Remember this is the basic plan. If you are aiming for a high grade you must go beyond this but you can use it as your basis:
P1
In your first paragraph you should introduce the play and the topic that you will write about. Write about where Shakespeare would have got the idea for the play.
P2
Mention how Fate Fortune was viewed in Shakespeare’s time and why this topic is important to discuss. Why might this have made the play/scene popular or dramatic.
MAIN BODY
In the main body you should explain the various things which might make the scene dramatic. Use the grid in your pink booklets on p9.
P3
Where does the scene fit into the play as a whole? What comes immediately before the scene?(2:6) How has the audience been prepared for the fights in this scene? Mention the Capulet’s ball(1:5) and how Tybalt wants revenge. Contrast.
P4
Look at the start of the scene. Benvolio’s warning sets up the atmosphere. Compare him to Mercutio at this point. How does the weather help to build up tension?
P5
Look at the different characters in the scene. What do they add to the drama?
Romeo: he refuses to fight. Why and how does this add to the tension?
Mercutio: he seems to want to fight more than any other? How do we know this? He uses lots of word play. Give examples.
Tybalt: He goes along to find Romeo to start a fight. He uses lots of insults. Give examples.
P6
Discuss the different versions of the scene. Compare Shakepseare’s script, Baz Luhrmann’s film and Zefferelli’s film. How do each of them add tension and portray the action in different ways? Especially the fights.
P7
In the conclusion you should sum up the main points in your essay and suggest which are the most important ways that tension and drama are created in the scene and how successful was Shakespeare at creating drama.
Maybe also state what we think of Romeo by the end of the scene and what happens after 3:1
