Honors 9, Mr. Scheur

“Verona on Trial” Activity

In the next few days, we will have a trial to determine who deserves to be punished for the deaths of Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, Tybalt, Paris, and Lady Montague. You will be assigned to one of the following 11 roles:

  • Romeo (back from the dead)
  • Juliet (back from the dead)
  • Tybalt (back from the dead)
  • Mercutio (back from the dead)
  • Paris (back from the dead)
  • Benvolio
  • Friar Laurence
  • Nurse
  • Lord Capulet / Lady Capulet
  • Balthasar / Apothecary
  • Lawyer

Defendants: Twelve different characters will be called to the stand to testify about what has recently taken place in Verona. Each person will provide the court with accurate information (else be punished for perjury) and clear his/her name from any blame. All characters will complete two documents (see attached) as part of their trial preparations:

1) Alibi Timeline2) Affidavit

After all testimony has been given, the class jury will vote on the level of guilt and punishment for each defendant.

  • Defendants will be graded on the quality of their alibi timelines, the quality of their affidavits, and on how convincingly they play the role of their characters (i.e. answer the lawyers’ questions) while on the witness stand.
  • Lord/Lady Capulet and Balthasar/Apothecary are double roles; the students who have taken on these roles must include the information for BOTH characters on the alibi timeline and affidavit.

Lawyers: The job of the lawyers is to ask the defendants questions about their involvement in the deaths of the five victims. At times, each lawyer will be representing defendants on the stand, asking open-ended questions that allow the witnesses to tell their stories. At other times, each lawyer will represent the prosecution (the city of Verona), asking defendants accusatory questions on cross-examination in an attempt to prove their guilt. Witnesses and lawyers will work collaboratively so that the direct-examination helps portray the witness in the best possible light.

Examples of questions a lawyer might ask on direct examination:

For Romeo:“Please describe to the judges what happened in your brawl with Tybalt?”

For Juliet:“Please tell us what your relationship was like with your parents.”

For Friar Laurence:“Why were you willing to give Juliet a dangerous sleeping potion?”

For Nurse:“Who did you think was the best suitor for Juliet and why?”

Examples of questions a lawyer might ask on cross-examination:

For Romeo:“Wasn’t it selfish of you to kill Tybalt, given how much your wife cared for him?”

For Juliet:“Did you feel entitled to deceive your parents because you had feelings for Romeo?”

For Friar Laurence:“Did you consider that deceiving the families of both children was unethical?”

For Nurse:“Weren’t you looking out for your job when you told Juliet to reconsider marrying Paris?”

Lawyers will also complete an Alibi Timeline forone of charactersthey are cross-examining.

  • Lawyers will question 2 witnesses on direct examination and another 2 defendants on cross-examination. Direct examination will consist of 4 questions and cross-examination will consist of 6 questions. Lawyers will be graded on the quality of their 20 questions, their alibi timelines, and their organization and participation in the trial.

The trial will take place on Thursday, May 7, Friday, May 8, and Monday, May 11. All participants are expected to be in attendance, as each of you has an obligation to your group members. If you will not be in class on any of those days for any other reason, you must sign up on the “planned absences” sheet and talk to me about your absence by Monday, May 1. Unannounced absences will only be excused in the event of sudden, unforeseen illness.

Without further adieu, let’s prepare for trial!

Honors 9

Mr. Scheur

“Verona on Trial” Activity: Alibi Timeline Assignment

All defendants must complete an “alibi timeline.” This timeline will document all of your character’s appearances in the play, and should include any relevant details about the character’s actions or involvement with other characters. See the example below for a good model on how to do the assignment.

Lawyers will also complete an Alibi Timeline onone of charactersthey are cross-examining.

  • Lord/Lady Capulet and Balthasar/Apothecary are double roles; the students who have taken on these roles must include the information for BOTH characters on the alibi timeline and affidavit.

Balthasar Timeline Sample

Honors 9

Mr. Scheur

Writing an Affidavit

Directions: An affidavit is a written statement, made under oath, of a person’s knowledge of and participation in a given incident or situation. As one of the defendants in the case, you are putting in writing for the court what you know about the events leading up to the deaths of Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, Tybalt, and Paris. Keep in mind that you can only write about what your character knows (Mercutio would have no knowledge of Paris’s death, and Paris would have nothing to say about Mercutio since they never met). The affidavit should be written in the first person, should be between three and seven paragraphs, and should communicate your character’s perspective and knowledge of the circumstances preceding the tragic events in Verona. Below is a sample of what your affidavit should look like, although your character will likely have more information to impart than Balthasar, who played a very minor role in the play.

Balthasar’s Affidavit

No one is as grieved as I am about the recent deaths of my master Romeo, his wife Juliet, and the noble county Paris. I was the one who rode to Mantua to report the news of Juliet’s funeral to my master, and I will never forget the rage in his face upon hearing this dreadful information. His face twisted up in knots as he shrieked, “Then I defy you stars!” and I feared that he might do something rash. Nonetheless, I followed his orders to return to Verona with him, and together we headed to Juliet’s graveyard for reasons unknown to me at the time.

