ROMEO AND JULIET - Act I Reading and Study Guide
Ms. Howard English 9
I. LITERARY TERMS: Be able to define each term and apply each term to the play.
Oxymoron – bringing together two contradictory terms as in “wise fool” or “feather of lead”
Example: In Act 1, Scene 1 Romeo uses several oxymora (the plural of
“oxymoron”) to describe the relationship of love and hate. He says, “O brawling love, O
loving hate.”
Allusion – reference to historical or literary figure, event, or object
le: In Act 1, Scene 1 Romeo says that Rosaline “hath Dian’s wit.” He is
alluding to Diana, goddess of chastity, who opposed love and marriage. In other words,
Rosaline thinks like Diana and will not fall in love with Romeo.
Pun – a play on words based on the similarity of sound between two words with different meanings
-16, Romeo is feeling sad, so he does not want to
dance. He says to the others, “You have dancing shoes / With nimble soles. I have a
soul of lead / so stakes me to the ground I cannot move.”
Imagery – representation in words of a vivid sensory experience
beauty when he says, “So shows a dove trooping with crows”
What comparison is Romeo making here?
He is comparing her to the beauty of a dove walking among crows (the other women
there who are ugly in comparison).
Paradox – a statement that might seem to contradict itself but is nevertheless true; for example,
“less is more.”
Romeo, saying, “My only love sprung from my only hate.” This seems to be a
contradictory statement, because love and hate are opposites.
Iambic Meter – unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable
Iambic Pentameter – five verse feet with each foot an iamb (a total of ten syllables)
Monologue – a speech by one character in a play, story, or poem
: the speech in which the Prince of Verona commands the Capulets and Montagues
to cease feuding (Act I, Scene I)
Rhyme Scheme – is a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem. The rhyme scheme of a poem is
indicated by using different letters of the alphabet for each new rhyme. In an aabb
stanza, for example, line 1 rhymes with line 2 and line 3 rhymes with line 4.
: Find the rhyme scheme in the prologue (a b a b e d c d e f e f g g )
Couplet – is a pair of rhyming lines, usually of the same length and meter. A couplet generally
expresses a single idea.
: Give an example from Act I, Scene 1
“She hath forsworn to love, ad in that vow
Do I live dead that live to tell it now.” Line 220
Sonnet - A Shakespearean sonnet consists of 14 lines, each line contains ten syllables, and each line
is written in iambic pentameter. The rhyme scheme in a Shakespearean sonnet is ABAB
CDCD EFEF GG in which the last two lines are a rhyming couplet.
: Act I, Scene V – The first fourteen lines of Romeo and Juliet’s first conversation.
II. Questions: answer the following questions for the Prologue and each scene in Act I:
Prologue:
Vocabulary:
mutiny – strife, rivalry
piteous – passionate
Questions:
1. In what city does this play take place?
Verona, Italy
2. Put the following lines in to your own words:
“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life,”
Born into these two feuding families are two children who are destined by Fate to become lovers and
will commit suicide.
3. What does the term ‘star-cross’d lovers’ suggest?
“star-crossed lovers" is a phrase describing a pair of ill-fated lovers whose relationship is said to be
doomed from the start. The phrase is astrological in origin, stemming from the belief that the positions
of the stars ruled over people's fates. To describe a relationship as "star-crossed" is to say that the
stars are working against the relationship, even though it was destiny that the two characters paths
crossed.
4. Put these lines into your own words:
“Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows
Doth, with their death, bury their parents’ strife.”
In their passionate misadventure (disaster), Romeo and Juliet die; and with their death, they bury the
feud between their families.
Scene 1:
Vocabulary:
colliers – people who dig or sell coals
valiant - brave
pernicious – vindictive, wicked
adversary – enemy, nemesis
tyrannous – cruel, vicious
Questions:
1. As Sampson and Gregory are discussing their hatred for the Montagues, what bawdy comment
does Sampson make? What kind of ‘love’ is this an example of?
Sampson brags that he will take the virginity from the Montague women: “…therefore women, being the
weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push Montague’s men from the wall and
thrust his maids to the wall.” This is a good example of vulgar love.
2. Why do you suppose biting a thumb is offensive to the Capulets?
Biting a thumb is equivalent to the modern gesture of sticking up a middle finger.
3. During the fight between the Montagues and the Capulets, the Prince appears and he is very
angry. What is the promise and threat he makes?
He states that the Capulet/Montague feud has disturbed the peace of the city once too often. He
declares that the next Capulet or Montague who breaks the peace will pay with his life at the hands of
the Prince’s civil authority.
4. Benvolio and Montague describe the way Romeo has been acting. What do they have to say
about him?
Benvolio says that he saw Romeo before sunrise and Romeo fled into the forest alone when he saw
him.
Montague explains how Romeo stays out until the cheerful sun rises in the east and opens Aurora’s
curtains to let the sun shine through; at this moment, Romeo flees from the light to the darkness of his
private bedroom.
According to Roman mythology, Aurora is the goddess of the dawn.
5. Why is Romeo so depressed?
Romeo is in love with a woman who does not return his love.
6. What advice does Benvolio give Romeo?
Benvolio says Romeo should look for someone else and forget Rosaline, but Romeo responds he will
never be able to forget her.
