'Romeo and Juliet': using tentative language to write about writer's intentions
I can use tentative language to write about Shakespeare’s intentions in ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
'Romeo and Juliet': using tentative language to write about writer's intentions
I can use tentative language to write about Shakespeare’s intentions in ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Arguably, Shakespeare shows Juliet as both exerting agency and assuming a passive role in ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
- A writer’s intentions can reveal their overall message - what are they saying about society or humanity.
- Using tentative language is important because we can never truly be sure of a writer’s intentions.
Keywords
Intentions - something that you want and plan to do; an aim
Agency - the capacity of an individual to act independently from others and to make their own free choices
Conform - to behave according to the usual standards of behaviour that are expected by a group or society
Contemporary discourse - the current discussions and conversations happening in a specific field or context
Tentative - not definite or certain
Common misconception
We can get a definitive idea of the writer's intentions from the text.
We can never truly know what the writer's intentions were but we can tentatively explore ideas.
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: 'Romeo and Juliet': using tentative language to write about writer's intentions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: 'Romeo and Juliet': using tentative language to write about writer's intentions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the Romeo and Juliet: Juliet and female agency unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You may wish to have a copy of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required