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Year 11
AQA

'Romeo and Juliet': Juliet's agency in Act 1, Scene 5 and Act 2, Scene 2

I can explain Juliet’s agency in Act 1, Scene 5 and Act 2, Scene 2 of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

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New
New
Year 11
AQA

'Romeo and Juliet': Juliet's agency in Act 1, Scene 5 and Act 2, Scene 2

I can explain Juliet’s agency in Act 1, Scene 5 and Act 2, Scene 2 of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Arguably, the stage directions in Act 1, Scene 5 show Romeo taking control of the exchange with Juliet.
  2. Potentially, we might see Juliet as taking both a passive and active role in Act 1, Scene 5.
  3. Juliet’s language in Act 2, Scene 2 arguably shows her dictating the terms of her relationship with Romeo.
  4. By bringing up the subject of marriage, Juliet is arguably showing agency in the relationship.
  5. Stage directions can affect how we perceive power dynamics and relationships between characters.

Keywords

  • Agency - the capacity of an individual to act independently from others and to make their own free choices

  • Passive - not acting to influence or change a situation; allowing other people to be in control

  • Dictating - to give orders, or tell someone exactly what they must do

Common misconception

That women always took a passive role in relationships in the Elizabethan era.

Arguably, Juliet takes an active role in her relationship with Romeo.


To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: 'Romeo and Juliet': Juliet's agency in Act 1, Scene 5 and Act 2, Scene 2, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

It might be useful to show images or clips of different stage productions of 'Romeo and Juliet' in the third learning cycle to help pupils think about how the staging might make them see the characters differently.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

This lesson uses an extract taken from Act 1, Scene 5 of 'Romeo and Juliet'. It's available in the additional materials.

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
'Relating to or denoting a system of society or government controlled by men' is the definition of which word beginning with 'p'?
Correct Answer: patriarchal, patriarchy, patriarchal society
Q2.
In a patriarchal society, women would have been expected to do which of the following?
challenge men
Correct answer: obey men
control men
Q3.
In which scene do Romeo and Juliet first meet in Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'?
Act 1, Scene 1
Correct answer: Act 1, Scene 5
Act 3, Scene 1
Q4.
To be 'subordinate' means to be which of the following?
more important
Correct answer: less important
equally important
Q5.
'Not influenced or controlled in any way by other people, events, or things' is the definition of which word?
Correct answer: independent
dependent
codependent
Q6.
To be passive is to be which of the following?
acting to influence or change a situation
creating a change or situation
Correct answer: not acting to influence or change a situation

6 Questions

Q1.
In Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', who brings up the subject of Romeo and Juliet's marriage first?
The Nurse
Correct answer: Juliet
Romeo
Q2.
Act 1, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' includes the stage direction "He kisses her" in reference to Romeo. What does this imply?
that Juliet is taking an active role
Correct answer: that Romeo is taking an active role
that Romeo is taking a passive role
Q3.
'The capacity of an individual to act independently from others and to make their own free choices' is the definition of which word beginning with 'a'?
Correct Answer: agency
Q4.
Complete the quotation from Act 1, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet': “Saints do not , though grant for prayers’ sake”.
Correct Answer: move
Q5.
'To give orders, or tell someone exactly what they must do' is the definition of which of the following?
Correct answer: dictating
shouting
arguing
compelling
Q6.
Complete the quotation from Act 2, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet': “O, swear not by the ".
Correct Answer: moon

Additional material

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