Student Name:______________________________________
Class Period:_______
Romeo & Juliet
by
William
Shakespeare
Shakespeare/Romeo and Juliet Background Notes (from PowerPoint)
1. When and where was Shakespeare born? ______________________
2. Shakespeare’s parents were ____________________ and ____________________.
3. Where did Shakespeare attend grammar school? ________________
4. Shakespeare married ____________________ in the year ______.
5. Name Shakespeare’s children. ____________________________________________________
6. Shakespeare moved to ___________________ to pursue his career in theater.
7. Shakespeare died on ____________________________ at the age of _________.
8. Where is he buried? ____________________________________
9. What is written on his grave?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
10. _________________was the Queen of England from 1558-1603.
11. What theatrical company did Shakespeare work for?
____________________________________________________
12. ____________, ____________, ____________ are the three types of plays written by Shakespeare.
13. What type of play is Romeo & Juliet?_________________________
14. Who built the first theater in England? ______________________
15. What was it called? ____________________________________
16. What was the name of Shakespeare’s theater? ________________
17. What did he call it? ____________________________________
18. List 3 details about the theater.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
19. What were trapdoors used for? ____________________________________________________
20. At what time of day were plays usually performed? _____________
21. List 2 details about the setting of the plays.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
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22. What are the poor that stand for the play called? ______________
23. Who played female roles in the plays during that time? Why?
________________________________________________________________
24. Name one way the theater was different in Shakespeare’s time with the theater now.
_______________________________________________________________________
25. “The theater is much more than a medium of words. When we go to see a play, it is the movement of
words rather than the movement of the scenery that delights us.”
What does the above statement mean?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
26. Shakespeare’s primary source for the play is __________________’s Tragicall Historye of Romeus and
Juliet (1562), which is a long, dense poem.
27. Which of the gender differences is most shocking to you and why?
28. What town is the setting for Romeo and Juliet?
29. What are the names of the feuding families?
30. What was Shakespeare exploring through this play?
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Biography of William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
William Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare, moved to the idyllic town of Stratford-upon-Avon in
the mid-sixteenth century, where he became a successful landowner, moneylender, wool and
agricultural goods dealer, and glover. In 1557 he married Mary Arden. John Shakespeare lived during a
time when the middle class grew and became increasingly wealthy, thus allowing Its members
increasing freedoms, luxuries, and voice In the local government. He took advantage of the
opportunities afforded him through this social growth and In 1557 became a member of the Stratford
Council, an event which marked the beginning of an Illustrious political career. By 1561 he was elected
one of the town's fourteen burgesses, where he served successively as constable, one of two
chamberlains, and alderman. In these positions he administered borough property and revenues. In 1567
he was made bailiff, the highest elected office in Stratford--the equivalent of a modem-day mayor.
The town records indicate that William Shakespeare was John and Mary's third child. His birth is unregistered, but legend
places it on April 23, 1564, partially because April 23 is the day on which he died 52 years later. In any event, his baptism was
registered with the town on April 26, 1564. Not much is known about his childhood, although it is safe to assume that he
attended the local grammar school, the King's New School, which was staffed with a faculty who held Oxford degrees, and
whose curriculum included mathematics, natural sciences, Latin language and rhetoric, logic, Christian ethics, and classical
literature. He did not attend the university, but this was not unusual at the time, since university education was reserved for
prospective clergymen and was not a particularly mind-opening experience. However, the education he received at grammar
school was excellent, as evidenced by the numerous classical and literary references in his plays. His early works especially
drew on such Greek and Roman greats as Seneca and Plautus. More Impressive than his formal education Is the wealth of
general knowledge exhibited in his works, from a working knowledge of many professions to a vocabulary far greater than any
other English writer.
In 1582, at age eighteen, William Shakespeare married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. Their first daughter, Susanna, was baptized
only six months later, which has given rise to much speculation concerning the circumstances surrounding their marriage. In
1585 Anne bore twins, baptized Hamnet and Judith Shakespeare. Hamnet died at
the young age of eleven, by which time Shakespeare was already a successful playwright. In about 1589 Shakespeare wrote his
first play, Henry VI, Part 1. Sometime between his marriage and writing this play he and his wife moved to London, where he
pursued a career as a playwright and actor.
Although many records of Shakespeare's life as a citizen of Stratford, Including marriage and birth certificates, are extant, very
little Information exists about his life as a young playwright. Legend characterizes Shakespeare as a roguish young scrapper
who was once forced to flee London under sketchy circumstances. However, the little written information we have of his early
years does not confirm this. Young Will was not an Immediate and universal success; the earliest written record of
Shakespeare's life In London comes from a statement by rival playwright Robert Greene, who calls Shakespeare an “upstart
crow…[who] supposes he Is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you” - hardly high praise.
In 1594 Shakespeare became a charter member of The Lord Chamberlain's Men, a group of actors who later changed their name
to The King's Men when they gained the sponsorship of King James I. By 1598 he was "principal comedian" for the troupe, and
by 1603 he was "principal tragedian." Acting and writing plays at this time were not considered noble professions, but
successful and prosperous actors were relatively well respected. Shakespeare was very successful and made quite a bit of
money, which he Invested In Stratford real estate. In fact, In 1597 he purchased the second largest house in Stratford, the New
Place, for his parents. In 1596 Shakespeare applied for a coat of arms for his family, In effect making himself a gentleman, and
his daughters married successfully and wealthily.
William Shakespeare lived until 1616, and his wife Anne died in 1623 at 67. He was buried in the chancel of his church at
Stratford. The lines above his tomb (allegedly written by Shakespeare himself) read:
“Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear/To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones/And cursed be he that moves my bones.”
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Dramatic Terms, Devices, & Figurative Language for Romeo and Juliet
1. Allusion - a reference to another literary work, history, religion, mythology, or other relevant area of
concern
2. Antagonist- the opponent who struggles against or blocks the protagonist
3. Apostrophe - a direct address to something that is conceptual or inanimate (see #22 below: Donne addresses
Death as if it is a person)
4. Aside - a short passage spoken under the breath, directly to the audience, or to another character and (it was
supposed that the other characters did not hear it)
5. Comedy-Literature in which human errors or problems appear funny or end on a happy note
6. Comic relief - a moment in a tragedy where comedy is used to break the tension
7. Conflict- the problem or struggle in the story that triggers the action
o
External conflict- man vs. man; man vs. nature; man vs. society; man vs. machine
o
Internal conflict- man vs. himself
8. Dramatic irony - the words or acts of a character in a play may carry a meaning unperceived by himself but
understood by the audience
9. Foil - a character that juxtaposes (contrasts) another character
10. Hyperbole - an extreme exaggeration
11. Implied metaphor - an implied comparison (not directly stated: “You fool!”)
12. Juxtaposition - a contradiction
13. Metaphor - a comparison not using like or as (“My love is a red rose”)
14. Metonymy - when something representative of a particular object substitutes for the object itself (wheels =
car; crown = queen/king)
15. Monologue- prolonged speech by a single character in a play to other characters
16. Motif - a recurring image or concept; tends to add a sense of building upon something that the playwright
wishes to emphasize, especially the theme(s)
17. Oxymoron - a figure of speech that combines contradictory ideas (bitter sweet)
18. Paradox- a figure of speech that is an apparent contradiction which is actually true (“One short sleep past,
and we wake up eternally, / And Death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.” – Donne)
19. Personification - human characteristics given to inanimate objects, or even animals
20. Plot Structure –
o Exposition- Important background information, usually given at the opening of a story or play
o Rising action- The series of struggles that builds a play toward a turning point.
o Climax - The most intense point in the story.
o Falling action- The part of a play that happens after the turning point.
o Denouement (Resolution)- the conclusion, or resolution, of a story
21. Protagonist- the central character in the story; the one who drives the action forward (can be the villain)
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22. Pun - a word or words with more than one meaning
23. Simile - a comparison using like or as
24. Soliloquy - a speech delivered by a character when he or she is alone on stage. It is as though a character is
thinking out loud.
25. Symbol - Something that stands for both itself and something else
26. Theme - a central idea or insight of a work of literature
27. Tragedy- A literary work in which the hero is destroyed by some character flaw or by force beyond his or
her control
28. Tragic Hero- protagonist in a tragedy who often has high rank or status; usually fails or dies because of a
character flaw or cruel twist of fate; shows strength in facing his/her destiny
29. Turning point (or crisis) - the point at which the hero or protagonist experiences a reversal of fortune.
30. Verbal irony - saying one thing while meaning another
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POETRY BASICS
Scansion - analysis of a poem's meter, or rhythm (which can also be created by repetition, rhyme, and other
devices), and number of feet per line
Meter - a regular pattern of stressed ( / ) and unstressed ( ) syllables. The basic meter types are:
iamb/iambic ( / ) as in belief
trochee/trochaic ( / ) as in purple
anapest/anapestic ( / ) as in paraphrase
dactyl/dactylic ( /   ) as in broccoli
Other metric devices: spondee (two stressed syllables) ( / / ) and caesura (break in line/verse) ( ll )
Identify the meter for each of the following:
Best of all, victory!
I bought a car today.
Look for hidden pitfalls.
In the cool of the night
Metrical Feet - the basic unit for meter is called a foot (one stressed syllable and one or more unstressed
syllables).
dimeter 2 feet of a particular meter per line
trimeter 3 feet per line
tetrameter 4 feet per line
pentameter 5 feet per line
hexameter 6 feet per line
For Romeo and Juliet, we are mainly concerned with unrhymed iambic pentameter (5 iambs per line) or blank
verse.
For example:
Since in a net I seek to hold the wind
SONNETS
A sonnet is a 14-line poem of iambic pentameter. Sonnets generally fall into three categories:
1. Shakespearean/English:
(named for William Shakespeare)
-rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg
-three quatrains (4 lines) + rhymed couplet (2 lines)
2. Petrarchan/Italian:
(named for Francesco Petrarch)
-rhyme scheme: abbaabba cdeede (or edeede, or cdedce)
-octave (8 lines) + sestet (6 lines)
-octave represents a proposition or a narrative
-sestet represents a response to the octave
3. Spenserian:
(named for Edmund Spenser)
-similar to the Shakespearean, only it complicates things by
linking the quatrain's rhyme schemes: abab bcbc cdcd ee
Related Terms:
Turn, or shift - a point within the sonnet for which the author's focus or tone changes, like between the octave
and sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet
Petrarchan conceit - an elaborate metaphor used to capture a fanciful idea
Petrarchan love* - a romantic sentiment borrowed from the idea of chivalric, or courtly, love, based upon
virtue and innocence. The conceits are stereotypical of love poetry, and the writer generally
finds himself in the position of loving a woman who is intangible or unwilling, leading to
unrequited love. This
leads to a melancholic and forlorn perspective on
love.
*A major theme of sonnets is love.
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*In what verse form is the Prologue to Act I for Romeo and Juliet written? What could be
the reason for this?
Romeo and Juliet: Prologue to Act I
(p.1037 in textbook)
[Enter CHORUS.]
Chorus
1 Two households, both alike in dignity,
2 In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
3 From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
4 Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
5 From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
6 A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
7 Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
8 Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
9 The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
10 And the continuance of their parents' rage,
11 Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
12 Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
13 The which if you with patient ears attend,
14 What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
[Exit.]
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Romeo & Juliet Overview
“. . .[life] is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.” –from Shakespeare’s Macbeth (V, v, 26-28)
Elements of the Tragedy and Tragic Hero
1. Man of high birth whose fate affects the destiny of his country, city, or family
2. Hero is both extraordinary and full of promise.
3. Hero has a basic flaw or weakness which, with the help of outside forces, leads to catastrophe,
contrasting sharply with his former happiness and glory
4. Hero has a conscience
5. Hero is not passive; his actions will involve him in choices
6. Hero dies and suffers a downfall due to a tragic flaw, supernatural events, and/or fate or luck
7. Dual conflict: external conflict between persons and groups and the hero’s internal conflict
8. Good always triumphs and order is restored
9. Supernatural events and a sense of coincidence or luck; these lead to a Gothic tone and a sense of
fate.
10. Hero is often introduced before the audience sees him
Elements of Drama
1. Language
1.1 Shakespeare wrote his plays in blank verse, an unrhymed iambic pentameter.
Blank verse gives characters a loftier tone. Oftentimes, tone and type of language
were matched with their speakers’ stations and personality, as well as the nature of
the subject matter.
1.2 Prose is common language and, therefore, signifies common folk. It can also signify
intimacy between friends or lovers because they can speak plainly with one another
(do not have to follow the rules of social convention).
1.3 Rhyme typically signifies foolishness of some kind.
Themes
1. Man vs. Society
2. The Power of Fate
3. The Power of Love and Hate
Motifs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Light and Dark
Nature (sun, moon, stars, etc.)
Dreams
Religion
Time
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Character List
Romeo Montague: One of the protagonists, he falls in love with Juliet Capulet at a masquerade. He marries her, but after killing
Tybalt he is forced to flee the city. Acting on a plan that Friar Laurence puts together, he thinks that Juliet is dead and drinks poison to
kill himself while in her tomb.
Lord Montague: the father of Romeo, and a mortal enemy of the Capulets.
Lady Montague: the mother of Romeo.
Benvolio: the nephew of Romeo's father.
Abraham: a servingman of the Montagues.
Balthasar: Romeo's servant.
Friar Laurence: Romeo's older friend who is involved in Romeo and Juliet's attempt to run away. He provides Juliet with the
sleeping potion, but is unable to inform Romeo of his plan. Romeo returns to the city and, thinking Juliet is dead, kills himself.
Juliet Capulet: A young girl who falls in love with Romeo Montague at a masquerade. She marries him, but is troubled when he kills
her cousin Tybalt in a street fight. She later takes a sleeping potion administered by Friar Laurence in an attempt to escape the city, but
wakes up to find Romeo dead beside her. She takes his sword and kills herself.
Lord Capulet: the father of Juliet, he is angry when she refuses to consider marrying Count Paris, unaware that she is already secretly
married to Romeo.
Lady Capulet: the mother of Juliet, she supports Juliet's father on the issues of marriage.
Tybalt: The nephew of Juliet's mother, he is killed by Romeo in a fight.
Pertruccio: The page of Tybalt.
Nurse: The nurse of Juliet, and the woman she turns to for advice and help. The nurse turns out to be useless in helping Juliet with her
marriage to Romeo, however, and instead encourages her to marry Paris.
Peter: A servingman of the Capulets.
Samson: A servingman of the Capulets.
Gregory: A servingman of the Capulets.
Prince Escalus: The Prince of Verona, he provides for law and order. After Tybalt is killed be banishes Romeo and orders the
families to cease their feud.
Mercutio: A kinsmen to Prince Escalus and a friend of Romeo. He is killed by Tybalt, resulting in Romeo killing Tybalt in revenge.
Count Paris: a suitor of Juliet, liked by Lord Capulet but hated by Juliet.
Apothecary: A man who looks like a skeleton, he sells Romeo the poison that Romeo commits suicide with.
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Glossary of Some Unfamiliar Terms for Romeo and Juliet
abroad out and about.
addle muddled and, perhaps, rotten.
ado fuss; trouble; excitement.
advance raise.
agate stone a hard, semiprecious stone.
all naught all wicked.
ambuscados ambushes.
amerce to punish by imposing a fine.
answer it accept it.
aspir'd to rise high; to tower.
atomi creatures as small as atoms.
baleful harmful or poisonous.
bandy to toss or hit back and forth, as a ball.
bauble a jester's baton with an ornament at the end.
becomed befitting; becoming.
bedaubed smeared or stained with blood.
behoveful necessary or required.
benefice an endowed church office providing a living for a vicar, rector, etc.
beshrew to curse: mainly in mild imprecations.
bills medieval weapons having a hook-shaped blade with a spike at the back, mounted on a long staff.
bite your thumb insulting gesture.
blaze proclaim in public.
bound obliged or indebted.
brine salt water; that is, tears.
by and by soon.
caitiff wretched.
case mask.
catling a small lute or fiddle string made out of cat gut.
chapless without the lower jaw.
13
charge important matters.
charnel house a building or place where corpses or bones are deposited.
chinks plenty of cash.
churl a surly, ill-bred person.
civil night sober, serious night.
clout any piece of cloth, esp. one for cleaning.
coil commotion; turmoil.
conceit thought.
conjuration solemn entreaty.
consorted associated with.
cordial an invigorating medicine that stimulates the heart.
countervail to match or equal.
cross to thwart.
culled picked out; selected.
death-mark'd doomed from the outset; fated.
descry detect.
desperate tender bold offer.
dirge funeral song.
dishclout a cloth for washing dishes.
disparagement disrespect.
distemperature a disordered condition, especially of the body or the mind.
doff discard.
doublet a man's close-fitting jacket with or without sleeves, worn chiefly from the 14th to the 16th centuries.
dram potion.
drift intention.
drudge a person who does hard, menial, or tedious work.
enmity hatred; hostility.
fay faith: used in oaths as here.
feign to make a false show of; pretend.
fiddlestick the bow for a fiddle. Mercutio puns on the word as he draws his rapier.
