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Year 10
AQA

Planning an essay on the role of fate in Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'

I can plan an answer to a question on the inevitability of fate in Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

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New
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Year 10
AQA

Planning an essay on the role of fate in Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'

I can plan an answer to a question on the inevitability of fate in Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Arguably, Shakespeare presents fate as inevitable throughout ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
  2. Act 5, Scene 3 reinforces the idea of fate being inevitable through Romeo and Juliet’s deaths.
  3. Using single paragraph outlines can be an effective way of creating a plan for an analytical essay.
  4. Considering the writer’s intentions allows us to think about how the text connects to the ‘bigger picture’.

Keywords

  • Fate - the development of events outside a person's control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power

  • Inevitable - certain to happen and unable to be avoided or prevented

  • Inauspicious - unlucky, ill-omened, unfavourable

  • Intention - a purpose or goal; aim

Common misconception

That people generally believe in free will and always have.

In Elizabethan England, people typically believed that fate controlled their lives - they believed they did not have free will.


To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Planning an essay on the role of fate in Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

It would be useful for pupils to share their thoughts on Shakespeare's intentions as it will really elevate their writing if they can confidently consider this.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You may wish to have a copy of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' for this lesson.

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
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Supervision

Adult supervision required

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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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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Romeo and Juliet's fate is to ...
live happily ever after.
Correct answer: have a tragic end.
grow apart.
Q2.
In Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Benvolio attempts to remove Romeo's melancholia by convincing him to attend __________ ball.
the Montague
the Prince's
Correct answer: the Capulet
Q3.
In the prologue of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Romeo and Juliet are referred to as " -crossed lovers".
Correct Answer: star
Q4.
In Act 1, Scene 4, of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Romeo has a dream that attending Capulet's ball will ...
mean he meets the love of his life.
Correct answer: bring about his death.
bring about Mercutio's death.
Q5.
'The development of events outside a person's control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power' is the definition of which word beginning with 'f'?
Correct Answer: fate
Q6.
'Certain to happen and unable to be avoided or prevented' is the definition of which of the following?
dubious
preventable
Correct answer: inevitable

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
'A purpose or goal; aim' is the definition of which word beginning with 'i'?
Correct Answer: intention, intent
Q2.
In Elizabethan society, people largely believed in which of the following?
That they had free will over their lives.
Correct answer: That their lives were controlled by fate.
That they could change their destiny.
Q3.
Complete the quotation from Act 5, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet': "shake the yoke of inauspicious ".
Correct Answer: stars
Q4.
In Act 5, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Juliet refers to herself as which of the following?
"a scabbard"
Correct answer: "a sheath"
"a fool"
Q5.
In Act 5, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Romeo decides to kill himself to change his destiny. Why is this ironic?
He doesn't really mean it.
He doesn't end up killing himself.
Correct answer: His destiny is to die.
Q6.
'Unlucky, ill-omened, unfavourable' is the definition of which of the following?
inevitable
Correct answer: inauspicious
inhospitable