Romeo and Juliet 1996 – Complete Movie Guide
- Grades
- Grades 8–12, High School, Middle School
- File type
- Preparation
- Print ready
- Subject
- ELA, Literature
- Topic
- Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare
- Resource types
- Worksheets & Printables, Worksheets
- Preparation
- Print ready
About this resource
What's inside this resource
The 1996 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic play, "Romeo and Juliet," directed by Baz Luhrmann, presents a modern and stylized retelling of the tragic love story. Set in Verona Beach, a fictional contemporary city, the film retains the original Shakespearean dialogue while infusing it with vibrant visuals, modern elements, and a fast-paced narrative. The film revolves around the forbidden love affair between Romeo Montague (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Juliet Capulet (Claire Danes), members of feuding families, who fall deeply in love at first sight. Despite the enmity between the Montagues and the Capulets, Romeo and Juliet secretly marry with the help of Friar Laurence (Pete Postlethwaite). As their love blossoms, the tension and violence between the two families escalate. Tybalt Capulet (John Leguizamo), Juliet's hot-tempered cousin, seeks revenge on Romeo for crashing a Capulet party. In a duel, Romeo's best friend, Mercutio (Harold Perrineau), is tragically killed by Tybalt. Driven by anger and grief, Romeo seeks vengeance and fatally wounds Tybalt, leading to his banishment from Verona. Desperate to avoid an arranged marriage with Paris (Paul Rudd), Juliet turns to Friar Laurence for help. The friar devises a plan to reunite the lovers by faking Juliet's death through a sleeping potion, allowing her to escape to Mantua with Romeo once she wakes. However, the plan goes awry when Romeo, unaware of the friar's scheme, believes Juliet to be dead and takes his own life beside her lifeless body. When Juliet awakens to find Romeo dead, she refuses to live without him and takes her own life with a dagger. The tragic deaths of the young lovers prompt the Montagues and Capulets to reconcile, ending their long-standing feud. The film's visual style combines a contemporary setting with lavish costumes, intense colors, and energetic camerawork. It also features a dynamic soundtrack that blends modern and classical elements, complementing the story's emotional moments. Luhrmann's adaptation captures the essence of Shakespeare's timeless tale of love, passion, and tragedy while bringing it into a modern context. "Romeo and Juliet" (1996) remains a visually stunning and emotionally powerful interpretation of the iconic play, showcasing the enduring power and relevance of Shakespeare's work.
“A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents' strife.”
Help your students get the most out of this amazing adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. This 21-question movie guide comes with a complete character chart and teacher key. Ready to print and ready to use!
Thumbnail Clipart Credit: LE Designs
Related resources
More resources teachers may find useful
24 related resources were found using this product's title, contributor, categories and tags.
In the classroom
Teaching tips & learning objectives
Learning objectives
Track the plot of Baz Luhrmann's 1996 Romeo and Juliet film in chronological sequence while viewing
Identify how the film modernizes specific details from Shakespeare's original play, such as swords portrayed as guns and an Elizabethan setting made contemporary
Form and support a personal opinion about the characters' choices at the story's climax
Teaching tips
Pause the film at natural break points, such as after the party scene or after Tybalt's death, so students can complete the corresponding block of questions without falling behind
Preview the modernized details (e.g., that the film's 'swords' are guns) before viewing so students recognize the parallel to Shakespeare's original text as they watch
Have students compare their answer to question 21 with a partner's before a class discussion, since that prompt has no single correct answer
Use the teacher key to check chronological blocks of answers during a pause in the film, rather than waiting until the guide is fully complete
Skills covered
Sequential plot comprehension — students answer 21 questions in the same chronological order the events occur in the film.
Film-to-text comparison — students identify how the 1996 adaptation modernizes props and settings from Shakespeare's original play, such as guns for swords and a gas station for the opening brawl.
Visual detail recall — students identify specific objects and settings from the film, such as the fish tank and the elevator kiss scene.
Opinion writing with justification — students respond to a short-answer prompt evaluating Romeo and Juliet's choices and supporting their own view.
Good to know
Questions teachers ask about this resource
Do the 21 questions track the film in sequence, from the gas-station brawl to how each of the two leads dies?
Yes — the instructions note that the answers fall in chronological order, so the 21 questions can be worked through as the class watches the film from start to finish.
Does the guide ask for students' own opinions, or only for facts from the film?
Both — 20 questions ask for specific plot details, and the final question asks for the student's own opinion on whether Romeo and Juliet had other options besides suicide.
No reviews yet
Downloaded this resource? Tell other teachers how it went.
Resource details
Concepts & topics
Core concepts
Core concepts
Film adaptation vs. original text
Plot sequencing
Character motivation
Opinion/short response writing
Topics
Explore more
Categories this resource belongs to
Explore related searches
More to explore
You may also like