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fond foolish; or tender and affectionate; loving; sometimes, affectionate in a foolish or overly indulgent way.
forsooth yes indeed.
gadding wandering about in an idle or restless way.
gossamers filmy cobwebs floating in the air or spread on bushes or grass.
hap good luck or news.
harlotry willful behavior or hussy.
hilding a low, contemptible person.
hoodwink'd blindfolded.
humour fluid.
hurdle a kind of frame or sled on which prisoners in England were drawn through the stre ets to execution.
huswife a housewife.
in proof when actually experienced.
intercession prayers and petitions.
jaunce trudge up and down.
Jove king of the Roman gods.
lantern an open or windowed structure on the roof of a building or in the upper part of a tower or the like, to admit light or air.
loggerhead a stupid fellow; blockhead. Capulet puns on the second servant's ability to find logs for the fire.
long spinners' legs the legs of the crane fly.
lour scowl or frown upon.
maidenhead virginity.
mammet doll or puppet.
marry an exclamation of surprise. "Marry" is a respelling of (the Virgin) "Mary."
mew'd up closed in. a mew is a cage for molting hawks.
mickle much or great.
misadventur'd unlucky.
misgives feels fear, doubt, or suspicion.
mistemper'd bad-tempered, angry; here, also referring to weapons which have been tempered, or made hard, in blood rather than water.
modern commonplace.
natural fool; idiot.
nice trivial.
15
obsequies funeral rites.
orisons prayers.
partisans broad-bladed weapons with a long shaft, used especially in the 16th century.
passado a forward thrust in fencing.
pate the head, esp. the top of the head.
pensive sad; melancholy.
Pentecost a religious festival, the seventh Sunday after Easter.
penury extreme poverty.
perjuries the breaking of promises.
pouts upon treats with contempt.
prates talks much and foolishly; chatters.
prodigious both wonderful and portentous.
prorogued delayed; postponed.
punto reverso a backhanded thrust in fencing.
Queen Mab a fairy queen who controls people's dreams.
quit reward you for.
rail'st complain.
rancour a continuing and bitter hate or ill will.
rate to scold severely; chide.
rebeck a three stringed fiddle.
ropery roguery.
runagate fugitive (runaway).
settled has stopped flowing.
shield forbid.
shrift confession.
sirrah a contemptuous term of address, here used to indicate the difference in social status between Capulet and his servant.
soft hush! Wait a moment!
sojourn to live somewhere temporarily.
sped done for.
star-cross'd lovers lovers destined to an unhappy fate.
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stinted stopped crying.
suit a petition at court which requires the influence of the courtier for it to be heard, for which he will receive financ ial reward.
suit the act of wooing; courtship.
tetchy touchy; irritable; peevish.
toy triviality.
trencher a wooden board or platter on which to carve or serve meat.
tributary paying tribute.
trow think.
truckle-bed a low bed on small wheels or casters, that can be rolled under another bed when not in use.
unattainted unprejudiced.
unthrifty unlucky.
utters sells.
visor mask.
waggoner driver.
wanny pale.
wanton's bird that is, the pet of an undisciplined, spoiled child.
weeds garments; clothing.
wherefore why?
wink close and be unable to see.
winking turning a blind eye to.
world's exile Romeo feels exiled from the world.
wrought arranged for.
you kiss by th'book that is, according to convention.
young cockerel's stone young rooster's testicle.
zounds an oath. The abbreviated form of the oath "By God's wounds."
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ROMEO AND JULIET - A SUMMARY
A boy and a girl, from families who hate each other bitterly, fall in love, but everything goes wrong for them and they kill
themselves rather than be parted.
Most of the play takes place in 'fair Verona,' an attractive little city in the north of Italy. The action moves quickly from
the city streets to the hall of old Capulet's house, then to the orchard below Juliet's balcony, to Friar Laurences' lonely cell
and finally to the vault where the Capulets and the Montagues view their dead children.
