Due Date: 9 November, 2009 (for Day 2) Hughes

10 November, 2009 (Day 1) Lord Byng

MEN08-BA
Term 1 Major Project:
Romeo and Juliet
Value: 35% of Term 1

Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of a given theme in William Shakespeare's
Romeo and Juliet and the role of astrology in supporting that theme.

Method: Students will work in groups of 5 as determined by the teacher. If a group of fewer than 5 is
necessary due to class size, an alternate arrangement will be made. Each student will have a distinctly
individual component of the project to do. Students will be provided with a piece of poster board
which they will use as one of the core materials in their project. ALL groups must incorporate their
poster board in a way that adds to their analysis. Use of the poster board does not have to be the
“traditional” use of a poster board, in fact, you are encouraged to think beyond the “traditional.” For
example, feel free to cut it, colour it, make it into papier mache, turn it into a mobile, or make it into a
structure or shape, to name just a few ideas; your imagination is the limit. BUT, however you choose to
use the poster board, the poster board material should contribute to the theme you have chosen and the
role that astrology plays in revealing, or making obvious, the theme.

Marking: Students will be marked both individually and as a group.

Marking will be done based on a rubric provided toward the onset of the project.

Individual marking will account for 80% of the mark.

Group marking will account for 20% of the mark.

Themes you may choose from: Time, Destiny, or Light. Remember, you have the following web site
as a reference: http://www.shakespeare-online.com/playanalysis/romeocommentary.html

How to go about the project:

1. Once you are in your group, decide who will be responsible for each of the five (5) Acts within
the play; a different Act for each group member.

2. Once you have your Act, look through that Act in the play. You will likely want/need to use the
following web site which has modern English translations sitting side-by-side with the original
text: http://nfs.sparknotes.com/romeojuliet/

3. Take a piece of paper and make three (3) vertical columns. Label one column Time, another,
Destiny, and the third, Light. In an alternate colour, you will make notes on astrological
evidence for each column.

4. Read through your Act and see what you find that relates to Time, Destiny, or Light. So, if you
are responsible for Act I then read through using the http://nfs.sparknotes.com/romeojuliet/
translations to see how many references to each of the themes are there and then write down the
Act, scene and line numbers of the example and the first 5 words of the quotation. In separate
 colour you'll write down any astrological references that exist under the themes.

EXAMPLE:
“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.” (II, ii, 2-3)

fit a theme AND relate to astrology?

• It fits the theme of light = light

• Juliet is seen as bright and like a breaking dawn = light
• Juliet is described as the sun = astrology

5. As a group come together and see if there is one theme that interests you more than the others
and how astrology fits into the the examples. For example, how does the line,

6. As a group, what do you think is being shown to the reader about that idea (theme) if you look
at ALL of the Acts?

7. How could you create something, using a poster board as one of your main materials, that
would help to explain that theme (idea) as it exists throughout the play? Each Act should have
at least ONE of the theme examples --- but use as many as you have per Act.

8. For each theme example, provide a quotation and a visual.

9. You each need to be responsible for your own Act of the play which can then fit INTO the
project. So, if you are working on Act III, you need to be able to work on it on your own, and
then it will be put together with Acts I, II, IV, and V so that it becomes part of the project as a
WHOLE. As a group, you will have to work together to decide how to integrate the Acts.
.
10. 80% of your mark is based on your independent work on the Act which is your responsibility.

11. 20% of your mark is based on how you work as a group to bring the 5 Acts together into ONE
project and represent how the theme works in all 5 Acts so that it is present as a theme in the
PLAY not only as a theme in the Act.

Marking: See Rubrics on separate hand out.

All Projects MUST have:

➢ the contents of one poster board as part of their make up.
➢ 5 Acts represented
➢ A Common Theme that is clearly evident in EACH of the Acts.
➢ Minimum of ONE (1) quotation for each Act that represents the theme.
➢ Minimum of ONE (1) visual to support the quotation and the theme.
➢ Minimum of ONE (1) astrological reference.
➢ 350 - 450 words (in 1 or 2 paragraphs) written in Literary Analysis format as taught and
incorporated into the project. This written section must discuss and explain HOW the examples
of the theme and astrology that you have cited work to support an overall theme of the play.
(you'll be receiving further instructions on written section and also the literary response rubric).