9th Grade English

Currently, the freshman class is studying Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet This timeless love story is set in Verona, Italy. The two main characters are Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet.

These are two families who have been feuding for so long they have forgotten why. These two young people fall in love, in spite of their ill-fated romance. As a result of the common practice of the day, Juliets father had already promised her hand in marriage to another. Juliet resists because of her love for Romeo and turns to Friar Lawrence J for help. Friar Lawrence secretly marries the two young lovers in the hope it will heal the two families'  relations.   

The Friar gives Juliet a sleeping potion .and Juliet sends a message to Romeo telling him what is going on. Juliet swallows the potion, but Romeo does not get her message. When he discovers his lifeless love at the family tomb, he takes his life. Juliet wakes up from her sleep, finds Romeo dead and stabs herself with his knife.

The story ends tragically with the loss of children from both families.

10th Grade English: Julius Caesar

The 10th grade English class is currently studying Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote this tragedy in approximately 1599. It is based on historical events and portrays a crucial period in history: Rome’s transition from a republic to an empire.

While Shakespeare based Julius Caesar on historical sources, it is important to note that he imaginatively reshaped history.

This play concerns events before and after the assassination of the Roman ruler Julius Caesar. The central character, the Roman general, Brutus, reluctantly goes along with the plot to kill his friend Caesar, who has been ruling as a dictator. At Caesar’s funeral, another general, Marc Antony, incites a mob to avenge Caesar’s death. A civil war erupts, with the killers of Caesar leading one army and Antony the other.

The play contains some of Shakespeare’s most majestic and eloquent writing, while posing important questions about choosing between loyalty to a cause and loyalty to personal principals. In addition, Shakespeare confronts some of the most difficult issues of his or any other time: What form of government is best? When does power become tyranny? How can one balance personal concerns with public interest? These and other important themes are at the heart of Shakespeare’s play.