Understanding Character Motivation

 
Content Area: English Grade Level: 9
California Content Standard 3.0 Literary Response and Analysis

Students read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of literature that reflect and enhance their studies of history and social science. They conduct in-depth analyses of recurrent patterns and themes. The selections in Recommended Literature, Grades Nine Through Twelve illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students.

1.0 Writing Strategies

Students write coherent and focused essays that convey a well-defined perspective and tightly reasoned argument. The writing demonstrates students' awareness of the audience and purpose. Students progress through the stages of the writing process as needed.

Keywords:

Shakespeare, Romeo, Juliet, character, motivation, comprehension, critical thinking, writing
Literacy Area(s): Reading/writing Skills: Comprehension, critical thinking, writing
Literacy Strategy (ies):

Understanding Character Motivation 
(to be used in conjunction with the study of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet)
Culminating Task and Student Outcomes:

Students will produce a five paragraph essay to demonstrate their ability to analyze a character in a literary piece and determine what motivates his/her actions.
Materials:
  1. Copies of the play, Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare
  2. Computers with Word processing program and Internet Access
  3. Graphic organizers: Open Mind, Venn Diagram
  4. Essay Organizer
Motivator:
  1. Teacher reads a current news story or feature article that highlights a person who has overcome odds in order to accomplish a goal.
  2. Ask students to relate a similar experience of their own, and ask them what motivated them to keep going even though there were odds against them.
  3. Teacher lists student responses, and class discusses
  1. how people are driven by their motivations
  2. sources of motivations, e.g. cultural, circumstantial, individual personality traits, a tragic flaw

Procedure(s):

  1. Students read Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, as a study in character motivation.

  2. Students use Open Mind to express in images what motivates various characters: Romeo, Juliet, Lord Capulet, Nurse, Friar Lawrence, Tybalt, Mercutio, Escalus.

  3. Students compare/contrast the protagonist one character with another on a Venn Diagram.

  4. Venn Diagrams and Open Minds are shared in small groups to come to a consensus of the main motivating factor of each character.

  5. Findings are then shared with the whole group.

  6. Students brainstorm in groups to find ways to bridge to gap between the disparate motivations of the characters.

  7. Writing activity:

  1. Brainstorm on character traits of selected characters. (What drives the character to action?)

  2. Select three traits from the list that best describe the character selected.

  3. Students access Romeo and Juliet on the Internet, and read the Analysis of characters.

  4. Use the essay organizer to compose a five(5) paragraph character sketch in the first person about one of the main characters in the drama. (See The Writing Process for help.)

  5. Be sure to include the following elements:

  1. A description of the character's personality traits

  2. What does he/she want?

  3. What stands in the way of getting what he/she wants?

  4. To what lengths does the character go to achieve what he/she wants?

  5. What are the results?

 

Assessment / Evaluation: Rubric
.

Rubric Character Sketch 

4

Character sketch demonstrates outstanding application of critical thinking skills in analyzing and interpreting a character's motivations. Examples from the drama to support character analysis are carefully selected for relevancy. Writing adheres to standard conventions.
3 Character sketch demonstrates adequate application of critical thinking skills in analyzing character motivations. Some examples from the drama are given to support character analysis. Writing adheres to standard conventions with a few mistakes.
2 Character sketch demonstrates some critical thinking. Examples from the drama are present but lack clear relevancy. Writing contains several mistakes in conventions.
1 Critical thinking is not evident in character analysis. Writing is incoherent and statements are unsupported.
Enrichment / Extension:

Take students to the theatre to see the drama enacted on stage.