Hello everyone, it's lovely to see you here today.

My name's Dr.

Clayton and I'm here to guide you through Learning Journey today.

Today's lesson is called Romeo and Juliet exploring Juliet's agency in Act 5, Scene 3.

Now this is the final scene of the play so we're going to be thinking about what impression Shakespeare leaves us with of Juliet's agency.

Now the final impression is really important because it's the impression we leave with so it can greatly influence how we interpret a particular theme in this case, how we might interpret Juliet's agency.

So if you're ready, grab your pen or 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 explain Juliet's agency in Act 5, Scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet.

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

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

So our first keyword is agency which means the capacity of an individual to act independently from others, to make their own free choices.

We're going to be thinking about whether or not we can see Juliet as exerting agency in the final scene of the play.

Our second keyword is fate which means the development of events outside of a person's control regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power.

We're going to be thinking about the role of fate in the final scene of the play and how that might relate to ideas of Juliet's agency.

Our final keyword is posthumous which means happening or continuing after one's death.

We're going to be thinking about what is said about Juliet after her death and how that might relate to ideas of not only her agency but also women's agency in general.

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 three learning cycles in our lesson today.

For our first learning cycle, we're going to be thinking about Juliet's death in Act 5, Scene 3 and whether or not we can see her as exerting agency in this decision.

For our second learning cycle, we're going to think about the role of fate in Juliet's death and how it might relate to ideas of Juliet's agency.

For our third learning cycle, we're going to think about what's said about Juliet after her death and how it might relate to ideas of her agency.

So, we're focusing on Act 5, Scene 3 in this lesson.

So, let's start with a quick summary.

So, Paris visits Juliet's tomb and upon seeing Romeo there, challenges him.

Romeo and Paris fight and Paris is killed.

Romeo takes the poison at Juliet's side and dies.

As Friar Lawrence enters the tomb, Juliet wakes to find Romeo dead.

Upon hearing people coming, the friar flees the tomb and Juliet kills herself with Romeo's dagger.

When the prince arrives, Friar Lawrence explains Romeo and Juliet's love and their marriage.

The Montagues and Capulets end their feud.

Now, when Friar Lawrence and Juliet are in the tomb together, they can hear people coming.

So, Friar Lawrence attempts to get Juliet to leave with him.

"Come, I'll dispose of thee among a sisterhood of holy nuns." So, here, Friar Lawrence is offering Juliet a place in a nunnery.

And what I'd like you to think about is what are the connotations of dispose? How might it link to how women were seen? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Now, you might have thought, to dispose of something is to get rid of it, which could imply that women in Elizabethan England were seen as an inconvenience, disposable.

Now, this relates to ideas of agency because it suggests that women weren't seen as being able to make decisions for themselves.

It was up to men to decide where women went.

Now, this is not the focus of this lesson, but I also think this moment with Friar Lawrence is incredibly fascinating.

He arguably represents religion in the play, and yet we see him running away and leaving Juliet.

So you might like to think about what that might relate to in terms of what Shakespeare's saying about religion through this.

Now, in response to Friar Lawrence, Juliet says, "Go, get thee hence, for I will not away." So what I'd like you to think about is what are the connotations of go and will? How do they link to ideas of agency? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

You might have said, that when Juliet says go, she's giving a command to Friar Lawrence, so she's using imperative language.

Now, because she's telling Friar Lawrence what to do, she's dictating to him.

We might see that as her taking control.

Now, will is a word with high modality, and that's just as a high degree of certainty.

Now, this might tell us she's certain in her decision to stay, and therefore it shows her exerting agency.

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 Juliet has no other choice than to commit suicide in Act 5, Scene 3.

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

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.

You might have said, that Friar Lawrence offers her the option of joining a nunnery, but she decides to stay with Romeo and commit suicide.

So, very well done if you got those right.

So, now let's look at Juliet's final line of the play.

Now, I think that looking at the final line of characters is so important, because it's our lasting impression of a character.

So, Juliet says, "Oh, happy dagger, this is thy sheath.

There rust, and let me die." So, here, Juliet's personifying the dagger, and asking it to allow her to die.

So, what I'd like you to think about, is do you think this undermines the agency in Juliet's decision? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Now, as Sophia says, "I think it does undermine her agency.

She's giving away her control to the knife, and asking for permission to die.

Arguably, it's the knife that has agency in this moment, rather than Juliet, because the knife's been given control over Juliet's life." So, now for a quick check for understanding.

So, which interpretation of "there rust, and let me die" is the most relevant to ideas of agency? Is it A, the word "let" implies Juliet's asking permission to die, or B, the phrase "let me die" shows Juliet's desire to die? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

The correct answer is A, the word "let" implies that Juliet's asking permission to die.

Now, I'd like to tell you why it's A.

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

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have said, "The agency is the concept of making independent decisions.

Asking permission to do something implies you don't have the authority to make those decisions." So, very well done if you got those right.

Amazing work, everyone.

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

So, what I'd like you to do is write an answer to each of the following questions.

So, question one.

What might Friar Lawrence's suggestion of a nunnery, as opposed to death, reveal about the nature of women's choices in Elizabethan England? Question two.

Juliet's final words are her asking permission to do something.

What might that reveal about women in agency in Elizabethan England? So, pause the video, write your answers now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great work there.

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

How well they align with your ideas.

So, question one.

What might Friar Lawrence's suggestion of a nunnery, as opposed to death, reveal about the nature of women's choices in Elizabethan England? And Izzy said, "I think it reveals how restricted women's lives were.

The options available to them were limited.

This impacts their agency, because sight had already restricted their decisions." Question two.

