'Romeo and Juliet': contextualising violence and honour in Elizabethan society
I can explain the role of violence and honour in Elizabethan society.
'Romeo and Juliet': contextualising violence and honour in Elizabethan society
I can explain the role of violence and honour in Elizabethan society.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- ‘Romeo and Juliet’ opens and ends with acts of violence.
- Exposure to violence would have been a reality in Elizabethan England.
- By staging the fights in daylight, Shakespeare implies violence was acceptable in society.
- Honour was a central aspect of men’s identities in Elizabethan England.
- Arguably, we might see honour as something that must be proven in public.
Keywords
Masculinity - qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men or boys
Honour - a quality that combines respect, being proud, and honesty
Stereotype - a set idea that people have about what someone or something is like
Dominant - to be in control; to be powerful
Duel - a contest with deadly weapons arranged between two people in order to settle a point of honour
Common misconception
That everyone considers 'Romeo and Juliet' to be about love.
Some critics consider 'Romeo and Juliet' to be primarily about violence and society instead.
Equipment
You may wish to have a copy of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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