Stir Up Shakespeare - by Brownsea Open Air Theatre

Easy
Romeo and Juliet: The 'Kiss' Sonnet

Shakespeare Shorts

Watch the ‘Shakespeare Shorts’ film of Romeo and Juliet’s sonnet.

Perform the Sonnet

The words of the sonnet are available to view or print below.

Sonnet

The Kiss Sonnet

View or print the words to the sonnet, and have a go at performing it yourself.

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Sonnets are short poems, usually about romantic (or courtly) love. Sonnets always consist of 14 lines and a Shakespearean sonnet always ends with two lines which rhyme. This is known as a rhyming couplet. This sonnet is unusual because it is for two voices.

Romeo Montague and his friends have gate-crashed Capulet’s party, wearing carnival masks – masked parties were common in Italy. Romeo and Juliet do not recognise each other and so do not know that their families are bitter enemies.

  • Notice how Romeo and Juliet speak separately at the beginning of the sonnet, but as they speak they become more comfortable with each other, until by the end of the poem their voices intermingle, and they share the final couplet and their first kiss.
  • The sonnet is written in iambic pentameter, which means it is easy to speak in the natural rhythms of English. Speak the lines aloud.
  • This sonnet is spoken during a masked ball. Write a short song or poem about a first meeting.
  • Write the letters which Romeo and Juliet might have written after the party.
  • If you were directing this play, what actions would you expect of Romeo and Juliet in this scene?

Other Performing activities:

Fighting Talk

Easy
Fighting Talk

Watch a talk on the weaponry of Shakespeare, from BOAT's Fight Director.

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Greensleeves music

Easy
Greensleeves

Listen to 'Greensleeves' played on Guitar. Sing or play along.

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Romeo and Juliet Pairs card game

Easy
Pairs Card Game

Make you own Romeo and Juliet character cards to play a pairs game or snap.

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Pastime With Good Company Music

Easy
Pastime With Good Company

Listen to 'Pastime With Good Company' played on recorder. Sing or play along.

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Romeo and Juliet - The Gossip

Easy
Romeo and Juliet - The Gossip

Read all about it! The scandalous tale of Romeo and Juliet as told by a Lady of Verona

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Romeo and Juliet Prologue

Easy
Romeo and Juliet Prologue

Speak Shakespeare, with the Prologue from Romeo and Juliet

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The Story of Romeo and Juliet

Easy
The Story of Romeo and Juliet

Professional actor Andrew Jarvis summarises the story of Romeo and Juliet.

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The Tudor Hop

Easy
The Tudor Hop

Learn the steps and dance 'The Tudor Hop'.

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The Very Short Story of Romeo and Juliet

Easy
The Very Short Story of Romeo and Juliet

The very short story of 'Romeo and Juliet' told in words and pictures.

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Verona Talk Radio - 'Getting to the Truth' programme on 1595 FM

Easy
Verona Talk Radio - 'Getting to the Truth' programme on 1595 FM

Listen to the characters who knew Romeo and Juliet on Verona Talk Radio

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These activities will be enjoyed by children and adults of all ages. The activities are rated according to difficulty and level of parental involvement: these descriptions are intended as a rough guide only. We have rated them to help parents of children aged 8-13, on the assumption that above this age supervision is rarely required, and that below it, supervision is generally required.

Easy : Set it up and off they go.
Intermediate : Some help needed.
Hard : Challenge yourself.