Romeo & Juliet Lesson 28: 'A kind of hope' - Act 4 Worksheet

In this worksheet from a lesson on Act 4 of Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet", students are prompted to delve deeper into the narrative and character development through a series of analytical questions. The first question challenges students to evaluate the Friar's plan for Juliet, encouraging them to consider its merits and potential pitfalls. This is followed by an inquiry into the Friar's motivations for assisting Juliet, asking students to explore his character and intentions.

The worksheet continues to probe Juliet's character arc, asking students to reflect on her transformation from the beginning of the play to this later stage. Dramatic irony, a key literary device in Shakespeare's work, is the focus of another question, where students must identify examples from Act 4, Scene 2. They are also asked to classify the type of speech Juliet delivers in Act 4, Scene 3, and to discuss its contribution to the play's dramatic impact. Furthermore, students examine Paris's interpretation of Juliet's apparent demise in Act 4, Scene 4, and they consider the varied reactions of other central characters to the news of her 'death'. Finally, students are invited to speculate on the Friar's thoughts, being the only character aware of the truth behind Juliet's condition in Act 4, Scene 5, thereby engaging with the play's tension and themes of secrecy and misunderstanding.