Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Questions
ACT I, SCENE I
1) How does Shakespeare create a light and humorous tone in the opening moments of the scene?
2) What are the names of the two feuding households?
3) How does the quarrel begin and how does it escalate?
4) Describe the Prince’s reaction to the brawl. How does he try to ensure violence won’t break out again?
5) What are the different views of love in scene one?
6) What is Romeo’s state of mind in this scene?
7) Summarize Benvolio’s advice to Romeo.
8) What is the crisis that ends scene one?
ACT I, SCENE ii
1) What is the topic of discussion between Capulet and Paris?
2) How old is Capulet’s daughter?
3) Why is she (Juliet) of particular worth to her father?
ACT I, SCENE iii
1) How is the nurse presented in terms of her personality and her relationship with Juliet.
2) What qualities of Paris does Lady Capulet stress when she presents him as a suitable match for Juliet?
3) How can you tell that Juliet might be closer to the nurse than her mother?
4) When Juliet responds to her mother’s proposal about Paris does Juliet seem naively obedient or wise?
How can you tell?
5) What are three different views of love presented in this scene?
ACT I, SCENE iv
1) Contrast Romeo’s mood with the other people as they approach the Capulet’s party?
2) In Mercutio’s “Queen Mab” speech, identify five details in Queen Mab’s appearance which suggest her
delicacy.
3) Explain Romeo’s fears or suspicions that he reveals in his final speech (lines 106-113).
ACT I, SCENE iv
1) In this scene at the feast at the Capulet’s house, Romeo sees Juliet for the first time. When he first sees her
he uses figurative language to describe her beauty. Write down three examples of this figurative language.
2) What effect is created by connecting Romeo’s discovery of Juliet with Tybalt’s discovery of Romeo? What
themes are revealed here?
3) To what extent, can each of the following terms or phrases be used to describe Romeo and Juliet’s
meeting?:
 Love at first sight
 Infatuation
 Passion
 Physical attraction
 Friendship
Support your answers with evidence.
4)How does this scene emphasize how isolated the lovers are from each other?
Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Questions
ACT II, SCENE i
1) Why does Romeo stay hidden when Benvolio and Mercutio are looking for him?
2) Describe Mercutio’s attitude towards love.
3) Though Mercutio seems sarcastic and disrespectful when he speaks of Romeo they are obviously close
friends. Agree or disagree. Explain.
4) Define dramatic irony. How do you see dramatic irony in this scene?
ACT II, SCENE ii
1) What is the setting of this scene?
2) Define “soliloquy.” Using line numbers, find an example of a soliloquy in this scene.
3) List the images of light in Romeo’s opening speeches (lines 3-23 and 27-32). What does this say about
Romeo’s love for Juliet?
4) Explain how Juliet’s “O Romeo, Romeo!” speech (lines 33-36 and 38-49) introduces the theme of destiny
(or fate) vs. human responsibility/choice.
5) In her response to Romeo’s romantic advances, Juliet is a bit uncertain/anxious. Describe two reasons for
this (lines 90-106).
6) What are Romeo and Juliet planning for the following day?
ACT II, SCENE iii
1) What does the Friar’s opening soliloquy tell us about who he is, what he believes and what he thinks about
humans?
2) What does the Friar think about the love of young men?
3) Romeo’s future “alliance” leaves the Friar with a feeling of hope. What does the Friar hope this “alliance”
might do for him?
ACT II, SCENE iv
1) What is foreshadowed when Mercutio’s complains about Tybalt?
2) How does Romeo and Mercutio’s conversation show that Romeo has changed?
3) Look at the role of the nurse in this scene. How does she bring about destiny (or fate) in this scene?
ACT II, SCENE v
1) What does Juliet say has changed about her since she has been in love?
2) How are youth and old age contrasted in this scene?
ACT II, SCENE vi
1) How is the tragic outcome of the marriage between Romeo and Juliet foreshadowed in this scene?
2) Explain how Romeo and Friar Laurence feel differently about love.
3) Describe the different ways Romeo and Juliet express their feelings for each other in the closing
moments of this scene.
Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Questions
ACT III, SCENE i
1) Why does Tybalt always want to cause fights?
