L ESSON P LANS & C OPYING M ASTERS
Elements of Literature
pages 959–989
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet,
Act III by William Shakespeare
Prereading
Background
Review Act II Before students begin to read Act III, have them recall
what has taken place in the play so far. Call on volunteers to
summarize the events of Acts I and II. Ask how Act II ends. (Romeo
and Juliet secretly marry.) Ask: What problems might arise for the
young couple because of the secrecy of their marriage? Ask students to
predict what will happen in Act III.
Alternative Teaching Strategy
Discuss the Plot Diagram Review with students the diagram on
student book page 897, and point out that in the pattern of
Shakespeare’s tragedies, Act III is the crisis, or turning point—the
moment when a choice made by the main characters determines
the direction of the action. On the board, write the heading
CRISIS/TURNING POINT, and tell students that as they read Act III, they
will identify the important choices the characters make.
Vocabulary Practice
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Especially for ELL
Preview Selection Vocabulary To aid
students’ comprehension, preview vocabulary that may be difficult
for them to define from context alone. Go over the following words
and their definitions, and ask volunteers to use the words in
sentences.
• occasion (p. 960): reason to do something
• vile (p. 961): evil; very bad
• submission (p. 961): yielding to another person
• slander (p. 962): false spoken statement meant to harm a person’s
reputation
• effeminate (p. 962): having the qualities of a woman
• dexterity (p. 965): skill in using the hands, body, or mind
• lamentation (p. 971): loud grief
• calamity (p. 972): great misfortune; serious trouble
• predicament (p. 975): difficult or bad situation
• digressing (p. 976): turning aside from the main subject
• perjury (p. 976): act of swearing under lawful oath that
something is true which one knows is false
SKILLS
FOCUS
Literary Skills
Analyze characteristics
of tragedy, including
complication, turning
point, and suspense.
Resources
In this book:
• Adapted Readings
• Vocabulary and
Comprehension, p. 353
• Additional Vocabulary
Practice, p. 354
Other Resources:
• Holt Adapted Reader
• Audio CD Library,
Selections and Summaries
in Spanish
• Supporting Instruction
in Spanish, p. 57
• Video Segment 12
Background
Point out examples of
soliloquies and asides.
Explain that a soliloquy is
a speech delivered by a
character who is alone
onstage, and an aside is a
comment a character makes
that is not heard by other
characters onstage. Tell
students that Shakespeare
used these devices to
provide information to the
audience and to reveal
characters’ private
thoughts.
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act III
349
Teacher Tip
Continue supporting
students’ comprehension of
the language used in the
play. Read the explanations
in the sidenotes with
students, answering
questions they may have
and providing any
additional information they
may need.
Remind students that many words and expressions that may be
unfamiliar to them are defined in notes at the side of the page on
which they appear. Tell students to refer to these notes whenever they
do not understand a character’s speech.
Reading
Alternative Activity
Read the Adaptation Distribute copies of the annotated version of
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act III, Scene 2 (available in this book
and, with marginal questions, in Holt Adapted Reader). Have all
students read the selection silently.
Alternative Teaching Strategies
Listen and Discuss Ask students to follow along in their books as
you read Act III aloud. Pause from time to time to discuss the plot
events and to ask the sidenote questions. Have students identify the
turning point of the play—Romeo’s killing of Tybalt—and
additional complications that arise, such as the marriage to Paris that
the Capulets arrange for Juliet. Record students’ responses in the plot
diagram on the board.
Make a Cause-and-Effect Chart Students may benefit from filling
Scene
2
Cause
Romeo was banished.
3
Romeo offered to stab
himself.
Paris came to see Capulet.
4
5
Lady Capulet told Juliet
about the marriage plans.
Effect
Juliet wept and talked of
death.
The Friar suggests a plan.
Capulet set a date for the
marriage of Paris and Juliet.
Juliet decided to go to the
Friar.
Core Skill Analyze Characterization As students read, ask them
to pay attention to the details of Romeo’s and Juliet’s speech and
actions that reveal their character traits. For example, in Scene 1,
Romeo tries to act as peacemaker between Tybalt and Mercutio and
refuses to react to Tybalt’s insults. Students should also pay attention
to how other characters act or speak. Have students create two lists of
character traits as they read, one for Romeo and one for Juliet. Tell
them to notice how the characters have changed since Act I. This
activity will prepare students for question 9 on page 988 of the
student book.
