Rewriting Romeo and Juliet

A Shakespearean Web Quest for High School English Students

Adapted from a Webquest by Katherine Foret and Kristin Weber

(original available: http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/education/projects/webquests/shakespeare/ )

Objectives

	Identify and analyze the universal themes found in the play Romeo and Juliet.
	Recognize that the themes of Shakespeare can be set into many varied time periods.
	Recognize that much of literature, including Shakespeare, is rooted in the background historical information of the time period.
	Relate the historical information from particular time periods to the universal themes of Romeo and Juliet.
	Use technology skills to find information on a variety of related subjects such as artistic design, directorial skills, history and language.
	Create a theatrical portfolio as a result of this research.
	Gain a greater appreciation for the works of William Shakespeare.

Beyond the Standards

This webquest is more than just a simple English project. By completing it, you will gain a greater appreciation of how groups function. You will need to identify your separate talents and decide how these specific talents can best be used to contribute to the achievement of the group's overall goal. Teamwork and compromise will be essential to your success. You will create a theatrical portfolio, and present this to the class in a convincing manner. To ensure the success of this endeavor, you will use and refine your skills of communication, creativity, and cooperation.

The Process

Step One

You will be divided into groups of four students for the duration of the project. The very first job you will have as group will be to pick the scene from Romeo and Juliet that you will be working with over the next several weeks. You can choose any of the following scenes. Think carefully before you make your decision!

Act I, Scene 1 - Verona. A public place.

Act I, Scene 5 - A hall in Capulet's house.

Act III, Scene 1 - A public place.

Act V, Scene 3 - A churchyard; in a tomb belonging to the Capulets.

The Stage of the Globe Theatre ©1999 Katherine Foret

Step Two

Once you have decided which scene you will be concentrating on, you must pick a time period in which to set the scene. Choose from these four:
The Wild West | 1920's Chicago | 1950's Rock n Roll | 1960's Counterculture

The Wild West

The American West in the late nineteenth century was a rough place. Gangs of cowboys roamed the often lawless territory robbing banks and trains, stealing horses and cattle. There are many interesting figures: both crooks and lawmen. Some that you might have heard of include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Wyatt Earp, the James brothers - the list goes on. Find out more about these and others in the following sites, and use what you learn about their escapades to turn the Montagues and Capulets into true frontiersmen!

Frontier and Pioneer Life

The Wild Wild West

CyberSoup's The Wild West

1920's Chicago

The Mafia was around for along time before the 1920's and existed in almost every major city in the United States. But 1920's Chicago is particularly noteworthy because of what was going on in American policy at the time: Prohibition. The Mafia got involved in huge bootlegging rackets, bringing alcohol to the masses illegally. This was a risky business involving huge sums of money. Whenever such large amounts of money are involved, greed, deception, and murder tend to follow. Learn more about the Mafia in the following pages, and use what you learn to bring the play into the Twentieth Century!

The Mafia Web Page

The Mafia History

Chicago in the 1920s

1950's Rock ‘N’ Roll Culture

Post World War II America was a place of seeming peace and prosperity as thousands of servicemen returned home to pick up their young families and move to the suburbs, starting "The Baby Boom" generation. Children played with hula hoops. Teenagers shocked their elders by listening to the new "rock and roll" music. Television began to play a large role in defining society as people began to get not only their daily news from the TV, but also their entertainment, from such shows as "I Love Lucy" and "Gunsmoke". However, there is also a serious side to this decade. The Korean War raged, the first hydrogen bomb was detonated, and the U.S. Supreme Court declared racial segregation to be unconstitutional, setting off a fight for racial equity that would continue for decades to come. The Cold War began, and this threat of Communism led to a veritable witch hunt for Communists in America. Use the web sites below to find out more about the 1950s!

U.S. History Timeline of Events, 1945-1959

1950s: Family Fun, Suburbia, and Nuclear Threats

American Cultural History, 1950-1959

The Fifties - A Brief History

1960's Counterculture

The 1960s was one of the most turbulent time periods in American history. The decade was full of events that had a major effect on how people viewed the world: President Kennedy's assassination, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the constant threat of nuclear attack, racial strife, and especially, the Vietnam War. Some people saw the war as a waste of American money and lives, and protested against it. This group of people, often called "hippies", was unhappy with the state of America. They marked a new stage of American culture, full of new thoughts and ideas, some of them revolutionary, some unremarkable. With its theme of "sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll", this "hippie counterculture" upset many members of society, and was the source of much conflict. Use the following web sites to understand how this time period is the perfect setting for your version of Romeo and Juliet!

U.S. History Timeline of Events, 1960-1969

American Cultural History, 1960-1969

The Psychedelic Sixties

Timeline, 1960-1969

Psychedelic Sixties: The Scene

Step Three

You've chosen the scene. You've picked the perfect time period. Now what? Each member of your group needs to choose a task to complete. Your Theatrical Portfolio is a group effort, but each person will contribute a different section that will pertain to the role they have chosen. Just as every person possesses different talents and interests, each of the roles requires the use of different skills. Your group should carefully read the Role Descriptions listed below and decide together who is best suited for each.

| The Linguist | The Artistic Designer | The Director | The Historian | The Scriptwriter

The Linguist

You are in charge of being an expert in the Shakespearean language used in the scene your group has chosen, as well as developing a familiarity with the language of your chosen era.