2) Why does Romeo refuse to fight with Tybalt at first?
3) How does Tybalt mortally wound Mercutio?
4) Even up to the point of his own death, Mercutio is himself. Agree or disagree. Explain.
5) How does Romeo get even for Mercutio’s death?
6) Having heard about the circumstances leading up to the recent deaths, the Prince gives Romeo a sentence.
What is it?
7) What point in this scene would you choose as the turning point (or climax) in the play?
ACT III, SCENE ii
1) How does Juliet’s soliloquy affect the emotional tone (feeling) of the rest of the scene?
2) Why does Shakespeare not have the Nurse tell Juliet about what has happened?
3) Describe Juliet’s response to Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment?
ACT III, SCENE iii
1) Why, after giving his news to Romeo, does the Friar think Romeo is not grateful?
2) Why does Romeo feel that Friar Laurence is unfit to offer him advice?
ACT III, SCENE iv
1) What does Capulet decide for Juliet? What does this say about the control Juliet has over her own life?
2) The Capulet’s need help understanding their daughter. Agree or disagree. Explain.
3) Juliet should have told her parents the truth instead of deceiving them. Agree or disagree. Explain.
ACT III, SCENE v
1) When Romeo and Juliet talk about their relationship they use images of night and day or dark and
light. Why do they seem to prefer darkness over light?
2) What evidence is that that Juliet believes her and Romeo’s destiny is controlled by fate?
3) Why does Lady Capulet think Juliet is crying? Why is she really crying?
4) How does Juliet react to her parents’ plan?
5) What is the nurse’s advice to Juliet? Why do you think she gives her this advice?
6) How does Juliet get the nurse out of her room at the end of this scene? What is she going to do now?
Romeo and Juliet Act 4 Questions
ACT IV, SCENE i
1) In what dilemma does Friar Laurence find himself in at the beginning of Act IV?
2) Compare how Juliet and Romeo act during their meetings with the Friar.
3) What is the Friar’s potion solution?
4) Why is the Friar deciding to help Juliet?
ACT IV, SCENE ii
1) How is the mood of the beginning of this scene different from the mood at the end of the last scene?
2) How does the moving up of the wedding date affect the plot and the audience?
3) Find and explain two examples of dramatic irony in this scene.
ACT IV, SCENE iii
1) Why did Shakespeare add this scene between the drinking of the potion and the discovery of Juliet’s
“death”?
2) List the fears Juliet expresses in her soliloquy (lines 14-59) and how she deals with each fear.
ACT IV, SCENE iv
1) What is the effect of introducing a brief scene with short quick speeches at this point in the play?
2) Describe the tone of this scene.
ACT IV, SCENE v
1) Describe how the nurse reacts when she discovers Juliet’s body?
2) What do the reactions of the following characters reveal about how they feel about Juliet: Capulet, Lady
Capulet, Paris and the Nurse?
3) What poetic devices does Capulet use in lines 28-29 and lines 38-39 and what effect do they have?
Romeo and Juliet Act 5 Questions
ACT V, SCENE i
1) What is ironic about Romeo’s soliloquy in light of the news he soon hears?
2) What plans does Romeo make when he learns Juliet is dead?
3) How does the scene with the apothecary add to the play?
4) In his closing speech, Romeo criticizes the influence gold has on men (line 80). How is the theme of greed
connected to the play?
ACT V, SCENE ii
1) How does scene two connect with the prologue?
2) Is Friar John’s inability to deliver the letter to Romeo evidence of fate or of problems with Friar Laurence’s
plan? Explain.
3) What fears motivate Friar Laurence to go to Juliet’s tomb?
ACT V, SCENE iii
1) Describe Romeo’s state of mind at the beginning of this scene.
2) What motivates Paris to challenge Romeo?
3) What/who does Friar Laurence blame for the deaths of Paris and Romeo (lines 144-174 and 151-154)?
4) Justify, from Juliet’s point of view, what Juliet does when she wakes up in the tomb.
5) Explain how the theme of loss (which is a big part of tragedy) is part of this scene.
6) How do the Prince’s closing remarks seem similar to the speech by the Chorus at the beginning of the play?
7) Who would you have punished in this play?