genre? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Now, the correct answer is true.

Now I'd like to tell me why it's true.

So pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

And you might have said that catharsis allows the audience to release the strong emotions that have built up during the tragedy, otherwise they'd find no relief from them.

So very well done if you got those right.

Now, supernatural elements play a significant role in many of Shakespeare's plays, including his tragedies.

So for example, we have the ghost of Hamlet's father haunting him in "Hamlet," and we've the witches' prophecies in Macbeth's future in "Macbeth." So what I'd like to think about is how do you think that supernatural elements might add to the sense of tragedy? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Let's think about what you might have said.

Now, tragedy is designed to make us feel sad and uncomfortable emotions.

So you might have thought the supernatural elements add to that because they embody a sense of fear and they emphasise a sense of something unnatural and something uncomfortable.

Now, as well as the supernatural, fate also plays a significant role in the tragedy genre.

Now, fate means the development of events outside of a person's control regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power.

In tragedies, we're often left asking ourselves if the tragic hero had free will or whether they were fated to die.

So what I'd like you to think about is how do you think ideas of fate add to the nature of tragedy? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic ideas there.

As Jacob says, "I think it might add to our fears that ultimately we aren't in control of the unhappiness in our lives." I think ideas of control can bring us comfort.

We like to think we can make changes that bring positive things to us.

So the idea that actually no matter what we do, we're stuck with those tragic cards that life has dealt us I think is a very sad one.

So now for a quick check for understanding.

What I'd like you to do is tell me whether the following statement is true or false.

So is it true or false that supernatural elements don't add anything to the tragedy genre? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Now, the correct answer is false.

Now I'd like to tell me why it's false.

So pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, you might have said that arguably the supernatural elements add a sense of fear and discomfort that heightens the emotions of the tragedy genre.

It adds a sense we aren't in control.

So very well done if you got those right.

Now, one of the conventions of tragedies is the theme of conflict.

There are two types of conflict in Shakespearean tragedy.

We've external conflict and internal conflict.

So external conflict refers to the conflict that the characters face with outside forces or with other characters.

Internal conflict, on the other hand, refers to a struggle within a character's own mind or heart.

Now, conflict in Shakespearean tragedies is often related to good versus evil.

There are evil characters versus good characters.

So for example, Iago and Desdemona in "Othello." There's also the battle between good versus evil within characters, such as in "Macbeth." So what I'd like you to think about is which do you think would make a more compelling tragedy, a conflict between a good character and an evil character, or a conflict between good versus evil within one character? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, there's no right answer to that question.

It's entirely down to your personal opinions.

Personally, I think an internal conflict is more compelling because we get to see what I think is a true reflection of good versus evil in humanity.

We all have good and bad impulses, and how we act upon them defines who we are.

Now, in Shakespearean tragedy, when good is destroyed along with evil, it's known as tragic waste.

So for example, in "Othello," the death of the innocent Desdemona is tragic waste.

In "Macbeth," Macbeth was a good, heroic man at start, and the loss of his potential is tragic waste.

So what I'd like you to think about is why do you think tragedies would include tragic waste? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

And you might have thought that tragic waste shows the consequences extend beyond the main character.

Their actions affect other people and arguably, enhance the tragedy because we see innocent bystanders being affected by the actions of others or men with great potential being taken down by their own flaws.

So now for a quick check for understanding.

What I'd like you to do is fill in the blanks to complete the definitions of the types of conflict in Shakespearean tragedy.

So conflict refers to the conflicts that characters face with outside forces or with other characters.

And conflict refers to a struggle within a character's own mind or heart.

So pause the video, fill in the gaps now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, external conflict refers to the conflicts that characters face with outside forces or with other characters.

And internal conflict refers to the struggle within a character's own mind or heart.

So very well done if you got those right.

Amazing work, everyone.

We're now to the first task of the lesson.

Now, some of Shakespeare's most well-known plays are tragedies from "Macbeth," "Hamlet," "Romeo and Juliet." So what I'd like you to discuss is why do you think people would want to watch a tragedy? Now, you might consider what a tragedy might tell us about human nature, and that tragedy considers themes of conflict and good versus evil.

So pause the video, take a few minutes to discuss.

Welcome back, everyone, some great discussions there.

What I'd like you to think about now are Lucas and Sofia's ideas about how well they align with your ideas.

So Lucas said, "I think it gives us a way of exploring the darker sides of human nature, such as greed and ambition and seeing the consequences of those." And Sofia said, "I also think it allows us to learn something about ourselves by thinking about how we'd react in certain situations and what decisions we might make." So pause the video, think about how well their ideas align with your ideas.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now we're going to take those ideas about tragic conventions to think about how "Romeo and Juliet" meets those conventions.

Amazing work, everyone.

We're now onto the second learning cycle where we're going to think about "Romeo and Juliet" as a tragedy, and how well it meets the convention of the Shakespearean tragedy.

So Romeo and Juliet was one of Shakespeare's earliest tragedies.

We're just gonna take a moment to talk through the plot before we think about it as a tragedy play.

So it's revealed in the prologue that Romeo and Juliet are destined to fall in love and die.

Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, are from warring families.

They fall in love and marry in secret.

Tybalt, a Capulet, kills Romeo's friend Mercutio, and then Romeo kills Tybalt.

Romeo's then banished because of that.

Juliet's father tries to marry her to Paris.

