The character box exercise is suitable for all ages and levels, from Primary to FE.



to construct vivid images of the lives of characters in

Romeo and Juliet

to explore a character's world through the use of all five senses

(sight, touch, scent, hearing, taste)

to identify with the character and understand more deeply how they

feel and how they see the world.

To encourage students to interpret texts imaginatively.

Each student needs a box with a lid - shoe boxes are ideal.



Before starting work on the play, ask each student to choose a

character to follow through the play. It doesn't matter if several

students choose the same one.

Everyone's goal is to build up a more complete picture of their

character by gathering (small) objects that tell us something about

that character's life. They keep these in their box. Encourage

students to decorate their boxes and make them personal.

Ask students to think about the five senses and to find something for

each of the senses: sight; touch; scent; hearing; taste.

For example, in Juliet's box there might be:

a photograph of Romeo (sight/seeing)

or lock of Romeo's hair, a necklace given to her by her father on

the night of the Capulet ball (Act 1 scene 5) or a piece of fabric

from her ball gown (touch/feeling)

the little bouquet of flowers gathered from her garden, which

she took to her wedding (scent/smelling)

a score of music played at the ball, a CD of love songs or a

book of sonnets to read out loud (sound/hearing)

the phial of magic potion given to her by Friar Laurence in Act 4

scene 1 (taste/tasting)

In Friar Lawrence's box there might be:

A candle from his church (sight/seeing)

A rosary (touch/feeling)

Some herbs from his garden (scent/smelling)

A hymnal so that he can sing praises to God or a book of

prayers to read out loud (sound/hearing)

A communion wafer (taste/tasting)