The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
Act I Study Guide
Prologue
1. Where does the play take place?
2. How long has the feud been going on?
How can you tell?
Is the feud bitter?
How can you tell?
I, sc. i
3. Sampson and Gregory of the House of ____________________ pick a fight with
_______________ of the House of ____________________.
4. Gregory tells Sampson to go ahead and bring the quarrel to fighting status because
who is coming that would defend them?
5. Who tries to stop the fight?
He belongs to which house?
6. Which character aggravates the fight?
He belongs to which house?
7. What does Lady Capulet mean when she yells out for her husband to take a crutch
rather than a sword?
8. What is the Prince’s attitude toward the feud?
9. What penalty does he set for the next man who breaks the peace?
10. Describe Romeo’s behavior at the beginning of the play.
11. Why is he acting this way?
12. Why doesn’t she love him back?
13. How does Benvolio think Romeo should get over his sad heart?
I, sc. ii
14. Who wants to marry Juliet?
15. How long does her father say they must wait?
Why must they wait?
16. Why does Capulet decide to throw a party?
17. Who is sent to invite the guests to this party for Capulet?
18. How do Romeo and his friends find out about the party at Capulet’s home?
19. Why does Romeo decide to go to the party? (be very specific with NAMES!)
20. Why does Benvolio decide they should go to the party?
I, sc. iii
21. How old is Juliet?
22. What does Juliet’s mother want to talk to her about?
23. Describe the difference between the personalities of Lady Capulet and the Nurse.
24. What are Juliet’s feelings about marriage at this time?
25. To what does Lady Capulet compare Paris when she tells Juliet to consider him?
I, sc. iv
26. Why does Romeo say that he cannot dance?
27. Who is Queen Mab?
What does she do?
28. Describe Queen Mab’s carriage.
I, sc. v
29. How does Capulet tease the women that come to his party?
30. What kind of party is it?
How does this help Romeo be able to enter?
31. Name two things Romeo compares Juliet with:
A)
B)
32. How does Romeo plan to approach/meet Juliet?
33. Why is Tybalt angry at the party?
34. How does Capulet react to Tybalt’s anger?
35. Give two reasons why he reacts this way.
A)
B)
36. What ‘play on words’ does Romeo use in his first talk with Juliet?
37. Did Romeo know who Juliet was before or after he fell in love with her?
38. Did Juliet know who Romeo was before or after she fell in love with him?
Romeo and Juliet
Act II Study Guide
II, sc. i
39. Who was Romeo hiding from when he went into the Capulet orchard?
40. Why was he hiding?
41. Do they know about Romeo meeting Juliet?
II, sc. ii
42. When Romeo sees Juliet on the balcony, to what does he compare her?
43. What does “wherefore art thou Romeo?” mean? (be careful; it’s tricky!)
44. Why does Juliet wish that Romeo had some other name?
45. Name a second thing to which Romeo compares Juliet.
46. How does Romeo say he got over the orchard walls?
47. Why does Romeo say there is more peril in Juliet’s eye than in twenty of her
kinsmen’s swords?
48. Why is Juliet rather embarrassed?
49. By what does Romeo begin to swear his love to Juliet?
50. Why does Juliet stop him?
51. Why is Juliet a little afraid of the vows they make on the balcony?
52. How will Romeo and Juliet get in touch with each other again?
53. What does Romeo mean by his “ghostly father”?
54. What will he discuss with the ghostly father?
II, sc. iii
55. When we first see Friar Laurence in the play, what is he doing?
56. What is the term used to describe his long speech which is heard by no one else?
57. Friar Laurence says that everything and everyone has within them two qualities;
they are: a)
b)
58. What is Friar Laurence’s first reaction when he hears that Romeo has a new love?
59. Why does he finally agree to marry Romeo and Juliet?
II, sc. iv
60. When the scene opens, what are Mercutio and Benvolio wondering about Romeo?
61. What letter has Tybalt sent to Romeo?
62. What do Benvolio and Mercutio think Romeo’s chances against Tybalt are?
63. What are two reasons they feel this way?
a)
b)
64. How is Juliet to get out of the house to go to the wedding?
II, sc. v
65. How does the Nurse tease Juliet when she returns from talking to Romeo?
II, sc. vi
66. Where are Romeo and Juliet married?
67. What concern does Friar Laurence express about the relationship between Romeo
and Juliet?
