Romeo and Juliet
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Act I Study Guide
Act I, Scene i
1. What does Gregory tell Sampson to do in line 26? Why does he tell him to do this?
2. What does it mean when Sampson says, “Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin” (I.i.31)? Why
does he say this?
3. What does Sampson do in line 33?
4. Who tries to break up the fight between Sampson and Gregory and Abram? What does this tell you
about his character?
5. Who enters in line 53? What word does he say he hates? What does this tell you about his character?
6. What does Capulet want in line 62? Why does his wife answer, “A crutch, a crutch”?
7. What does the Prince demand that everyone do in line 74?
8. What does the Prince say will happen if they do this again?
9. According to Montague and Benvolio, what has Romeo’s mood been like lately?
10. What does Benvolio want to find out when he talks to Romeo? (I.i.144)
11. What does Benvolio find out by talking to Romeo?
12. What advice does Benvolio give Romeo? (I.i.215) How does Romeo respond to this advice?
Act I, Scene ii
13. How old is Capulet’s daughter (Juliet)? (I.ii.9)
14. What does Paris want from Capulet?
15. What is Capulet’s answer to Paris’ inquiry?
16. What is happening at the Capulet house tonight?
17. What does Capulet send his servant to do?
18. Why can’t the servant do his job right away?
19. When Benvolio and Romeo enter, what is Benvolio still trying to persuade Romeo to do? (See question
12)
20. What does the servant want Romeo to do for him?
21. Who is not invited to the party, according to the servant? (I.ii.75)
22. Why does Benvolio say that Romeo should go to the party?
Act I, Scene iii
23. Based on the exchange between Juliet’s nurse and her mother, who seems to know her better?
24. What does Juliet say when her mother asks her what she thinks of marriage?
25. What does Lady Capulet say in reply?
26. What does Juliet agree to do at the end of the scene?
Act I, Scene iv
27. What social activity are Mercutio and Benvolio planning to engage in once they arrive at the party?
28. Who does not seem inclined to engage in this activity?
29. What kind of a party are they going to? (Note the words visage and masque.) How will this help their
situation?
30. Romeo says, “And we mean well in going to this masque, / But ‘tis no wit to go” (I.iv.28). Why doesn’t
he want to go to the party? Look to the next few lines for the answer…
31. At the end of Mercutio’s long speech about Queen Mab, Romeo tells him, “Thou talk’st of nothing.”
Through his speech, what is Mercutio trying to prove to Romeo about dreams?
32. Since Mercutio interrupts Romeo with his speech about Queen Mab, we never find out what Romeo
dreamt last night. Look at his last lines of scene 4 (“I fear too early….”). What might his dream have
been about? How does this connect to the theme of fate and destiny?
Act I, Scene v
33. When Romeo first sees Juliet, he comments that he has never seen true beauty until now. How is this
contradictory to what he was saying earlier?
34. How does Tybalt recognize Romeo?
35. Who stops Tybalt from going after Romeo? Why does he say that Tybalt should not bother Romeo?
What does this tell you about feud between the families?
36. Who calls Tybalt a “saucy boy,” and why does he call him this? What does this tell you about Tybalt’s
character?
37. What does Romeo convince Juliet to do very soon after meeting her?
38. What does Romeo realize after the Nurse comes to get Juliet for her mother?
39. Why does Juliet ask the Nurse about several other people first before mentioning Romeo?
40. Paraphrase Juliet’s lines: “My only love sprung from….loathed enemy” (1.v.136-139).