350
Lesson Plans
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
in a cause-and-effect chart, such as the one shown below, as they
read. Begin by pausing at the end of Scene 1 and asking what caused
Mercutio to draw his sword against Tybalt. (Tybalt challenged Romeo
to a duel, but Romeo refused to fight, so Mercutio wanted to fight in his
place.) Continue in this manner, pausing the reading after each scene
to establish the causes and effects of events.
Postreading
Listening and Speaking Opportunity
Read Aloud Remind students that plays are meant to be performed
by actors speaking the parts of the characters. Suggest that students
work in small groups to re-read parts of the play aloud.
• Select appropriate scenes, and assign the roles of the characters.
• Ask one student to read the setting information and stage
directions.
• Model how to read expressively, using appropriate stress, pitch,
tone, and rate.
SKILLS
FOCUS
Vocabulary Skill
Understand word origins.
Teacher Tip
Use the cause-and-effect
chart students created while
reading the play to
generate comprehension
questions after they finish
reading Act III.
Alternative Activity
Contrast a Character’s Emotions To point out the changes in
Juliet’s character over the course of the play, read aloud Juliet’s
soliloquy at the beginning of Act III. Ask students what feelings and
attitudes Juliet expressed in that speech. (She was upbeat, passionate,
and filled with joy.) Have students re-read the soliloquy that ends
Scene 5 of Act III and tell how Juliet has changed. (In this scene, she is
despairing, angry, and prepared to kill herself.)
Vocabulary Development
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Alternative Activity
Explore Names and Myths Provide students with additional
background on the origins of names. Explain that Mercury, from
which Mercutio’s name comes, is also the name of the planet closest
to the sun. Point out that the planet Mercury circles the sun faster
than the other planets, which is the reason it was named after the
swift messenger of the ancient Roman gods. On the board, write the
names of the other planets in the solar system. Have students work in
small groups and use a dictionary to trace the origins of the names.
Students should arrive at the following answers:
Venus
Roman goddess of love and beauty
Mars
Roman god of war
Jupiter
king of the Roman gods
Saturn
Roman god of the harvest
Uranus
in Roman mythology, the heavens; the husband of
Gaea, the Earth
Neptune
Roman god of the oceans
Pluto
Greek god of the underworld
Teacher Tip
Invite students to share the
origins and meanings of
their own names.
Core Skill
Use the resources in the
Core Reading Skills and
Strategies section of this
book to help students
having difficulty
understanding characters.
Use Act III of Romeo and
Juliet for the application
part of the lesson.
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act III
351
Literary Skills
Analyze characteristics of
tragedy, including
complication, turning point,
and suspense.
Resources
In this book:
• Adapted Readings
• Vocabulary and
Comprehension, p. 353
• Additional Vocabulary
Practice, p. 354
Other Resources:
• Holt Adapted Reader
• Audio CD Library,
Selections and Summaries
in Spanish
• Supporting Instruction
in Spanish, p. 57
• Video Segment 12
Teacher Tip
Some students may benefit
from creating a diagram
that shows the locations
and movements of
characters in each scene of
this long, complicated act.
Suggest that students write
words and phrases under
each diagram to help them
recall the characters
and events.
TARGETED S TRATEGIES
S TUDENTS
FOR
S PECIAL E DUCATION
Prereading
Background
Core Skill
Summarize and Make Predictions Refresh students’
memories by calling on volunteers to summarize what happened in
Acts I and II. Invite students to make predictions about what will
happen in Act III. Ask: Now that Romeo and Juliet are married, do you
think they will tell their families? What might happen to prevent them
from announcing their marriage?
Reading
Alternative Teaching Strategies
Summarize Scenes Students may benefit from breaking down Act III
into short reading assignments. During each session, have students read
only one scene. To make the play more accessible, summarize each
scene before assigning it to students to read.
Listen and Chart the Plot Students who have difficulty
understanding what they read may benefit from listening to you read
the scenes aloud as they follow along in their books. After students
have finished reading a scene, read selected passages aloud,
explaining the language and clarifying meaning. Then have students
work with a partner or in small groups to create a chart that details
the setting, characters in the scene, plot events, and causes of the
events.
Postreading
Additional Practice
Preview Response and Analysis Questions Before having
students answer the Response and Analysis questions, allow time for
discussion, clarification, and explanation of each question. Review
the boldfaced terms—complication, turning point, dynamic
characters, and suspense—as necessary. Help students find the
answers to the questions in the text.