Romeo and Juliet
Act III Study Guide
III, sc. i
68. What is the weather like on this afternoon?
69. What effect might the weather have on people?
70. Which character is, once again, concerned with keeping the peace?
71. Why does Romeo ignore Tybalt’s insults when they meet in the street?
72. What do Romeo’s friends, Mercutio in particular, think about this reaction?
73. How is Romeo the cause of Mercutio’s death?
74. What does Mercutio do as he is dying?
75. How is Romeo’s attitude changed toward Tybalt by Mercutio’s death?
76. What does Romeo do?
77. Why is the Prince especially disturbed at the death of Mercutio?
78. What penalty does the Prince put upon Romeo for killing Tybalt?
III, sc. ii
79. When the Nurse first tells her about Tybalt’s death, who does Juliet think has been
killed?
80. Is Juliet more upset over Tybalt’s death or Romeo’s banishment?
81. What is Juliet’s first reaction upon learning that Romeo has killed Tybalt?
82. When the Nurse says something against Romeo, how does Juliet change her
feelings?
83. What token of her love does Juliet send to Romeo?
III, sc. iii
84. Where does Romeo hide after killing Tybalt?
85. How does Romeo feel about the sentence set by the Prince?
Why?
86. What does Romeo threaten to do?
87. Friar Laurence gives Romeo three reasons he has to be thankful. List them.
A)
B)
C)
88. Friar Laurence gives the steps to a plan which will reunite Romeo and Juliet. List
them.
A)
C)
B)
D)
III, sc. iv
89. What change does Capulet make in Paris’ marriage to Juliet?
III, sc. v
90. Why does Juliet wish she heard the nightingale singing instead of the lark?
91. List the only people who know about the marriage of Romeo and Juliet. (4 names)
92. What is Juliet’s reaction when Lady Capulet breaks to her the news of her marriage
to Paris?
93. Why is Capulet so upset at Juliet’s disobedience? (2 reasons)
94. What does Capulet threaten to do if Juliet does not marry Paris? (2 things)
95. What does the Nurse advise Juliet to do about the marriage to Paris?
96. How does this affect the relationship between Juliet and Nurse?
Romeo and Juliet
Act IV Study Guide
IV, sc. i
97. Paris explains to Friar Laurence the reason for his early marriage to Juliet. What is
the reason?
98. List at least four things Juliet would rather do than marry Paris.
a)
b)
c)
d)
99. What does Friar advise Juliet to do as soon as she gets home?
100. What does Friar give Juliet?
101. What will this do to her?
102. How long will these effects last?
103. What will happen when Juliet’s family finds her?
104. What is the rest of Friar’s plan?
IV, sc. ii
105. How does Juliet make her father happy?
106. How does this make him change the wedding plans?
IV, sc. iii
107. What excuse does Juliet use to get Nurse and Lady Capulet out of her room for the
night?
108. List three things that worry Juliet before she drinks the potion.
a)
b)
c)
IV, sc. iv
109. Who has been awake all night preparing for the wedding?
IV, sc. v
110. Who finds Juliet “dead”?
111. What does Friar Laurence remind the family about Juliet?
112. What happens to the wedding preparations?
Act IV includes several changes to Friar Laurence’s original plan; what are some of the
changes and the problems that could arise from these changes?
(Use complete sentences to answer this!)
Romeo and Juliet
Act V Study Guide
V, sc. i
113. Who brings Romeo the news of Juliet’s death?
114. How did this person find out?
115. What does Romeo decide to do?
116. Romeo remembers seeing someone who could help. Who is it?
117. What does Romeo want from this person?
118. What is the risk if this person helps Romeo?
119. Why does he help Romeo anyway?
V, sc. ii
120. Why couldn’t Friar John deliver Friar Laurence’s letter to Romeo?
V, sc. iii
121. Why does Paris come to the Capulet tomb?
122. Romeo gives Balthasar two reasons for needing to enter the Capulet tomb. What
are they?
a)
b)
123. What does Romeo send to his father by Balthasar?
124. What does Paris think Romeo is planning to do at the tomb?
125. Does Romeo want to kill Paris?
126. Does Romeo kill Paris?
127. What is Paris’ last request before he dies?
128. What does Romeo notice about Juliet when he sees her in the tomb?
What is ironic about this??
129. How does Romeo die?
130. When Juliet awakens, what does the Friar want her to do?
131. What does she do instead?
132. Who explains the story of everything that happened to those gathered at the tomb?
133. Why isn’t Romeo’s mother at the tomb with the others?
134. What happens to the two families after the deaths of Romeo and Juliet?
135. What do the families plan to do to honor the dead lovers?
136. How many people died in this play because of the feud? ________
List them here: