Purpose
Create a storyboard for an adaptation of Romeo’s soliloquy from Act II, Scene ii.
Summary
In this assignment, you will think about how to adapt Shakespeare’s play for a live performance. You will create a digital storyboard that shows how you would adapt and present Romeo’s speech for a modern audience.
Assignment Prompt
Read Romeo’s soliloquy and write an adaptation for an audience expecting a modern English update to Romeo and Juliet. Focus on maintaining the meaning and tone of the original by paying close attention to the impact of word choice. Use the various Romeo figures and speech bubbles to show how an actor would stage your adaptation. Be sure that there is a strong relationship between the gestures of the figures and the meaning and tone of the text.
Assignment Instructions
Step 1: Adapt language for a specific audience.
a) Review the soliloquy.
b) Plan how to adapt Shakespeare’s language for an audience expecting a modern English update
to Romeo and Juliet.
Step 2: Focus on tone and meaning.
a) Decide which words best show the tone of the original text. Remember to look at the connotations of each important word and phrase. Choose modern English replacements that show the same tone.
b) Review your adaptation to ensure that it uses modern English to show the same meaning, attitude, and feeling as the original.
Step 3: Use a template to start creating a storyboard.
a) Copy and paste a figure from the Storyboard Toolbox to a slide with the red curtain backdrop.
Use the various Romeo figures to represent how your adaptation would be staged by an actor
b) Copy and paste the speech bubbles from the Storyboard Toolbox onto a slide with a red curtain backdrop.
c) In the speech bubbles, type which lines of your adaptation Romeo would say as he moves through different poses. Resize the speech bubbles as necessary. Match the text to appropriate gestures to show a relationship between the character’s words and actions.
d) Insert additional slides as necessary into your storyboard. You should use enough slides to create a storyboard for the entire soliloquy.
e) Review your storyboard to ensure that it is tailored for an audience looking for a modern English version of Romeo and Juliet. Your adaptation should show the meaning and tone of the original.
f) Remember to save your work as you go.
Step 4: Evaluate your storyboard using the checklist.
Answer
these questions to see if you are ready to submit your multimedia presentation.
 Does your storyboard include an adaptation meant for a specific audience?
 Does your storyboard use text and visuals to show how your adaptation would be performed?
 Does your adaptation use modern English to show the meaning of the original?
 Does your adaptation show the tone of the original by focusing on the impact of specific words
and phrases in modern English?
 Do the gestures of the Romeo figures show a relationship to the meaning and tone of the
adaptation?
 Do the gestures of the Romeo figures show a relationship to the words and actions of the
character?
Step 5: Revise and submit your project.
a) If you were unable to check off all of the requirements on the checklist, revise your storyboard and save it before submitting it.
b) When you have completed your storyboard, return to the Virtual Classroom and use the “Browse for file” option to locate and submit your assignment. Congratulations! You have created a multimedia presentation.
c) Ask your teacher for further instructions about presenting your storyboard to an audience of your peers.