New
New
Year 11
Edexcel
'Romeo and Juliet': exploring Juliet's agency in Act 5, Scene 3
I can explain Juliet’s agency in Act 5, Scene 3 of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
New
New
Year 11
Edexcel
'Romeo and Juliet': exploring Juliet's agency in Act 5, Scene 3
I can explain Juliet’s agency in Act 5, Scene 3 of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- 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 fulfilling 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.
Keywords
Agency - the capacity of an individual to act independently from others and to make their own free choices
Fate - the development of events outside a person's control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power
Posthumous - happening or continuing after one's death
Common misconception
That everyone believes we all have control over our life and decisions.
If you believe in fate, then you believe that our life is predetermined and our decisions ultimately don't matter.
You might like to extend ideas around fate and agency to consider what Shakespeare might be saying about life and control in general.
Teacher tip
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
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.
The prologue of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' refers to Romeo and Juliet as " -crossed lovers".
Q2.
In Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Romeo and Juliet are fated to do which of the following?
live happily ever after
fall out of love with each other
Q3.
Starting with the first, put the events of Act 5, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' in chronological order.
Q4.
An imperative word is which of the following?
a question
a statement
Q5.
To undermine something means which of the following?
make it stronger
have no effect
Q6.
'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'?
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
'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'?
Q2.
In Act 5, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Friar Lawrence offers to do which of the following for Juliet?
bring her more poison
hide her in the tomb
Q3.
Arguably, fate and agency are __________ concepts.
complementary
corresponding
Q4.
Complete the quotation from Act 5, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet': “I will ray her statue in pure ”.
Q5.
'Happening or continuing after one's death' is the definition of which word beginning with 'p'?
Q6.
Complete the quotation from Act 5, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet': “O, happy dagger, / This is thy sheath. There rust, and me die.”