When we arrived at the Capulets’ tomb, my master handed me a letter and bid me deliver it to his father. He said that he was breaking into Juliet’s tomb to say goodbye to his wife and take a precious ring from her finger, but the tone of his voice frightened me. He looked like a man possessed by an evil spirit – and even threatened me with my life if I tried to mettle in his plans – so I camped out under a yew tree in the graveyard just in case I could be of help in the future.

Eventually I fell asleep in my hiding spot, and was awakened an hour later when I heard footsteps approaching. The man I heard was the honorable Friar Lawrence, who wanted to know how long Romeo had been down in Juliet’s tomb. The Friar bid me descend into the tomb with him to look for Romeo, but I could not comply, since Romeo had vowed to reek destruction upon my body if I were to intrude on his privacy. The Friar headed down alone in haste, and some time later the Prince and several watchmen arrived. I gave Romeo’s letter to the Prince, and told his majesty of all I knew. These are troubling times of woe, and I am wholly broken by my master’s ill-fated death.

On my mother’s grave,

Balthasar

Sample of Role Distribution For a Particular Class

  • X = cross-examination of the above witness
  • D = direct examination of the above witness
  • In classes of <26, two students can share one witness role (both take the stand at the same time, and the lawyers direct different questions to different students).
  • In classes of 26 or more, three students can share some of the witness roles (all three take the stand at the same timeand the lawyers direct different questions to different students).

A Class With 25 Students

4thPeriod
Lawyers / Romeo / Juliet / Capulets / Friar / Nurse / Mercutio / Paris / Tybalt / Benvolio / Balthasar / Apothecary
Names / 1 / Jessica D / Johnny / Alexis / Skylar / David / Lisa M / Jon / Drake / Jennifer / Andy / Jimmy P
2 / Ali C / Jack / Melissa / Andie / Padraic / Sara / Jake B / Melinda / Shaleigh / Lauren / Rubin V
3 / Hannah
4 / Brooke
5 / Court
Lawyer / Responsibilities / Jessica / X / D / D / X
Ali / D / X / X / D
Hannah / X / D / D / X
Brooke / D / X / X / D
Court / D / X / D / X

A Class With 29 Students

8th Period
Lawyers / Romeo / Juliet / Capulets / Friar / Nurse / Mercutio / Paris / Tybalt / Benvolio / Balthasar / Apothecary
Names / 1 / Tim / Bria / Allie / Lauren / Sara / Liz / Cathy / Claire / Mark L / Cody / Ben F
2 / Aleks / Stout / Andrea / Adriana / Becca / Sam G / Angelina / Madaine / Savannah / Katlyn / Laura S
3 / Alexa / Alex N / Nina / Stephen / Nick S / Brooke / Arjun / Hana / Jamaal / Carlos / Alondra
4 / Ben N
5 / Chris S
Lawyer / Responsibilities / Tim / X / D / D / X
Aleks / D / D / X / X
Alexa / D / X / D / X
Ben N / X / X / D / D
Chris S / X / X / D / D

Honors 9, Mr. Scheur

Pie Chart of Guilt Assignment

Now that we have finished the play, whom do you think is responsible for the six deaths in Verona? Using a computer-generated pie chart maker (google “pie chart” or use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or other software), create a “pie chart of guilt.” Your pie chart should clearly display which characters are responsible for the chaos that has ensued and what percentage of the overall blame should lie on each person. Characters can be found guilty for having a direct or indirect impact on the deaths of their fellow citizens.

The 12 people whose guilt you must assess are listed below. You may assert that some of these characters are 0% guilty, but you’ll have to justify your reasons via textual support.

  • Romeo
  • Juliet
  • Mercutio
  • Tybalt
  • Paris
  • Friar
  • Nurse
  • Benvolio
  • Lord Capulet
  • Lady Capulet
  • Balthasar
  • Apothecary

Sample:

Below your pie chart, type an explanation of why each character you chose deserves his/her guilt percentage. Each explanation should be 1 paragraph in length and 6 of the 12 must incorporate at least one line of dialogue from the text to support your points.

Format:Typed in Times New Roman, size 12, single-spaced, proper heading

Quotes:For 6 of your 12 paragraphs, blend at least one line of text into your argument concerning the guilt or innocence of each person.

Fluffiness:Fluff-free! Edit out any wordy, redundant, or irrelevant words & phrases

Due Date:Friday, June 4

Late penalty:I will not accept this assignment late.

Google Docs Name: Pie Chart of Guilt, 5th Hour, Tom Brady #12

Honors 9

Mr. Scheur

Verona on Trial Self Reflection

Now that we have concluded our trial, write a reflection of how you feel you did during this unit. Your reflection should include:

  • Your effort on the following assignments and the quality of your work:
  • Timeline Assignment
  • Affidavit Assignment
  • Pie Chart of Guilt
  • Your performance in our trial, either as a witness or a lawyer.
  • Any milestones you’re proud of achieving on this unit.
  • What you learned during this unit.
  • An honest assessment of what specific grade you deserve and why

Format:Typed in Times New Roman, size 12, double-spaced, proper heading

Length:250-500 words

Fluffiness:Fluff-free! Edit out any wordy, redundant, or irrelevant words & phrases

Late penalty:10% off per day.

Due Date:Monday, May 8