Alternative Assessment
Check Comprehension To check understanding, ask students
comprehension questions about major plot events. Focus on the
turning point and complications. Guide students in finding the scene
or passage that will help them answer each question.
352
Lesson Plans
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
SKILLS
FOCUS
NAME _________________________________________________________ DATE ___________________
Vocabulary and Comprehension
Elements of Literature
pages 959–989
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet,
Act III
A. Match the following words with their definitions. Write the letter of the correct
definition on the line next to each word.
____ 1. vile
a. yielding to another person
____ 2. submission
b. skill in using the hands, body, or mind
____ 3. dexterity
c. difficult or bad situation
____ 4. calamity
d. evil; very bad
____ 5. predicament
e. turning aside from the main subject
____ 6. digressing
f. serious trouble
B. Choose a word from Exercise A. Use it in a sentence.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
C. Use the names of the characters in the box to answer the questions. You may use a
character’s name more than once. You will not use all the names in the box.
Romeo
Prince
Mercutio
Lord Capulet
Benvolio
Juliet
Tybalt
Nurse
Friar Lawrence
Paris
1. Who challenges Romeo to a duel? ________________________________________
2. Whom does Tybalt kill?
3. Who kills Tybalt?
__________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
4. Who sentences Romeo to be banished from Verona? ________________________
5. Who brings the news of Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s exile to Juliet? __________
6. Who hides in Friar Laurence’s cell? ________________________________________
7. Whom does Lord Capulet want Juliet to marry? ____________________________
8. Who tells Juliet to forget Romeo and marry Paris? __________________________
9. At the end of the act, to whom does Juliet go for advice?
__________________
Vocabulary and Comprehension
353
NAME _________________________________________________________ DATE ___________________
Additional Vocabulary Practice
Elements of Literature
pages 959–989
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet,
Act III
A. An adjective is a word that describes a person, place, or thing. Read the following
lines from Act III of the play. Write a definition for each underlined adjective. You
may use a dictionary if you need help.
1. “That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds, . . . ”
__________________________________________________________________________
2. “Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.”
__________________________________________________________________________
3. “Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here, / Shalt with him hence.”
__________________________________________________________________________
4. “O noble prince, I can discover all . . . ”
__________________________________________________________________________
5. “O courteous Tybalt! Honest gentleman!”
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
B. Complete each sentence with a word from the Word Bank.
1. It is ____________________ when you make a false statement about a person to hurt that person’s reputation.
2. Someone who is crying loudly is making a(n)
____________________.
Word Bank
eloquence
lamentation
slander
perjury
3. If you swear under oath that something is true even though
you know it isn’t, this is ____________________.
4. ____________________ is the art of speaking in a way that stirs people’s
feelings.
354
Additional Vocabulary Practice
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
6. “Hold thy desperate hand. / Art thou a man?”
Collection 11: Drama
Vocabulary and Comprehension
Visitor from Forest Hills
p. 333
A. 1. d
4. c
2. f
5. a
3. b
6. e
B. Sample answers given.
1. She wanted him to help her get Mimsey to
come out of the bathroom.
2. Mr. Hubley talked more about money.
3. She ripped her stockings.
4. She wanted to talk to her father.
5. She was afraid if she married Borden they
would become like her parents.
6. Borden convinced her to come out and get
married.
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act I
p. 341
A. 1. rebellious
4. pernicious
2. adversary
5. portentous
3. solemnity
6. transgression
B. Sample answers are given.
1. Juliet is not quite fourteen. Her father plans
to have her married soon.
2. Romeo and Benvolio know that Rosaline will
be at the party. Romeo wants to see her
because he loves her, and Benvolio wants to
prove to Romeo that she’s not as wonderful
as Romeo thinks.
3. They fall in love with each other.
4. They each discover that they have fallen in
love with their family’s enemy.
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act II
p. 347
A. 1. devise
4. lamentable
2. enmity
5. perverse
3. loathsome
6. forsaken
B. Sample answers given.
1. He overhears her talking to herself on her
balcony.
2. They plan to marry each other.
3. He hopes that their marriage will end the
feud between their families.
4. They are probably afraid that their families
will find out about their love and prevent
them from seeing each other again.
5. Friar Laurence is about to perform the
marriage ceremony.