During the rewriting of the scene, it will be your duty to find definitions for these often difficult words.

You should also be on the lookout to make sure that your team's rewrite is not just a simple line by line 'translation' of the old text, but rather a modernization of the story. To do this you should identify some of the themes and motifs in your sections and think about how they might translate into the time period you are working within.

In the portfolio, it will be your responsibility to come up with a Dictionary of Terms, listing all the difficult words in your scene and their definitions. Also list in a separate section any slang words you used appropriate to the time period you are working with.

Here are some web sites that may help you:
Proper Elizabethan Accents
Life in Elizabethan England 8:Language - Idiomatic Idiosyncrasies
Time Tunnel SLANGUAGE
Guide to Medieval Terms

The Artistic Designer

You will be in charge of all things artistic pertaining to the production of your scene.

Think about what props, costumes or scenery you may need.

For the portfolio you must provide drawings and description of the costumes, props and scenery that you would use if money and time were no object. Note: this is not necessarily what you will use when you perform your newly written scene for the class. You should include at least one drawing and description for each character's costume, one prop for each character, and one backdrop.

Also include in your section what you would use in the artistic elements of production if you were going to perform the original scene in its original context.

Here are some web sites that may help you:

Shakespearean Costuming:
Surfing with the Bard
Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare's Life and Times

Period Costuming:
Articles of Cowboy Clothes and Gear from the Old West
20th Century Fashion History: 1900s
20th Century Fashion History: 1950s
20th Century Fashion History: 1960s

Set Design:
Theatre and Drama

The Director

You will be in charge of the staging of the scene.

Think about how the scene should look on the stage - the 'blocking'.

Become familiar with dramatic terms and conventions of the stage.

Learn about Shakespearean stage conventions.

For the Theatrical Portfolio, you must write an essay discussing the theatrical conventions of Shakespeare's day and comparing them to today. Make sure you include some of those dramatic terms you've researched!

You will be in charge of organizing and overseeing the presentation of your revised script. You must be very convincing!

Here are some web sites that may help you:
The Rose Theatre Homepage
Shakespeare and the Globe
UVic Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare's Life and Times

The Historian

You will be in charge of making sure your scene is historically accurate.

Read through the web sites listed for your time period carefully. You should be especially familiar with the history of your era. During the rewriting of your scene it will be your duty to check for accuracy of setting, speech, themes, etc.

For the Theatrical Portfolio, it will be your responsibility to provide a Cultural Overview of both Shakespeare lifetime, and the time period in which your updated scene takes place.

Here are some web sites that may help you:
Shakespeare's Stratford on the Web
Exhibits Collection - Renaissance
The Elizabethan Theatre
Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet
English Renaissance Reenactment Home Page

The Script Writer

You will be responsible to write the script for your group’s presentation.

· Read Writers Inc. for the proper format for a dramatic script

· Write a revised script in modern language for your group members. Be sure to include stage directions for your actors.

· Insure that the script is a faithful revision of the scene you have chosen. All the major events and dialogues should be present, but the language of the script should reflect the time period you have chosen.

· For the Theatrical Portfolio, include a complete copy of your script.

Here are some web sites that may help you:

http://www.filmmakers.com/features/screenwriting/how2_write_script6.htm

http://www.geocities.com/cdeemer/Play.htm

Evaluation

Here is a copy of the evaluation rubric that will be used in determining your grade. The first chart is a group evaluation that will be used to determine your group's overall grade. The second chart is an individual evaluation that will be used to determine the grade for your individual section of the portfolio and presentation. It is good to keep the evaluation in mind as you complete this Web Quest!

Group Evaluation

	Accomplished 5	Developing 3	Beginning 1	Score
Scene Script	Obvious effective group presentation. This scene demonstrates clear understanding of general themes and updates them in an innovative, creative, and well researched manner.	This scene goes beyond a simple translation, but may lacking in one or more of the following areas: coherence, depth, originality, cohesiveness, etc.	Scene is completed, but does not extend much beyond a simple translation of the text.
Class Presentation	All elements of the script are authentic to time period. All elements of the original script are retained. Presentation is convincing, well thought out, organized, and original. Group works well together and the scene is well- rehearsed.	Most of the elements are authentic. All major elements of the original script are retained. Presentation is complete, but may have benefited from more rehearsal or organization.	Many elements of the script are not authentic. Some of the major elements are missing. Presentation is not thorough. Presentation is disorganized. There may be something missing or incomplete.
Theatrical Portfolio	All elements of the Portfolio are presented in a creative, and interesting manner. Each member of the group has gone above and beyond the requirements.	Portfolio is complete and shows some independent exploration on the part of some group members. One or more aspects of the portfolio may have benefited from more planning and thought.	Only the very bare minimum is included. May be messy or disorganized. Something may be missing or incomplete.

Individual Evaluation

	Accomplished 5	Developing 3	Beginning 1	Score
Individual Assessment of Portfolio Participation	Well organized, well researched, and creative. You go above and beyond the requirements.	Your section is complete, but does not go beyond the bare requirements.	You section is incomplete, disorganized, or poorly researched.
Individual Assessment of Presentation Participation	Your presentation was well rehearsed. You spoke confidently and acted convincingly.	Your presentation was complete and logically presented, however you would have benefited from some more rehearsal.	Your presentation was severely flawed with frequent pauses and mistakes. You show little evidence of having practiced.