Intro Quiz: The balcony scene (Part 2)

Video: The balcony scene (Part 2)

﻿Hey, everybody. Welcome back to lesson eight of the Romeo and Juliet series. My name is Ms. Mackay, and this lesson is the balcony scene. Part Two. Last lesson we observed the balcony scene. We unpicked the way in which Romeo and Juliet were presented to the audience at this really crucial moment in their romance. If you remember, Romeo has scaled the Capulet wall into Juliet's garden after the party, and he finds Juliette's standing on her balcony, declaring her love as luck would have it for Romeo. The two lovers then discuss their infatuation and incredible detail and they decide it's time to get engaged. Now, in Last lesson, we focused on the character specifically. This lesson, we're going to go back to the balcony scene and consider the methods that Shakespeare uses to present their relationship to the audience. What does he want us to consider and understand about this relationship, as it's being born and grown in this very important scene? Before we get started, make sure you're in a really nice, quiet place to learn no notifications going off and distracting you. And make sure that you've got your notes from previous lessons, particularly last lesson and a pen and paper to makes more notes to help you answer that big question at the end of the lesson. Okay. Ready to go? Let's get started.

So what's today's big question? How does Shakespeare present Romeo and Juliet relationship in Act Two Scene Two, the balcony scene? The structure for today's lesson, Key vocabulary and terminology. Part two: Exploring staging. Part three: Commenting on staging. Part four: Applying our learning. And Part five, that's the review quiz.

Okay, so we've got two key words that we're going to go through in the lesson today. Both of these are examples of vocabulary that can be used to articulate and comment on the relationship between Romeo and Juliet in the play. Specifically at this point, they're really important. So make sure you write them down and the definitions so you can refer confidently to them later in the lesson. Let's find out what they are? In this lesson, We'll be learning the nouns, obstacle and doom. Obstacle is defined as a thing that blocks someone's way or prevents progress. Take a look at the image I've chosen from the right hand side. We've got barbed wire, a high fence, an obstacle. It wouldn't be very easy for us to get past that, it's blocking our way and preventing us from going through. An example in a sentence, "There were many obstacles to face before they got to the end of the journey." The second word for today, is the noun 'doom'. Doom is defined, "Certain to lead to death, destruction or a negative outcome." Example in a sentence, "They followed the path to that doom." We've got a picture here on the right hand side of a destructive, vicious, violent fire that could represent doom. True or false. An obstacle is something you would wish and hope for. Three, two, one. That one's false. You wouldn't hope for something to get in your way and prevent progress. Which of the following is not an example of an obstacle that could impact your life? Friendship. Sickness. Lack of education. And Poverty. Three, two, one. Friendship. Friendship is less likely to be an obstacle and more likely to be something that is supportive and helpful. Remember an obstacle doesn't have to be something physical, like a wall of barbed wire. These obstacles of sickness, poverty and lack of education are more broad obstacles that can affect your life. Which of the following would be considered a synonym of the word 'doom'. Remember synonym is a word that you could use in place of a similar word. Option Joy. failure. Mystery. And Progress. Three, two, one. Option Failure. True or false? The audience already knows that Romeo and Juliet are doomed. Three, two, one. That one is true. We found out that their star crossed lovers would take their own life were doomed to death, right in the prologue. In this key lesson, we're also going to learn the method of staging. We're going to apply this method throughout the lesson. So do make sure you're taken out of the definition? It's defined as the method of presenting props and objects on stage to create meaning. The features of staging. Adapting the physical space of the stage to draw attention to key moments or ideas using props and items on stage to create meaning or allowing the audience to understand characters more quickly. Remember the swords that the Capulet and Montague's servants were carrying in the first scene, that would be an example of a prop to create meaning. A sword in the hand of a character could suggest or imply violence or aggression. shifting items onstage also can demonstrate changes in the narrative. So that's another way a writer can use staging, which of the following is not an example of staging that we've already seen in the play. The swords of the servants in Act 1. The guitar that Romeo's playing in Act 1. The high water of the capita garden. Or The masks at the Capulet ball. Three, two, one. Sadly, option . We never see Romeo playing the guitar. He doesn't have a musical number. C'mon Shakespeare. Which of the following would not be considered a reason to adapt staging? Quickly convey meaning to an audience. Allow the audience to understand the character. Draw attention to key moments of the story. or To ensure the audience are not bored. Three, two, one. It's option . That's a very vague reason for a writer to do anything. Staging is all about meaning and the audience's attention and understanding. True or false? Staging helps the writer communicate with the audience in a play. Three, two, one, True. Staging is a physical demonstration of meaning. So the writer wouldn't have to include any dialogue, they explain something. By including a prop or an item on stage. You could simply communicate the meaning to them.

