The document provides guidance on how to analyze scenes from Shakespeare's plays by breaking them down into "beats". It defines a beat as a meaningful chunk of a scene that is marked by a change, such as a shift in topic, the entrance of a new character, or a change in a character's emotional state. The document instructs the reader to first find and name each beat in a scene. It then advises identifying the objective of each character within each beat. An example analysis of beats from Act 1, Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet is provided to demonstrate this process.

1. “Beating up” drama
Chunking Shakespeare’s “Romeo &
Juliet” for meaning

2. Beating up drama
• “[Beats are] Changes within the scene, signaling
that some kind of transaction has been
completed and a new one is starting--for
example, a topic of conversation is changing;
another attack is being tried; a new person is
changing the direction of the conversation; or a
new objective is being pursued.” -- Robert
Barton, Acting: Onstage and Off (pg. 14)
• Simply put, a beat is a meaningful chunk of a
scene. Beats change when a big change takes
place in the scene

3. First step
• The first step to ‘beating up’ a scene is to find and name
each beat.
• Look for changes that shift the whole scene …
– a topic of conversation changes
– a new person changes the direction of the conversation
– a new objective is pursued
– a new character enters
– a character’s emotional state changes (i.e. calm to very angry)
– a shift in power occurs between two characters
– a character finally gets what he/she wants
– a character IS NOT getting what he/she wants and attempts a
new approach

4. Example | Beat 1: Preparing for the Guests
Act 1, Scene 5 | A hall in Capulet’s house
[Musicians waiting. Enter Servingmen with napkins]
First Servant: Where’s Potpan, that he helps not to take away? He shift a trencher? he
scrape a trencher!
Second Servant: When good manners shall lie all in one or two men’s hands, and they
unwashed too, ’tis a foul thing.
First Servant: Away with the joint-stools, remove the court-cupboard, look to the plate.
Good thou, save me a piece of marchpane; and, as thou lovest me, let the porter let in Susan
Grindstone and Nell. Antony, and Potpan!
Second Servant: Ay, boy, ready.
First Servant: You are looked for and called for, asked for and sought for, in the great
chamber.
Second Servant: We cannot be here and there too. Cheerly, boys; be brisk awhile, and the
longer liver take all.
[Enter CAPULET, with JULIET and others of his house, meeting the Guests and
Maskers]
Why do these lines make up one beat? What change will introduce the next beat?

5. Example | Beat 2: Let’s Party!
CAPULET
•Welcome, gentlemen! ladies that have their toes
Unplagued with corns will have a bout with you. Why do these lines make up
Ah ha, my mistresses! which of you all
Will now deny to dance? she that makes dainty,
She, I’ll swear, hath corns; am I come near ye now? the second beat? What
Welcome, gentlemen! I have seen the day
That I have worn a visor, and could tell
A whispering tale in a fair lady’s ear,
change will introduce the
Such as would please: ’tis gone, ’tis gone, ’tis gone:
You are welcome, gentlemen! Come, musicians, play.
A hall, a hall! give room! and foot it, girls.
next beat?
[Music plays, and they dance]
•More light, you knaves; and turn the tables up,
And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.
Ah, sirrah, this unlook’d-for sport comes well.
Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet;
How does the name of the
For you and I are past our dancing days:
How long is’t now since last yourself and I beat help you to determine
Were in a mask?
Second Capulet
•By’r lady, thirty years.
its job?
CAPULET
•What, man! ’tis not so much, ’tis not so much:
’Tis since the nuptials of Lucentio,
Come Pentecost as quickly as it will,
Some five and twenty years; and then we mask’d.
Second Capulet
•’Tis more, ’tis more, his son is elder, sir;
His son is thirty.
CAPULET
•Will you tell me that?
His son was but a ward two years ago.

6. Example | Beat 3: Enchantment
ROMEO
•[To a Servingman] What lady is that, which doth Why do these lines make
enrich the hand
Of yonder knight? up the third beat?
Servant
•I know not, sir.
ROMEO How does the name of
•O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night the beat help you to
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! determine its job?
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand,
And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.
TYBALT
•This, by his voice, should be a Montague.
Fetch me my rapier, boy. What dares the slave
Come hither, cover’d with an antic face …

7. Second step
• The second step for each beat is to identify character
objectives
• State each character’s objective(s) using this model:
character wants to strong verb + receiver + desired
response.
Character Objective/Verb Receiver Desired response
Lord Capulet wants to convince Paris to woo other girls
Tybalt wants to defend Capulet family honor
other girls rival
Benvolio wants to show Romeo
Rosaline
Mercutio wants to enjoy friendly company

8. Who cares?
• Beats help readers think about chunks of a scene.
Use additional reading strategies in one beat to
make meaning from what you read.
– Identify and define key words: identify and define the
key words found in one beat
– Visualize: picture yourself as the director of the play.
What would your actors need to do to show each
beat? How would you use lighting, movement,
volume, or set changes to move between beats?
– Shrink a beat: clarify main ideas and details;
summarize the meaning of a beat in ten words or less

9. Watch
• Watch one interpretation of II.iii (Act 2, Scene 3)
by the BBC with closed captioning
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWgrU1MXhRU&featu
• Answer
– What does Romeo want from the Friar?
– Why is the Friar concerned about Romeo’s love for
Juliet?
– Why does the Friar agree to Romeo’s request?

10. Practice
• Step one: Beat up II.iii
– Find and name each beat
• Step two: assign character objectives
– Use the model: character wants to strong verb +
receiver + desired response
• Check and debrief

11. Independent practice
• You’ll be assigned a small group
– Period 1
– Period 2
– Period 3
– Period 5bc
– Period 7
• In your group, you will read through II.iv (skipping lines
50-134) and beat up the scene together
• Name each beat in the scene. For each scene, create
character objective statements. Submit this sheet as
your exit ticket with all group member names

12. Period 1 groups
Group A Group B Group C Group D
Shawnee L Jasmine B Alana B Ebony M
Joshua A Taiha G Dwayne J Kalia H
Blake B Alonzo C Justen W Sylvia S
Amir P Mia S Stephen T Wayne S
William S Dante’ D Arnezjah C Chris P

13. Period 2 groups
Group A Group B Group C Group D Group E
Yasmine T Sharief C Precious I Jada G KeSean S
Johnathan B Rayonna M Tatiana M David C Teddie S
Princess I Scottie L Thomas H Lesly A Jalen D
Jocelyn P DaShane’ Julian N Carter K Bederlin L
Messai T Sam W Miracle A Ray B Ryla V

14. Period 3 groups
Group A Group B Group C Group D
Australia Hazzard M Joshua P Shannon H
Jeremy F Alexis P Crystal T Elijah B
Toshiro J Imani R Christian B Gregory J
Taylor R J’Von W Dynara D Laura C
Wynter S

15. Period 5bc groups
Group A Group B Group C Group D Group E
Kareem G James M Astrid O Matthew C Steve W
Dana P Nicholas O Antonio D Cameron G John R
Maurice H Jada M Sarah M Johnae C Jahmai G
John T Alaysiah F Devin B Margarita M Briana S
Janell W Jynea J Donte’ M

16. Period 7 groups
Group A Group B Group C Group D
Adrian S Kevin G Tyron F Dayonna P
Jalyn W Katherine C Ronald H Malik S
Cashmire R Pedro G Samaya M Endia O
Justin C Daja’ C Treasure G William K
Davon V Ja’Nai H