Lycée de la Côtière
ROMEO AND JULIET – Act 2, scene 2 (extract) – questions
LELE- Forbidden Love
Having left the feast, Romeo decides that he cannot go home. He must instead try to find Juliet. He climbs a wall
bordering the Capulet property and leaps down into the Capulet orchard. As Romeo stands in the shadows beneath
Juliet’s bedroom window, Juliet suddenly appears on the balcony and thinking she’s alone, reveals in a soliloquy her
love for Romeo.
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
 Where and when does the scene take place?
 To what extent is it an allusion to the forbidden nature of their love?
Pick out the words and expressions in Juliet’s lines showing the danger of transgressing the place.
 What seems to be the main obstacle to Juliet and Romeo’s love? Quote the text to back your
answer.
 Focus on Romeo’s lines
-Which imagery does he use when talking about Juliet or his love for her?
-What does it suggest about the nature of their love?
- Does Romeo use Simple and true language
poetic and metaphorical language
Justify quoting from the text.
–What does it show about his vision of love?
 Focus on Juliet’s lines (l 9 to 12 + l 14 to 25)
-Does she use simple and true language
poetic and metaphorical language
-What does Juliet question in these two passages? (several answers possible)
 the power of her love for Romeo
the power of language
the importance of words and names
-According to her, does Romeo’s name define what he is? Which image does she use to illustrate her
point?
-What does it imply according to Juliet?
the two of them can love each other without fear of the social repercussions
the power of love cannot remove Romeo from his last name of Montague and all that it stands for
name-changing would allow them to escape from the social order to love freely
 Taking into account the end of the play, would you say Juliet is right to believe the language of love
will be triumphant?
 As a conclusion, to what extent does this play illustrate the theme of ‘forbidden love’? (about 150
words)
WATCHING ADAPTATIONS FROM THE PLAY
Romeo and Juliet (1968): hugely successful adaptation both critically and commercially; directed by Franco
Zeffirelli (UK/Italy) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0qao2xINsE
Romeo & Juliet : Royal Shakespeare Company – on stage footage NY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHoaPLO6Zd8
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996): modernisation of the story, which retains Shakespeare's language but
sets the play in "Verona Beach" in Florida; directed by Baz Luhrmann (USA)
WATCHING ADAPTATIONS FROM THE PLAY
Romeo and Juliet (1968): hugely successful adaptation both critically and commercially; directed by Franco
Zeffirelli (UK/Italy) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0qao2xINsE
Romeo & Juliet : Royal Shakespeare Company – on stage footage NY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHoaPLO6Zd8
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996): modernisation of the story, which retains Shakespeare's language but
sets the play in "Verona Beach" in Florida; directed by Baz Luhrmann (USA)
WATCHING ADAPTATIONS FROM THE PLAY
Romeo and Juliet (1968): hugely successful adaptation both critically and commercially; directed by Franco
Zeffirelli (UK/Italy) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0qao2xINsE
Romeo & Juliet : Royal Shakespeare Company – on stage footage NY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHoaPLO6Zd8
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996): modernisation of the story, which retains Shakespeare's language but
sets the play in "Verona Beach" in Florida; directed by Baz Luhrmann (USA)
WATCHING ADAPTATIONS FROM THE PLAY
Romeo and Juliet (1968): hugely successful adaptation both critically and commercially; directed by Franco
Zeffirelli (UK/Italy) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0qao2xINsE
Romeo & Juliet : Royal Shakespeare Company – on stage footage NY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHoaPLO6Zd8
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996): modernisation of the story, which retains Shakespeare's language but
sets the play in "Verona Beach" in Florida; directed by Baz Luhrmann (USA)