To avoid this, she fakes her own death.

Romeo believes that Juliet is dead, so he kills himself.

And when Juliet realises that Romeo's dead, she then kills herself.

So now for a quick check for understanding.

Which of the following statements are true of "Romeo and Juliet?" Is it A, Romeo and Juliet are from warring families, B, Romeo uses his marriage to Juliet as a way to kill Tybalt, C, Romeo and Juliet decide to commit suicide together, or D, Romeo believes that Juliet is dead and therefore commits suicide? So pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, the correct answers are that Romeo and Juliet are from warring families, and that Romeo believes Juliet is dead and therefore commits suicide.

So very well done if you got those right.

So let's think about Romeo as the tragic hero of "Romeo and Juliet." I'd like to think about the following ideas.

So Romeo begins to play in love with Rosaline.

As soon as he sees Juliet, he forgets about Rosaline.

Romeo and Juliet are married the day after they first met, and Romeo kills Tybalt in a fit of rage after Tybalt kills Mercutio.

So what I'd like you to think about is what do you think Romeo's hamartia might be? What do you think his fatal flaw is? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone, some great ideas there.

And you might have said that Romeo's impulsive and he's passionate.

He acts on his emotions and doesn't think about the consequences.

So what I'd like you to do now is think about the following quotations and how they link Romeo and Juliet to the tragic conventions of the supernatural, fate, conflict and tragic waste.

So for the supernatural, we have "a plague o' both your houses," and that's what Mercutio says when he's killed by Tybalt.

He curses them.

For fate, we have star-crossed lovers from the prologue.

For conflict, we have a Montague, our foe.

And for tragic waste, we have, "For never was there a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo." Remember that tragic waste is when good is destroyed along with evil.

So pause the video.

Think about how Romeo and Juliet meets the convention of a Shakespearean tragedy.

Welcome back, everyone, some great ideas there.

Now, for the supernatural, you might have said the curse is supernatural because it doesn't in fact come true.

Plague means that Romeo doesn't know that Juliet's alive because a letter from Friar Laurence can't make it to him.

So the supernatural's affecting events in the play.

We have references to fate throughout Romeo and Juliet.

They're not in control of their lives because they're destined to die.

For conflict, we've the external conflict of the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues.

We also have the internal feud of love versus family.

Both Juliet and Romeo recognise their families would not be happy with their love, so they have to make a choice.

For tragic waste, we have six deaths in "Romeo and Juliet." We have the deaths of Romeo and Juliet themselves.

Mercutio was killed by Tybalt.

Romeo killed Tybalt in Paris, and Lady Montague died of grief of Romeo's banishment.

So let's take a moment to think about good versus evil in "Romeo and Juliet." Now, Tybalt is often cast as the villain of "Romeo and Juliet." However, he believes it's Romeo who is the villain.

So what I'd like to think about is what might Shakespeare be saying about good versus evil through this play on who is a villain? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone, some great ideas there.

As Aisha says, "Maybe that good and evil is a matter of perspective.

Someone cab be thought of as a villain to some and a hero to others." I think Shakespeare's often asking us to consider questions like this.

He asks us to consider human nature and whether things are truly ever black and white.

So now for a quick check for understanding.

What I'd like you to do is tell me whether the following statement is true or false.

So is it true or false that arguably, Romeo's hamartia is his impulsive, passionate nature? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

The correct answer is true.

Now I'd like to tell me why it's true.

So pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, you might have said that Romeo falls in and out of love very quickly and he makes rash decisions, such as killing Tybalt.

So very well done if you got those right.

Amazing work, everyone.

Now to the final task of the lesson.

Now, arguably, one of the most substantial differences between "Romeo and Juliet" and Shakespeare's other tragedies is the prologue.

Romeo and Juliet is the only Shakespearean tragedy where the audience is made aware of the tragic outcome at the beginning of the play.

Now, what I'd like you to think about is do you think the ending of "Romeo and Juliet" is more or less tragic because we know how it's going to end? Do we still feel catharsis? Do we still feel a release of emotions at the end? I'd like you to write a short answer to explain your reasoning.

So pause the video, write your answer now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic work there.

What I'd like you to do now is think about Izzy's answer.

Think about how well it aligns with your ideas.

So Izzy said, "I think knowing the outcome of play before it starts actually makes it more tragic.

We see Romeo and Juliet fall madly and deeply in love at first sight, but we cannot take joy in this because we know they're hurtling towards their deaths.

I also think it heightens the catharsis because knowing the ending means there's actually more of an emotional build-up leading to it and then we finally get the release of tension when they do die." So pause the video.

Think about how well Izzy's ideas align with your ideas.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, for me, I agree with Izzy.

I think it does make it more tragic because we see them falling in love, but we know that nothing can come of it.

And I think there's a deep sadness in that.

You all did amazingly well today, everyone.

Here's a summary of what we covered.

A tragedy's a played dealing with tragic events and often ends with a death.

Shakespearean tragedies conventionally involve a tragic hero with a hamartia.

Conventionally, Shakespearean tragedies involve supernatural elements and fate, which can add discomfort.

Shakespearean tragedies also involve internal and external conflict, as well as the battle of good versus evil.

At the end of a tragedy, the audience experiences a release of pent-up emotions called catharsis.

I really hope you enjoyed the lesson, everyone.

I hope to see you for another lesson soon.

Goodbye.