Okay. Part Two: visualising Staging. In this section, we're going to re-watch a section of the cinematic version of Romeo and Juliet. The one creates by Baz Luhrmann, his film presentation. Now a film maker, a director uses staging in a similar way to a writer and playwright. They play with and manipulate the visual presentation props, costume set up in order to create meaning and understanding for an audience. We're first going to consider the purposeful visual choices made by Baz Luhrmann in the contemporary adaptation and consider how an audience might interpret these and respond to the character in Romeo and Juliet relationship. Let's take a look.

Okay. So here's a reminder of Act 2, scene 2 that we looked at last lesson, the balcony scene. Remember, Romeo wanted to try and find Juliet. After the masquerade ball was over. He left his friends, Benvolio and Mercutio, and he hid in an orchard behind Juliet's house. He jumps over a high wall into Juliet's garden. And although Benvolio and Mercutio try to find him, they eventually leave him behind. Romeo stands beneath Juliet's balcony and watches her as she appears. Juliet makes a speech which reveals her love for Romeo, which he listens to you before revealing his presence. The two lovers exchanged messages of devotion and agreed to be married. The nurse interrupts their exchanges of love and the two part ready to be wed the following afternoon. So before we explore the scene and more detail, we're going to watch another section of the Baz Luhrmann and film presentation of Act 2, Scene 2. This visual presentation will help us really consider staging in more detail. Remember, that's the physical demonstration of things onstage. So look at what the director has chosen to include and use within the staging. What visual details do you notice? What meaning could they have? And how do the actors use or move around the staging? Let's take a look.

Oh!

It stopped. What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who's already sick and pale with grief, that thou, her maid, art far more fair than she. Be not her maid since she is envious. Her vestal livery is but sick and green, And none but fools do wear it. Oh! Cast it off. Oh! O. It is my lady, O, it is my love! O, that she knew she were!

Ay me.

She speaks. Speak again Bright angle.

Romeo, O Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?

Okay. Did you pick out any of these visual elements, the balcony, the swimming pool, the ladder on the wall, the fairy lights, the statues, the security cameras, all of these were picked for this contemporary adaptation of the text by Baz Luhrmann, the director. Each of them could be suggested to create meaning for an audience. For example, what meaning could be generated by this cinematic staging? What about the fairy lights? Well, a fairy light could have connotations of romance, childishness and innocence, naivety, beauty celebration or magic. So including the fairy lights in the staging could suggest the naive innocence of the young lovers or hyme to the magical nature of their courtship. What about the security cameras? Security cameras could have connotations of danger, suspense, violence, drama, observation, guards, or scrutiny. So including the security cameras in part of this scene could suggest Juliet is protected and sheltered. It could also hint at the danger and peril that Romeo and Juliet are involved in.

Okay. So Part Three, considering and commenting on staging. We've already taken a look at the cinematic representation of this scene in the Baz Luhrmann edition, and considered how a choice visually made by director can convey meaning to an audience. Now we going to consider the theatrical staging referred to by Shakespeare and his Elizabethan Play text We going to consider the choices that he made, both in the dialogue and stage directions to allow the audience to understand what was happening on stage. Remember, in the Elizabethan period, the staging wouldn't necessarily have been physically there on stage. A lot of the references that Shakespeare makes to things in dialogue is to help his audience to imagine what is actually there. He's telling them, "If he can't afford a giant Cauldron or a fire breathing dragon," he'd say, "Oh, look a Cauldron." in someone's dialogue. So the audience knows, right, I understand. That's what's there. It's a clever way of going around the lack of stage props that they might've had during Elizabethan times. So let's look closely at some of the specific references he made. If you made them, there's a reason for it. How does staging help us understand and interpret the relationship between Romeo and Juliet? Let's find out.

