New
New
Year 11
Eduqas
'Romeo and Juliet': violence, honour and social hierarchy in Act 1, Scene 5
I can explain how violence, honour and social hierarchy are presented in Act 1, Scene 5 of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
New
New
Year 11
Eduqas
'Romeo and Juliet': violence, honour and social hierarchy in Act 1, Scene 5
I can explain how violence, honour and social hierarchy are presented in Act 1, Scene 5 of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Shakespeare presents Tybalt as seeing violence as a solution to problems.
- Arguably, Tybalt’s use of rhyming words could indicate he feels in control when committing violent acts.
- Tybalt's repeated reference to Romeo as a “villain” suggests he sees Romeo’s actions as dishonourable.
- Potentially, the fricative sounds in Tybalt’s speech could suggest he’s consumed by his views on honour.
- Lord Capulet establishes his dominance and authority over Tybalt in Act 1, Scene 5.
Keywords
Honour - a quality that combines respect, being proud, and honesty
Dishonour - a state of shame or disgrace
Hierarchy - a system in which people or things are arranged according to their importance
Belittle - dismiss (someone or something) as unimportant
Common misconception
Lord Capulet and Tybalt share the same views on all the Montagues.
While Lord Capulet wishes to join the fight in Act 1, Scene 1, he encourages Tybalt to leave Romeo alone at the Caplulet ball.
You might like to explore why Lord Capulet wanted to engage in a fight with the Montagues in Act 1, Scene 1 but calls for peace now - is he afraid of the Prince's threat? Or does he feel secure because he is in his own house?
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 sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
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.
Calling someone a 'villain' implies which of the following?
They have high morals
They are honourable.
Q2.
'A quality that combines respect, being proud, and honesty' is the definition of which of the following?
bravery
intelligence
Q3.
To "scorn" something means which of the following?
to celebrate it
to express admiration for it
Q4.
To be 'dominant' means which of the following?
to have no control over others
Q5.
In Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Tybalt says: "What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word". What impression does this give us of his character?
He will be a peacekeeper in the play.
He will be a comic character.
Q6.
'Sounds usually associated with letters such as 'f', 's', 'v' and 'z', in which the air passes through a narrow constriction' is the definition of which of the following?
euphonic sounds
plosive sounds
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
In Act 1, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Tybalt first action when seeing "a Montague" is to do which of the following?
ask security to escort him out
tell his uncle, Lord Capulet
Q2.
'A system in which people or things are arranged according to their importance' is the definition of which word beginning with 'h'?
Q3.
In Act 1, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Lord Capulet asks Tybalt to do which of the following?
challenge Romeo to a duel
find out how Romeo entered the party
Q4.
'To dismiss (someone or something) as unimportant' is the definition of which word beginning with 'b'?
Q5.
In Act 1, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Lord Capulet establishes his authority over Tybalt by repeatedly calling him a .
Q6.
In Act 1, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Tybalt's use of rhyme when talking about violence might suggest which of the following?
He feels violence is chaotic.
Violence feels monotonous and boring to him.