Exam: Review
Communications 9 Honors
Romeo and Juliet
OVERVIEW
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The test will be given over two days.
Day one will include 50 multiple choice questions and some short answer. It will also include
reviewing a key scene in the play and answering questions about it. The day one portion is
worth 80 points.
Day two will include interpretation of a key passage; a new reading unrelated to the play; and
what the two passages have in common thematically. This is multiple choice and is worth 23
points. This portion of the test will also include a 12-point essay question, for a day-two total of
35 points.
KEY MATERIALS
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Use your character chart, but also review a copy of the play. If you don’t have online access or a
copy of the play, you should take a textbook home. There is a link to a full copy of the play on
the class Web site.
Review all PowerPoint notes.
Read “Great Movies: Romeo and Juliet” by Roger Ebert in the textbook on page 1057. This is a
review of the film we watched in class, and there will be questions about it on the test.
SPECIFICALLY:
 You will not need to repeat the plot details from Acts 1-4. Act 5 will be covered on the test
in multiple choice form.
 Review turning points in the play: Romeo and Juliet’s first meeting at the Capulet ball; the
balcony scene; the death of Mercutio and Tybalt; Romeo’s banishment; the Friar’s plan with
potion; the final scene at the Capulet monument.
 Be able to identify key passages, their speakers, and their meanings. This makes up some of
the multiple choice portion, and nearly all of the essay portion.
 When asked to identify speaker and meaning of passages, be sure to go beyond translating
the passage. Explain in detail what the importance of the passage is in regard to what it says
about a character, key event, or important theme.
EXAMPLES
 “A plague o’ both your houses”
Who said it?
Mercutio
What does it mean?
Mercutio blames his impending death on the feud between the two families. His words could
also serve as a prophecy of what is to come for the Capulets and Montagues: Both families
experience terrible tragedy with the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
 “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”
Who said it?
Juliet
What does it mean?
Juliet laments the fact that Romeo is a Montague. This is an important concern because she
knows the relationship will be difficult: She has fallen in love with the son of her family’s enemy.
Juliet goes on to say, however, that “Romeo” and “Montague” are just names: They have
nothing to do with the young man she has fallen in love with – her justification for proceeding
with the relationship.
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Be very familiar with literary terms and language tricks, and be able to recognize examples
of:
 Soliloquy
 Aside
 Foil
 Metaphor, simile, personification
 Oxymoron, foreshadowing
 Allusion
 Dramatic irony
 Sonnets
Be familiar with the main characters and how they are associated with either the Montagues or
Capulets.
Also:
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Review notes on the importance of night and day comparisons in the play.
Know the basics of the tragic flaw theory and how it can be applied to Romeo.
Know the important facts of Shakespeare’s biography (birth, marriage, family), and the
highlights of his writing career (Globe Theatre, plays, etc.). This comes from the viewing guide
from his DVD biography.
Do not wait until the last minute to begin studying. Do a little bit every night between now and the
test. I will be available after school on Monday to answer review questions.