NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
9.1.3
DRAFT
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 10
Lesson 10
Introduction
In this lesson, students close read Act 3.1, lines 59–110. In this excerpt, Tybalt kills Mercutio.
Guided by a set of text-dependent questions, students will engage in a collaborative analysis of the
multifaceted motivations of three of Shakespeare’s complex characters. These text-dependent
questions will prompt students to explore Shakespeare’s figurative language and word choice in order
to prepare students to respond independently to the three writing prompts found on their Lesson 10
Tool.
The first two prompts on the Lesson 10 Tool ask students to consolidate and summarize the analysis
they have performed as a class. The final prompt asks that students independently develop a claim to
address the lesson’s focusing question: Who is to blame for Mercutio’s death? Students will craft their
response into a brief paragraph. This writing exercise will allow students to practice developing and
supporting a claim by synthesizing information gathered throughout the lesson in order to structure an
effective argument. For homework, students will briefly respond to a vocabulary focused writing
prompt.
Standards Addressed
Assessed Standard(s)
RL.9-10.3
Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting
motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and
advance the plot or develop the theme.
Addressed Standard(s)
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
RL.9-10.1
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.9-10.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of
specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense
of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
CCRA.R.7
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1
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 10
Assessment
Assessment(s)
Lesson 10 Tool
High Performance Response(s)
•
See Model Lesson 10 Tool for High Performance Responses.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary to provide directly (will not include extended instruction)

appertaining (v.) – belonging or being connected as a rightful part

alla stoccado (n.) – a stab or thrust with a fencing sword

pilcher (n.) – a scabbard for a sword

rapier (n.) – a thin, light, sharp pointed sword for thrusting

passado (n.) – a thrust in fencing with one foot advanced

bandying (v.) – exchanging back and forth

sped (adj.) – finished (archaic)

peppered (adj.) – ruined (archaic)

braggart (n.) – a person who brags about achievements or possessions
Vocabulary to teach (may include direct word work and/or text-dependent questions)

tender (v.) – to hold something dear, to value

dishonorable (adj.) – lacking honor, shameful

grave (n.) – a place where dead people are buried; (adj.) – serious or solemn
Lesson Agenda/Overview
Student-Facing Agenda
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% of Lesson
Standards: RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.4, ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7
Text: Romeo and Juliet, Act 3.1, lines 59–110
Introduction of Lesson Agenda
Homework Accountability
Film: Romeo + Juliet (55:57–1:00:10)
Text-Dependent Questions and Lesson 10 Tool
Closing
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5%
10%
75%
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NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Materials
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•
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Film Tool: Stylistic Choices
Film Clip: Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (55:57–1:00:10)
Lesson 10 Tool
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3
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 10
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 10
DRAFT
Learning Sequence
Percentage Teacher Actions
of Lesson
5%
Students look at the agenda.
Homework Accountability
Instruct students to talk in pairs about how
they can apply their focus standard to their
text. Lead a brief share out on the previous
lesson’s AIR homework assignment. Select
several students (or student pairs) to explain
how they applied their focus standard to their
AIR text.
10%
Instructional Notes (extensions,
supports, common
misunderstandings)
Introduction of Lesson Agenda
Begin by reviewing the agenda and sharing
the standards for this lesson: RL.9-10.1, RL.910.3, RL.9-10.4, ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7.
5%
Student Actions
Students (or student pairs) discuss and
share how they applied their focus
standard to their AIR text from the
previous lesson’s homework.
Film: Romeo + Juliet
Begin the lesson by watching a four-minute
clip of Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (55:57–
1:00:10). This clip encompasses the key
events of Act 2.6 and introduces students to
the events of Act 3.1, providing the necessary
context for close reading of lines 59–110 in
this lesson.
Students watch film and take notes on
their tool.
Key events in 55:57–1:00:10:

Romeo and Juliet get married.

Tybalt challenges Mercutio.
Hand out blank copies of the Film Tool:
Stylistic Choices (see Lesson 2).
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


File: 9.1.3 Lesson 10 Date: 8/31/13 Classroom Use: Starting 9/2013
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Sample film debrief questions:
4
Where are these scenes set?
How does this influence your
understanding of the action of
the scene?
What important props did the
characters use in these
scenes? Why do you think
these props were emphasized?
How were the characters
dressed? What might their
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 10
DRAFT
Play film clip (55:57–1:00:10).
Lead a brief class discussion on student
observations of Luhrmann’s stylistic choices
(see Lesson 2 Model Film Tool). Check for
student comprehension of the key events.
75%