So now let's take a look at some of the staging included in some of the original stage directions of Shakespeare. The first one is the high orchard wall that's referred to in the dialogue. Now, what does the high orchard wall make you think of? Check out this picture on the right hand side, what meaning could be conveyed? What connotations could it have? Take 30 seconds for the image to bullet point your ideas, pause the video and click play to resume once you're finished. Let's try another one. What about the balcony? The balcony is a really important part of the scene. It's called the balcony scene. So why was it included in the scene? What does it make you think of? What meaning could it convey? What could it symbolise? Take 30 seconds for this image to bullet point your ideas, pause the video and click play to resume when you are finished. Okay. So here's my ideas. The orchard wall could present an obstacle, a block barrier, a challenge, a difficulty or something strong and sturdy. The balcony could also present an obstacle, distance, separation. Remember, Romeo is down at the bottom. Juliet's up at the top. They're fairly separate from one another. That could also suggest power and status. Juliet has higher. Is she more powerful? How higher state than Romeo? Then with the fact that Juliet is up high, could've suggest hazard, purity, an angelic kind of idea surrounding Juliet, The obstacle of the wall it's tall, it's hard to climb. That's what Juliet says in the dialogue. So it represents a physical and perhaps symbolic representation of the challenges in their relationship, the obstacles between them. So Romeo and Juliet relationship. That's the focus of the big question. So what we could say is that Shakespeare presents Romeo climbing the high garden wall of the Capulet household, using the staging to suggest their relationship will have many obstacles and barriers. He might be suggesting the great difficulties they will face, or even their relationship is doomed because of the strength of this wall. He could also be suggesting the great force and strength of their love. The fact that Romeo isn't stopped by the wall that he's able to overcome and leap over the walls to get to Juliet shows the force and strength and power of his love. What about the balcony? Well, remember Shakespeare presents Juliet standing on the balcony. So it could symbolically suggest through the staging that Juliet is having the impure. It could also suggest as a great distance between the two lovers, perhaps their love is doomed. They will never be able to get to one another. It could also suggest that Juliet has power over Romeo because she's higher than him, has higher status. All of these interpretations could be correct. And there could be many more that you could come up with as well. I'm sure. Okay. So which two aspects of staging are significant in Act 2, Scene 2. The orchard walls. The sunset. The gravestones. The balcony. Three, two, one. Balcony and the higher orchard walls. True or false? Shakespeare uses the staging of the balcony scene to emphasise Juliet submissive character. Three, two, one. That one's false. In fact, the opposite she's above Romeo intending to suggest perhaps that she's more powerful or that she has power over him. True or false. Shakespeare uses physical elements of staging to suggest the challenges and difficulties that Romeo and Juliet will face in their relationship. Three, two, one. That one's true, obstacles of the wall, the obstacle of the balcony, all implying symbolic differences and difficulties.

So part for applying our learning, we've taken the time to explore a couple of the really key, important moments of staging in the original Shakespearian Play text. We've understood that he's made direct reference to certain elements on stage that we could read symbolic meaning into it. Now's your opportunity to show off your interpretations of those elements of staging in this next task. You going to answer the big question. And then afterwards, I'm going to share with you my models that you can compare it with your own and make sure that you're really confident with this method and how Shakespeare really does convey the relationship between Romeo and Juliet at this key point in the play. Let's get started.

So here's our big question again. How does Shakespeare present Romeo and Juliet relationship in Act 2, Scene 2? Write a short response to the question above, and you should spend at least 10 minutes writing. You could include, your impression of Romeo and Juliet relationship. The textual details revealed that we've explored in Act 2, Scene 2 today. And examples of the methods that Shakespeare uses. I'd suggest staging because that's what we focused on. Your keywords are Juliet, Romeo, relationship all from the question, and then obstacle, doom and staging the method. If that's enough, pause the video to complete your task and resume once you're finished. If you'd rather have some sentence starters, keep watching. So here are sentence frames that might help you structure your answer. "In Act 2, Scene 2, Shakespeare presents Romeo and Juliet relationship as..." "During the scene, Shakespeare employees staging such as the... in order to..." "Shakespeare uses the references to... in order to suggest..." "The relationship appears..." Pause the video in order to complete the task, click play to resume when you're finished. So here's an example of what you might have written. You can compare your answer to mine and add to yours if you want to. "In Act 2, Scene 2, Shakespeare presents Romeo and Juliet relationship as romantic and passionate, but ultimately doomed. During the scene, Shakespeare employees staging such as the reference to the orchard walls. In order to demonstrate that Romeo is willing to overcome obstacles and challenges in order to be with Juliet. The orchard wall can represent the difficulties in their path. And the fact that Romeo manages to get over them emphasises the strength and force of his passion for Juliet. It implies the relationship is special enough to be worth risking peril for. Shakespeare uses the references to the balcony and the staging to suggest the distance between the two lovers as a result, they're warring families. Juliet high above Romeo is presented as heavenly and angelic, which is how Romeo sees her. However, the obstacle of balcony, similar to the orchard walls reinforces the challenges they will face to be together. The relationship appears doomed as although they are devoted to one another, the staging subtly implies their journey It will be extremely perilous and challenging."

All right, everybody, that's the final part of the lesson Part Five. We've spent two lessons now on the balcony scene. So I hope you feel really, really confident to unpack, explore, and comment on this really crucial moment of the narrative. Now in the next few scenes, we've got the wedding of Romeo and Juliet. We've got several deaths, we've got some banishment, we've got fighting, loving, mourning, grieving. We've got a bit of everything to be honest. So really excited to go through the rest of those things with you across the remainder of the unit Before we finish for today, you need to go onto the review quiz, click through that and answer the five key questions that will test you on the main knowledge from the lesson today. If you click you score at the end, you'll get some feedback from me as well, based on your answers. Have a great rest of your day and I'll see you next time.

Exit Quiz: The balcony scene (Part 2)

Completed: The balcony scene (Part 2)

In this lesson, we will continue to explore the famous 'balcony scene'. This time we will focus on the ways in which Shakespeare employs and manipulates staging in order to help us understand and interpret Romeo and Juliet's relationship.

English

The balcony scene (Part 2)

Introductory Quiz

Video

Final Quiz

Lesson Complete