Juliet's final words are of her asking permission to do something.

What might that reveal about women in agency in Elizabethan England? And Izzy said, "I think it reveals how submissive women were expected to be.

Eve will make a decision about her own life and death.

Juliet's still asking permission from another to do so." So, pause the video.

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

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, as I said earlier, this moment's incredibly important, because our final moment with Juliet in the play.

So, the way Shakespeare represents her here is very revealing, in terms of how he wants to see the role of women in the play, and female agency.

Amazing work, everyone.

We're now at the second learning cycle.

We're going to look at the role of fate in Juliet's death, and how it might relate to ideas of agency.

Now, the theme of fate runs through Romeo and Juliet.

We have images of stars in control running through the play, as well as dreams and visions of the future.

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

So, what I'd like you to think about is how might we see fate and agency as two contradictory concepts.

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

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

You might have said, "If you believe in fate, "you believe that everything in life is already predetermined.

"It's already decided for you.

"But if you believe in agency, "then you believe you can make independent decisions about your life.

"The decisions you make can affect your life." Now, in the prologue of Romeo and Juliet, we learn that a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life.

So, what I'd like you to think about is how might we then connect Juliet's death to ideas of fate.

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

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, as Jacob says, we might see Juliet's death as her fulfilling her destiny to take her own life.

As with Romeo, she's destined to die.

Their deaths at the end of the play were predetermined from the beginning.

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 Juliet's death arguably links to the concept of fate? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

The correct answer is true.

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

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

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have said that Juliet's fate is to die.

So, therefore, we might see her as fulfilling her destiny by committing suicide.

So, very well done if you got those right.

Fantastic work, everyone.

Now, the second task of the lesson.

So, I'd like you to think about the following question.

Do you think the concept of fate undermines any agency that Juliet might have? Why or why not? And you might consider that arguably Juliet's fulfilling her destiny by committing suicide in Act 5, Scene 3.

That the prologue doesn't specify how Juliet will die, merely that she will die.

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

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great discussions there.

Now, what I'd like you to do is think about Laura and Alex's ideas.

Whose ideas align most closely with your ideas? So, Laura said, "I think it does undermine her agency "because the concept of fate's jest, "she actually has no control over her life.

"It was already predetermined." And Alex said, "I don't think it does undermine her agency.

"We know she was fated to die, "but I think she determined the actual moment of her death." So, pause the video.

Think about how well their ideas align with your ideas.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, we have no definitive answers here.

There are no right or wrong answers.

But I think it's really important to discuss these kind of questions because it helps to think about our understanding of the text and what we think Shakespeare might be trying to tell us through it.

Fantastic work, everyone.

Now, the third learning cycle.

We're going to think about what's said about Juliet after her death.

Now, that might relate to ideas of agency.

So, following Juliet's death, Lord Montague proclaims he will ray her statue in pure gold.

So, here, Lord Montague is offering to dress Juliet's commemorative statue in gold.

So, what I'd like you to think about is what might the significance of this be in terms of female agency? Now, this is a tricky question.

Think about the fact that Juliet's commemorative statue, how the world would remember how she looks, is being dressed by someone else.

How might that relate to ideas of agency? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

You might have said, "It shows that her commemorative statue, so how she'll be remembered, is being decided by others." You also might have thought, "It shows that Juliet's posthumous appearance is being decided by Lord Montague, so he decides how she'll appear to the world from now on." Now, following his desire to dress Juliet's statue, Lord Montague also proclaims that all of Verona shall know of true and faithful Juliet.

So, what I'd like you to think about now is what might the significance of this be in terms of female agency? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, just as we said the dressing of the statue, it shows that her appearance is being decided by others.

The day that she'll be remembered is true and faithful.

It shows that women's posthumous reputation is decided by others.

You also might have thought that Juliet's defined by her marriage to Romeo and the fact she was faithful to him.

That's the most important thing about her and how she should be remembered, that she was true to her husband.

So, now for a quick check for understanding.

So, 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, Juliet's posthumous reputation is decided by herself? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

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.

You might have said, "Arguably, we might see Juliet's posthumous appearance "and reputation as being decided by Lord Montague." So, very well done if you got those right.

Fantastic work, everyone.

Now, the final task of the lesson.

Now, arguably, none of us can control how we're presented by other people following our death.

However, Romeo and his memory are not mentioned by Lord Capulet and Lord Montague.

So, what might Shakespeare be suggesting about female agency through Lord Montague's words about Juliet but not Romeo? I'd like to write a short answer to explain your ideas.

So, pause the video.

Write your answer now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great work there.

What I'd like you to do is read back through your answer.

Reflect on whether you thought about the following ideas.

So, perhaps female agency is undermined since their lives can be written posthumously by men.

Ultimately, women's reputations are decided for them by men.

The men are concerned with how the women associated with them are represented to the world.

So, pause the video.

Read back through your answer now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, I think Lord Montague's lines about Juliet are arguably some of the most important when it comes to female agency.

Our final impression of Juliet is not given to us by her, but by someone else.

I think that really shows that ultimately her life is determined by someone else.

You all did amazingly well today, everyone.

Here's a summary of what we covered.

Potentially, we might see Friar Lawrence's offer of a nunnery as representing how limited women's choices were.

Arguably, Juliet asking permission to die undermines her agency in the scene.

We might see Juliet's death as filling her destiny which could contradict her agency.

Arguably, Juliet's posthumous presentation is decided by men.

This might reveal how ultimately women's agency is undermined by men.

I really hope you enjoyed the lesson, everyone.

I hope to see you for another lesson soon.

Goodbye.