Today's lesson topics were: dramatic irony, puns, and soliloquy . Aiden reviewed Romeo's dialogue with Tybalt and identified dramatic irony and reviewed Mercutio's dying speech and identified the use of puns . I further explained the critical purpose of soliloquies as a vehicle for character insight and as a source of dramatic irony. Last, we noted famous lines from the play such as " a plague on both your houses," and the import of Romeo's claim that he is "fortunes' fool" when perhaps it is just he who acts foolishly.
We reviewed the function of the foil and discussed Romeo and Mercutio as contrasting characters with conflicting values.We then explored thematically why as a dramatist Shakespeare necessarily must "kill " Mercutio so that Romeo's romantic love triumphs over pure physical desire. I then explained how tragedies resolve conflicts through death while the comedies resolve conflicts with a harmonious end. We then listened to an audio version of the final scenes of Act II and the beginning of Act III wherein Mercutio is slain by Tybalt.
We examined Juliet as a three dimensional character as well as the significance of Friar Lawerence's warning that "too swift arrives as tardy as too slow." Aiden did well in recognizing as an act of independence and rebellion Juliet 's decision to marry against the wishes of her father. In this way, Juliet becomes a nuanced character. We further worked on and completed a quote analysis paragraph discussing how the Friar's ongoing admonition against haste supports an interpretation of the play suggesting that Romeo and Juliet's tragic end is not just an act of Fate or Destiny but a consequence of their choices and actions .
After we studied and viewed a clip of the raucous street scene featuring Mercutio's bawdy wit, we addressed Friar Lawrence's role in the play as a vehicle to assess the character flaw of both Romeo and Juliet. We specifically studied Friar Lawrence's warnings to the young couple that "violent delights have violent ends" and noted his advice to love "moderately" -again raising a theory of tragedy based on character flaw, here impulsive haste, rather than fate. We further noted the influence of Petrarch on Romeo's speeches wherein he grandly announces his deep love for Juliet.
We explored two critical areas in Act II (ii) wherein Friar Lawrence appears. First ,we discussed his homily that strained from its fair use virtue turns to vice and vice becomes the right action. We noted how Juliet is breaking social and gender norms by disobeying her father and customs and in this way her prior virtue is "strained' from fair use. We further studied the Friar's exhortation that "they stumble who run fast" suggesting a theory of tragedy that relies more on character flaw than on Fortune or destiny. I explained the metaphorical reference of stumbling or falling as a verbal representation of the tragic fall.
We studied the dramatic foil by comparing and contrasting Mercuito and Romeo. Studying the text, we noted how Mercutio's vulgarity contrasts with Romeo's romanticized view of love . We further examined Romeo's use of metaphor and Juliet's use of oxymorons. I also noted the many common aphorisms that appear in the reading: parting is such sweet sorrow, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Last, we addressed Juliet's character transformation from an obedient daughter to one who would defy her parents and disown her own name.
We noted how Romeo's speech foreshadowing his untimely death illustrates why this tragedy is often described as a tragedy of Fortune, not of character. We further studied how Romeo's initial speech upon seeing Juliet is reminiscent of the Petrarchan sonnet. I discussed Petrarch and Shakespeare as a product of the Renaissance .We then together examined Romeo's first dialogue with Juliet and studied the extended metaphor describing Romeo's first kiss in terms of saints, pilgrims ,and palmers (those who returned from pilgrimages with palms).
We first studied Shakespeare's use of extended metaphors and puns. After reviewing Aiden's study guide work ,we continued examining the next scenes wherein Juliet evidences traditional values of obedience toward the wishes of her parents, a value she will soon abandon after meeting Romeo. I further focused on areas of the text evidencing Romeo's separation or remove from his counterparts, specifically Mercutio. In this regard, I explained the definition and use of the dramatic foil.
Aiden is doing very well in his reading of Shakespeare. He noted today the impact of the rhythmic lines and the rhyming couplets commenting that the text could lend itself to music very readily. We further noted Romeo's idealization of Rosaline who interestingly is a Capulet . We then focused on a new character, Juliet's garrulous nurse who humorously avoids brevity and relevance at every turn. Aiden enjoyed reading aloud her long winded speeches. We further reviewed the study guide work for scenes ii and iii.