costumes suggest about these
characters?
What sounds did you hear?
What effect is Luhrmann
creating with sound?
What did you notice about the
lighting in these scenes? What
effect is Luhrmann creating
with light?
Text-Dependent Questions and Lesson 10 Tool
Hand out Lesson 10 Tool.
Explain that you will be pausing the class
discussion today at strategic points for
students to respond to the three writing
prompts found on their tools.
Students follow along, silently reading the
Lesson 10 tool.
Explain that the first two prompts on the
Lesson 10 Tool ask students to summarize
some of the main ideas they have been
discussing in class. The last prompt asks
students to take a position and defend it with
evidence from the text. The Lesson 10 Tool
will be collected at the end of class.
Instruct students to form small
heterogeneous groups according to
established protocols. Consider instructing
student groups to divide the lines according
to characters, with one student reading the
part of Benvolio, another the part of Tybalt,
and another the part of Romeo.
Students read aloud in groups, assisting
peers with fluency, pacing, and emphasis.
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5
The goal here is for students to
begin to recognize the complex
character dynamics of this excerpt,
as well as familiarize themselves
with language and key events of
the scene before beginning a more
detailed analysis.
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 10
DRAFT
Have students read the entire excerpt (Act
3.1, lines 59–110) aloud in these groups.
Direct students to reread lines 59–65. At the
same time, display the following questions for
students to discuss in their groups. Student
groups should be prepared to share their
thoughts with the class.
1. What reason does Romeo have to love
Tybalt?
2. What course of action does Romeo
advocate in response to Tybalt’s insult? What
in the text makes you think so?
Lead class discussion of group responses.
Student responses may include the
following:
1. Juliet, or more specifically Romeo’s
marriage to Juliet, is the “reason of
[Romeo’s] love” for Tybalt. Tybalt is Juliet’s
cousin. Now that Juliet is Romeo’s wife,
Tybalt and Romeo share a common family
bond.
2. Romeo wants to walk away from Tybalt.
He is refusing to fight him. Students point
to Romeo’s statement “therefore,
farewell” as evidence.
If students struggle to make the
connection, point them to the List
of Roles in their text and ask the
following scaffolding questions:

What is Tybalt’s relationship to
Juliet?
Tybalt and Juliet are cousins.

What relationship does Romeo
have with Juliet?
Juliet is Romeo’s wife.

What relationship does Romeo
have with Tybalt?
Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, is now
related to Romeo through
marriage.
Additional scaffolding for lines 59–
66:

Have students reread lines 70–71. Display the
following questions for students to discuss in
their groups:
3. What clues in this sentence can help you to
understand what Romeo means by tender in
3. Students circle the word “dearly” to help
them understand that “tender” in this
context is a verb that means "to hold
something dear," or "to value something."
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6
In this passage, what does
Tybalt call Romeo? Circle your
answer in the text.
Students should circle the
word villain.
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 10
this context? Circle your answer and be ready
to share.
4. Why does Romeo "tender" the name of
Capulet as "dearly as his own"?
4. Romeo holds the name of Capulet as
dearly as he holds his own because he
loves Juliet and is now married to her.
5. What shift in Romeo’s allegiances does this
statement suggest?
5. Since Romeo “tender[s]” the name of
Capulet as much as the name of Montague,
then perhaps he no longer feels like the
Capulets are his enemies. Students might
further infer that his love of the “name”
(line 70) is a metaphor for the love of the
family itself, so here Romeo is saying that
he loves the Montagues and Capulets
equally.
Lead a brief class discussion of student
responses.
Direct students to the first Quick Write on
their Lesson 10 Tool: Why won’t Romeo fight
Tybalt?
Quick Write: See Model Lesson 10 Tool for
sample student response.
Instruct students to take two minutes to write
a response or two or three sentences, calling
upon the analysis of lines 59–71 that they
completed in their groups.
Direct students to reread lines 72–89 in their
groups.
Display the following questions for students
to discuss in their groups:
6. Students to identify the word honor in
the word dishonorable. The prefix dismakes the word mean the opposite of the
core word. In this case, dishonorable
means "without honor," or "shameful."
6. What root word do you see in dishonorable
(line 72)? How does the prefix dis- change the
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7
Remind students that this is an
informal writing exercise. They
should not worry about grammar,
spelling, etc.
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
core meaning of this word?
7. What does Mercutio find dishonorable?
Circle the words in line 72 that act as clues.
Lead class discussion of student responses.
Read aloud lines 72–83. Focus student
listening with the following activity:
As you listen, read along in the text and circle
all the stage directions that you see.
7. Students circle the words “calm” and/or
“submission”. Mercutio finds Romeo’s
calmness in the face of Tybalt’s insult
dishonorable. He sees Romeo’s refusal to
fight as a shameful surrender to an enemy,
an act of “vile submission” (line 72).
8. Students determine by Mercutio’s
actions (as indicated in the stage directions
“Draws” and “They fight”) that Mercutio
thinks fighting is the honorable response to
Tybalt’s insult.
Lead a brief class recap of stage directions
students have circled, then display the
following question for students to discuss in
their groups:
8. Based on what Mercutio does, what course
of action does he believe to be honorable?
Direct students to respond independently to
the second Quick Write on their Lesson 10
Tool: Why does Mercutio fight Tybalt?
Quick Write 2: See Lesson 10 Model Tool
for sample student response.
Circle the room and provide support when
necessary.
Instruct students to reread lines 84–89.
Pose the following question for students to
discuss in their groups:
9. Students underline the stage direction
beneath line 89 "Tybalt under Romeo’s arm
thrusts Mercutio" and "flies," to explain
that Tybalt has injured Mercutio.
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Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 10
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 10
9. Who is responsible for Mercutio’s injury?
Underline the words from the text that
support your answer.
Direct students to reread lines 100–105.
Pose the following question for students to
discuss in their groups:
10. Who does Mercutio say is responsible for
his injury? Underline the lines in the text that
makes you think so.
10. Students underline lines 104–105, “why
the devil came you between us? I was hurt
under your arm,” to explain that Mercutio
is saying that it is Romeo’s fault that he is
injured.
Circulate and observe student discussion,
assist only as needed.
Direct students to reread lines 91–110 in
pairs. Pose the following questions for class
discussion:
11. What phrase do you see repeated in this
section? Underline it every time it appears.
What does Mercutio mean by this? Who does
Mercutio blame for his injuries here?
Direct students to question 3 on their Lesson
10 Tool: Who is to blame for Mercutio’s
death?
Instruct students to review the sections of the
text that they’ve underlined, and then write a
short paragraph, using evidence from these
sections in their response
11. Mercutio repeats "a plague a’ both
your houses" three times between lines 91
and 110. Some students might note that he
shouts the more abbreviated "your
houses!" a fourth time in line 110.
Mercutio is blaming the two feuding
families (the Montagues and the Capulets)
for his injuries.
Students craft brief written response to the
Lesson 10 focusing question (See Model
Lesson 10 Tool for sample student
response).
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9
If necessary, this final prompt can
be completed as homework or
used as a guide for full class
discussion.
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 10
Collect Lesson 10 Tools.
5%
Closing
Remind students that for homework they will
generate two meanings that they think are
appropriate for the word “grave” in the
context of this close reading, and then
respond in writing to the following question:
Why does Mercutio choose this word to
describe himself? Students should be
prepared to offer their definitions of grave
and turn in their written responses at the
beginning of Lesson 11.
Students respond in writing to the guiding
prompt.
Homework
Reread aloud lines 90–105. The word grave can have several meanings. Offer two meanings that you think are appropriate in the context of this
close reading, and then respond in writing to the following question: Why does Mercutio choose this word to describe himself? Use evidence
from the text to support your response.
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10
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 10
Lesson 10 Tool
1. Why won’t Romeo fight Tybalt? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
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2. Why does Mercutio fight Tybalt? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
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3. Who is to blame for Mercutio’s death? Support your assertion with evidence from the text.
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11
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
DRAFT
Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 10
Model Lesson 10 Tool
1. Why won’t Romeo fight Tybalt?
Romeo won’t fight Tybalt because he “has a reason to love” Tybalt. The reason Romeo has to love Tybalt is that he is married to Romeo’s cousin
Juliet. Romeo loves Juliet and thinks of her as his family, so he loves Tybalt and thinks of him as his family too. Romeo tells Tybalt this when he
says that he holds the name of Capulet “as dearly as mine own” (line 71). Romeo’s love for Juliet has helped him to understand that the blood
feud between the Montagues and the Capulets is pointless and wrong because he feels an allegiance to both families now.
2. Why does Mercutio fight Tybalt?
Mercutio fights Tybalt because he thinks that Romeo is being “dishonorable” (line 72) in not responding angrily to Tybalt’s insult. Mercutio
describes Romeo’s “calm” (line 72) unwillingness to fight as “vile submission” (line 72) because he understands Romeo’s lack of action as a
shameful surrender to a man who has insulted Romeo and by extension all Montagues. Therefore, Mercutio fights Tybalt because he is trying to
uphold the Montague family honor.
3. Who is to blame for Mercutio’s death?
The bloody family feud between the Montagues and the Capulets is to blame for Mercutio’s death. Although Mercutio was stabbed by Tybalt’s
sword, he ultimately places the blame not on the individual man, but on the Montague and Capulet families. After Mercutio is injured he shouts
“a plague a’ both your houses,” which means that he is cursing both the house of Montague and the house of Capulet. If Mercutio just blamed
Tybalt for his injury, he would only have cursed the house of Capulet, not both houses. Mercutio shouts this same curse three different times, in
lines 92, 101, and finally in line 108 where he follows his curse with the explanation that “they have made worms' meat of me” (line 109). Here he
is clearly blaming both families for his approaching death – it is their fault that he will soon be buried in the ground and will decompose. It is clear
from his repetition of this curse that Mercutio blames the family feud between the Montagues and the Capulets for his death. The feud is what
makes Mercutio feel like he has to defend the Montague family honor against Tybalt’s insult. If he hadn’t tried to defend the family honor, he
never would have been injured.
Note: Students might provide a variety of contradictory responses to answer this question. Some students might argue that Tybalt is to blame for
Romeo’s death, because Tybalt is the one who dealt the killing blow with his rapier (“Tybalt under Romeo’s arm thrusts Mercutio in and flies”
(line 90)). Other students might make the claim that Romeo is to blame for Tybalt’s death, because when he tried to stop the fight between
Romeo and Tybalt he came between them, and so Tybalt was able to go beneath Romeo’s arm and stab Tybalt (“why the devil came you
between us? I was hurt under your arm” (line 105)) As long as students make a claim and support it with evidence from the text, they have
accomplished the primary goal of the assignment.
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