404
Lesson Plans
The Tragedy of Romeo
p. 353
A. 1. d
4.
2. a
5.
3. b
6.
B. Sentences will vary.
C. 1. Tybalt
6.
2. Mercutio
7.
3. Romeo
8.
4. Prince
9.
5. Nurse
and Juliet, Act III
f
c
e
Romeo
Paris
Nurse
Friar Laurence
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act IV
p. 359
A. 1. e
4. f
2. c
5. d
3. a
6. b
B. Sample answers given.
1. She threatens to kill herself.
2. The potion will make Juliet look as if she is
dead, but she will wake up in forty-two
hours.
3. He intends to send a messenger to Mantua
with a letter for Romeo.
4. Instead of having another day to think
about taking the potion, she has to take it
that night.
5. They decide to take Juliet’s body to the
tomb at once.
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act V; Your
Laughter; How Do I Love Thee?
p. 365
A. 1. c
4. d
2. a
5. f
3. b
6. e
B. Sample answers given.
1. The house Friar John was visiting was
quarantined because of disease, so Friar
John could not go to Mantua.
2. Romeo kisses Juliet one last time, takes the
poison, and dies.
3. Friar Laurence leaves because he hears
people gathering outside the tomb.
4. She picks up Romeo’s dagger and stabs
herself because she wants to be with
Romeo.
5. They resolve to stop being enemies.
Dear Juliet; Romeo and Juliet in Bosnia
p. 371
A. 1. T
6. T
2. F
7. F
3. T
8. F
4. F
9. T
5. T
B. Answers will vary.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
B. Sample answers given.
1. shake with fear
2. three boys and a girl
3. he was in terrible pain
C. Sentences will vary.
Additional Vocabulary Practice
Visitor from Forest Hills
p. 334
A. Answers will vary.
B. 1. Conflict
4. bride
2. volatile
5. vehemence
3. torrent
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act I
p. 342
A. 1. agreement 4. friend
2. ordered
5. happiness
3. interest
6. languish
B. Sample answers given.
1. Don’t move if you’re looking for someone to
fight.
2. Where is Romeo? Did you see him today?
I’m very happy he wasn’t here at the fight.
3. Who is the woman with that knight over
there?
4. No, gentlemen, don’t get ready to leave.
We’re just about to serve the food.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
The Tragedy of Romeo
p. 348
A. 1. conjure
4.
2. perverse
5.
3. impute
6.
B. Sentences will vary.
and Juliet, Act II
forsaken
lamentable
incorporate
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act III
p. 354
A. Sample definitions given.
1. brave
2. extremely angry
3. very unfortunate or miserable
4. good; excellent
5. polite
6. without hope and ready to run any risk
B. 1. slander
2. lamentation
3. perjury
4. Eloquence
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act IV
p. 360
A. 1. slow, haste
2. deny, confess
3. slander, truth
4. death, life
5. lives, dies
6. melancholy or sad, cheer
B. 1. dead, deceased
2. lamentable, woeful
3. accursed, unhappy, wretched, hateful,
miserable
4. wronged, spited
5. despised, hated; martyred, killed
6. melancholy, sad
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act V; Your
Laughter; How Do I Love Thee?
p. 366
A. Sample definitions given.
1. praising too much or beyond the truth
2. full of joy; happy
3. not usual; unfamiliar
4. full of cheer; in good spirits
5. exiled
B. Sentences will vary.
Dear Juliet, Romeo and Juliet in Bosnia
p. 372
A. 1. g
5. c
2. h
6. e
3. a
7. d
4. f
8. b
B. Sentences will vary.
Collection 12: Consumer
and Workplace
Documents
Vocabulary and Comprehension
Reading Consumer Documents
p. 376
A. 1. g
6. j
2. i
7. b
3. f
8. e
4. h
9. a
5. c
10. d
B. Sentences will vary.
C. Sample answers given.
1. Product information includes technical
directions. It also includes many other
things, such as a warranty and an instruction
manual.
2. A warranty tells when and under what
conditions a product or a product part can
be returned for replacement or repair. A
contract gives information on a product’s
legal use.
Following Technical Directions
p. 379
A. 1. d
4. c
2. e
5. a
3. b
B. 1. search engine
2. customize
3. technical directions
C. Sample answers given.
1. A VCR, a microwave, or a computer might all
come with technical directions.
2. A good strategy is to pay attention and to
follow each step carefully.
Answer Key
405