Romeo and Juliet
Act II
Directions: Take notes in the space provided below.
SCENE 4
Before Romeo appears in Scene 4, Benvolio and Mercutio discuss the fact that Tybalt has
issued a challenge by “sending a letter” to his father’s house.
1. What does it mean to issue a challenge?
2. Does Benvolio think Romeo can answer the challenge?
3. Does Mercutio think Romeo can answer the challenge?
4. Mercutio mocks the way that Tybalt fights, saying that he’s predictable, a butcher
of silk buttons, and a bully to “sissies.” Do you think Tybalt is a real threat?
5. Do you think Romeo can take him?
How has the way Romeo and Mercutio interact changed since first you saw them
together? What reason might you give for this change?
When Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio see the Nurse, they start teasing her. What sort of
insults do they hurl at her? Why do you think Romeo joins in?
Once the nurse gets Romeo alone, he tries to explain Mercutio’s personality to her by
saying he “loves to hear himself talk and will speak more in a minute than he’ll stand to
in a month.” How would you paraphrase this description?
The Nurse gets all dressed up and endures the insults of Romeo’s friends to talk to him.
1. Why is the Nurse meeting with Romeo?
2. What does she mean when she says “if ye should lead her in a fool’s paradise, it
would be a very gross kind of behavior…if you should deal double with her…it
would be very weak dealing.”
3. Do you think the Nurse leaves with a good impression of Romeo? Or a bad one?
What would you cite as evidence?
SCENE 5
Juliet is waiting impatiently to hear from Romeo. How many times does she ask the nurse
what Romeo said?
Why do you think the Nurse doesn’t immediately answer her questions?
SCENE 6
You’re not the only one who thinks Romeo goes overboard in his worship of Juliet!
When Romeo says “Close our hands with holy words, then love-devouring death do what
he dare—it is enough I may but call her mine,” the Friar responds by saying “These
violent delights have violent ends…like fire and powder, which, as they kiss, consume.”
1. What does it mean to “close hands with holy words”?
2. “Death do what he dare” gives human qualities to something non-human, making
it an example of:
3. What kind of powder is the friar talking about?
4. How are fire and powder consumed if they kiss?
5. What does the Friar’s warning mean?
Why do you think the Friar is marrying them?
HONORS:
Directions: Read the exercise on page 844. Then translate the Nurse’s lines into regular
English (or write a line in modern English that means the same thing).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.