Romeo and Juliet
Reading Guide Questions
Act I
Scene i
1. What is the setting of the play? (when and where)
2. Why do Sampson and Gregory fight with Montague’s men?
3. Benvolio and Tybalt come upon the servants fighting. How do their reactions contrast?
4. When Montague and Capulet enter and see the disturbance, they want to fight too. What do
their wives say?
5. The street brawl between the Capulets and the Montagues ends when the Prince appears.
What does the Prince say the punishment will be for the next people who “disturb the quite of
the streets”?
6. Why is there bad blood between the two families?
7. When we first meet Romeo he is depressed. Why?
Scene ii
8. Paris asks Capulet to marry Juliet. What is Capulet’s reply?
9. What is Paris’ argument for the marriage to take place now?
10. Why is Capulet having a feast?
11. How does Romeo find out about it?
12. What reason does Benvolio use to urge Romeo to go to the feast?
Scene iii
13. What is Juliet’s relationship with her nurse? Her mother?
14. How does she feel about the prospect of marriage?
15. What is Lady Capulet’s advice for Juliet?
16. To what does Juliet consent?
Scene iv
17. The masked Mercutio, Romeo and Benvolio are on their way to the Capulet’s party. Why has
Romeo finally consent to go?
18. What does Mercutio’s monologue about Queen Mab explain?
19. What words does Romeo speak that could foreshadow doom?
Scene v
20. What happens to Romeo as soon as he sees Juliet?
21. How does Romeo find out Juliet is a Capulet?
22. Paraphrase the words Juliet says when she discovers that Romeo is the only son of her enemy.
Act II
Scene i
1. Benvolio and Mercutio are looking for Romeo. Where is he hiding?
2. Why is he hiding?
Scene ii
3. As Romeo watches Juliet on her balcony, he compares her to various heavenly bodies. What
specific comparison does he make?
4. Not realizing Romeo is listening, Juliet declares her love for him. Paraphrase what Juliet says.
5. What is the value of a name according to Juliet?
6. Juliet is to contact Romeo (through a servant) the next day. Why?
Scene iii
7. What is Friar Lawrence’s first reaction to Romeo’s admission of his love for Juliet?
8. What does Friar Lawrence hope will become of Romeo and Juliet’s marriage?
Scene iv
9. This scene opens with a conversation between Benvolio and Mercutio. What piece of bad
news do we learn from this conversation?
10. What is the important message for Juliet that Romeo tells the Nurse?
Scene v
11. What is funny about the way the way the Nurse tells Juliet Romeo’s message?
Scene vi
12. What words of warning does Friar Lawrence give to Romeo?
13. Is this good or bad advice? What may it foreshadow?
14. At the end of this act, what important act is about to take place?
Act III
Scene i
1. Tybalt angrily challenges Romeo to a duel. What is Romeo’s response to the challenge?
2. What does Romeo try to do to stop the first between Mercutio and Tybalt?
3. What does the injured Mercutio mean when he says several times, “A plague on both your
houses!”?
4. After Mercutio does, Romeo fights Tybalt and kills him. What does the Prince decree as
Romeo’s punishment?
Scene ii
5. What conflict does Juliet feel when she hears that Romeo has killed her cousin Tybalt?
6. How does this turn of events put Juliet in a bad position?
7. What does she decide she should do?
Scene iii
8. Friar Lawrence tries to comfort Romeo by telling him that “a pack of blessings light upon they
back.” What three things does he believe Romeo has to be happy about?
Scene iv
9. What have Lord and Lady Capulet and Paris planned for Juliet?
Scene v
10. How much time has passed since Romeo and Juliet were married?
11. Romeo has spent the night with Juliet but must leave Verona before dawn or he will lose his
life. What does Juliet say that foreshadows tragic events to come?
12. What vision does she see?
13. How does Juliet react to the news that she will marry Paris? How is this uncharacteristic?
14. If Juliet refuses to marry Paris, what does Lord Capulet threaten?
15. What advice does the Nurse give to Juliet?
16. At the end of the scene, what does the Nurse say that makes Juliet call her “most wicked
fiend”?
Act IV
Scene i
1. Why does Juliet come to the Friar’s cell?
2. What will Juliet do so that she will not have to go through with the marriage to Paris?
3. How is Romeo to find out about this plan?
4. According to Friar Lawrence’s plan, how will Romeo and Juliet be reunited?
Scene ii
5. Lord and Lady Capulet are planning Juliet’s marriage to Paris. What does Juliet say to her
parents to indicate that she agrees to marry Paris?
Scene iii
6. List two things Juliet worries about before she drinks the contents of the vial.
Scene iv
7. While Juliet has been drinking Friar Lawrence’s potion, what have her father and others in the
household been doing?
Scene v
8. What does the audience know that the Nurse and Lord and Lady Capulet do not? What is this
convention called?
9. What ceremony was being planned at the beginning of this Act? Which one is being planned
now? How is this ironic?
10. Paraphrase what the Friar says to comfort the grieving Capulets and Paris.
Act V
Scene i
1. Where had Romeo been living since his banishment?
2. Has he been in contact with his family?
3. What news of Juliet does Romeo’s servant bring?
4. Why does Romeo visit an apothecary?
5. What does he purchase? Why is it difficult to obtain?
Scene ii
6. What was the reason the Friar’s letter was not delivered to Romeo?
7. How does this affect the Friar’s plan?
Scene iii
8. What is Paris doing in the churchyard late at night?
9. When Paris sees Romeo force open the Capulet tomb, what does he imagine Romeo intends
to do?
10. When Paris tries to arrest Romeo, Romeo tries hard to avoid trouble with Paris. How does Paris
die?
11. When Romeo marvels that Juliet is still so fair in death, what is the irony?
12. When Juliet wakes, she finds the Friar at her side. What bad news does he tell her?
13. Explain Juliet’s line: “Oh happy dagger.”
14. What affect do the deaths of the young people have on the feud between the families?