Scene 2:
Vocabulary:
heretics – people whose opinions differ from the official faith (Christianity)
Questions:
1. Why does Capulet think it will be easy for Montague and him to keep the peace?
He says they will die if they do not keep the peace and they are old anyway.
2. After speaking briefly, Paris gets to the point of his visit to the Capulets. What does he ask of
Lord Capulet? What is Capulet’s response?
Paris asks for Capulet’s daughter’s hand in marriage. Capulet says that his daughter, Juliet, is not yet
fourteen, but in two years they can marry if she is willing.
3. Paris responds that girls younger than she have been married. What is Capulet’s response to
this? What suggestion and invitation does Capulet make to Paris?
Capulet says his daughter is the only child he has left and he will not force her into a marriage she does
not want. Capulet tells Paris to win her heart and invites him to attend a party that night to court her.
4. While Benvolio is trying to convince Romeo to find other women in order to overcome his
heartache over Rosaline, what suggestion does he make? Why?
Benvolio suggests that they go to the party and he will show Romeo women that make Rosaline look
ugly in comparison: “Compare her face with some that I shall show,/ And I will make thee think thy
swan a crow.”
Scene 3:
Vocabulary:
dug – teat, nipple
tetchy – touchy, oversensitive, irritable
perilous – dangerous, hazardous
Questions:
1.
How old is Juliet?
Thirteen, almost fourteen.
2. When Lady Capulet asks Juliet how she feels about marriage, what is Juliet’s answer?
She thinks it is an honor but she doesn’t dream about it right now because she is so young.
3. Following Juliet’s answer, what does Lady Capulet then tell Juliet?
That girls her age in Verona are already mothers and that Juliet should study Paris at the party tonight
and be open to the idea of marrying him.
Scene 4:
Vocabulary:
lath - wood
wantons - tomboys
benefice – appointment in the church
vile - wicked
Questions:
1. Why does Romeo say he is unable to dance?
Romeo claims his soul is made of lead (from sadness) which weighs him down.
2. How do the Montagues expect to be able to enter a Capulet house?
The party is a masked ball, so they will not be easily recognized.
3. Romeo is apprehensive about going to the masquerade because of the dream he had the night
before. Romeo seems to believe (as did many in Shakespeare’s day) that dreams have
something to do with life. Perhaps Romeo believes dreams act as omens. What is Mercutio’s
opinion of dreams? What does Mercutio’s speech reveal about his character?
Mercutio believes dreams signify nothing and reflect a great deal of superstitious nonsense: “I talk of
dreams;/Which are the children of an idle brain,/Begot of nothing but vain fantasy,…”
His speech shows how he has the tendency to babble and ramble on. He seems very showy and
prone to exaggerate.
4. What is Romeo’s misgiving, and what does the line “some consequence, yet hanging in the
stars” have to do with his feeling of dread? Discuss the theme this quote illustrates.
Romeo believes that going to this party will initiate a chain of events (destiny “hanging in the stars”) that
may end in his untimely death. The theme of Fate having complete control is illustrated by Romeo’s
comment. All his faith sits among the stars.
Scene 5:
Vocabulary:
nuptial – wedding ceremony
scathe – hurt, injure
perforce – is a requirement; is essential
choler – fury, anger
prodigious – threatening, ominous
gall – detest, disgust
Questions:
1.
What does Romeo think of Juliet the first time he sees her?
He thinks she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.
2.
How does Tybalt recognize Romeo? What does he vow to do?
Tybalt is able to recognize Romeo’s voice, as an enemy, and vows to kill the Montague behind the
mask.
3. When Tybalt is ready to seize Romeo and throw him out of the party, what does Capulet say to
Tybalt?
Lord Capulet informs Tybalt of Romeo’s reputation, saying that the people of Verona brag about how
dignified and honorable Romeo has become. Lord Capulet vows to not show Romeo any disrespect.
Capulet continues advising Tybalt to ignore Romeo and have a good time at the party: “…Show a fair
presence and put off these frowns…”
4. Explain what the conversation is between Romeo and Juliet.
They are flirting with each other using religious language. He is referring to her as a holy shrine that
he, as a pilgrim, has to approach in a certain way because she is ‘holy’. A pilgrimage is a journey that
people of religious conviction take to holy sites (i.e. Muslims going to Mecca – a city in Saudi Arabia –
because it is where Muhammad was born and he proclaimed it a holy city). She flirts back with him
saying the saints use their lips for prayer and do not initiate action. He says he will then ‘pray’ (kiss
her). She says he kisses by the book – like a expert as if he studied how to kiss correctly.
5. During their conversation, Romeo ends up kissing Juliet twice before the Nurse comes to tell
Juliet that her mother requests her. Romeo and his friends leave. How does the audience know
that Juliet feels as strongly about Romeo as he does for her?
Juliet welcomes Romeo’s kisses, twice. Then, as Romeo is leaving, Juliet sends her Nurse to find out
who he is. The audience knows how deeply Juliet feels because she states to her Nurse, “If he be
married,/My grave is like to be my wedding bed.”
6. How does Romeo find out Juliet’s last name?
The Nurse says Juliet’s mother is the lady of the house.
7. How does Juliet find out Romeo’s last name?
Juliet sends her Nurse to find out who he is.
8. How do they each react to finding out they are from feuding families?
They are both devastated.