The play starts on a Sunday morning in the middle of July; less than five days later—just before dawn on the following
Thursday—it is all over.
ACT 1
A fight between servants of two important families the Montagues and the Capulets is broken up by the Prince. Romeo
tells Benvolio that he is in love with Rosaline. Lady Capulet tells Juliet that she is to marry Paris. Lord Capulet starts to
prepare for the celebrations.
A servant of Lord Capulet asks Romeo to read the invitation list.
Romeo decides to go to the ball to see Rosaline.
At the ball Romeo meets and falls in love with Juliet, only afterwards do they discover that their families are sworn
enemies.
Tybalt recognizes Romeo but is prevented from doing anything by Lord Capulet who does not want trouble.
ACT 2
Benvolio and Mercutio look for Romeo. Juliet tells Romeo she loves him and they exchange vows. Romeo goes to see
Friar Laurence, who agrees to marry them as it may help end the feud. Meanwhile Tybalt makes it known he wishes to
challenge Romeo to a duel.
Romeo tells the Nurse of his plan to marry Juliet. Juliet blushes when she hears
the news.
Romeo and Juliet meet at the Friar's cell and are married in secret.
ACT 3
The next day Mercutio picks a fight with Tybalt. Romeo tums up and tries to intervene. Tybalt kills Mercutio when
Romeo gets in the way. This makes Romeo angry and he then kills Tybalt. Romeo now a murderer is banished from
Verona.
ACT 4
Paris goes to Friar Laurence's cell. Paris announces he is to marry Juliet on Thursday.
Juliet says she will stab herself rather than marry Paris.
The Friar gives her a bottle containing a substance which will make her appear dead for 48 hours. His plan is to write to
Romeo so that he will be there when she wakes up.
Juliet agrees to marry Paris to please her father, who then brings the wedding day forward to Wednesday.
Juliet takes the potion. Her family mourns her death.
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ACT 5
Balthasar arrives in Mantua with news of Juliet's death. Romeo goes to an apothecary to buy poison. Friar Laurence learns
that his messenger Friar John did not get to Mantua because of the plague. Paris is at the tomb when Romeo arrives. They
fight and Romeo kills Paris. Romeo sees Juliet who he thinks is dead and poisons himself. Friar Laurence arrives too late
to save Romeo.
Juliet wakes to find Romeo dead and kills herself with his dagger.
Montague and Capulet agree to end their feud and pledge to put a statue of pure gold in the town.
Diagram of Italy’s Power Hierarchy at the Time
God
King/Queen
Nobility/Clergy
Gentry
Commoners (adults)
--------------Children, teens
Map of Modern Italy
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Romeo and Juliet: Guided Reading Questions
Prologue (p. 1037)
1. In what verse form is the Prologue to Act I for Romeo and Juliet written?
2. What could be the reason Shakespeare wrote the Prologue for Act I in this verse form?
Act I, Scene i (pp. 1038-1046)
1. Why are Abram and Sampson fighting, and who breaks up the fight? Does this person want to fight or keep
the peace?
2. ____________________________comes along and starts another fight.
3. The Prince breaks up the fight and if anyone is caught fighting again, the penalty is ________________.
4. Benvolio tells Romeo's parents that he last saw Romeo ___________________________.
5. When Benvolio finds Romeo, he is sad about, ____________________________.
6. In the last line of Scene i, Benvolio tells Romeo he will ___________________________________.
Act I, Scene ii (pp. 1046-1049)
1. What does Paris ask of Capulet?
2. Capulet says it is not a good idea; why?
3. What job does Capulet give the servant? Why does the man have a problem doing this task?
4. What “chance happening” helps the servant?
5. The servant invites Romeo and Benvolio to the party on one condition; what is it?
6. Romeo decides to attend the party with Benvolio, but says he is only going to ________________________.
Act I, Scene iii (pp. 1049-1053)
1. Compare Juliet's relationship with the Nurse and her relationship with her mother.
2. How old is Juliet?
3. The Nurse and Lady Capulet are quizzing Juliet about ___________________. How does she feel about it?
4. The Nurse and Lady Capulet are especially interested in persuading Juliet to look at ___________________.
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Act I, Scene iv (pp. 1053-1057)
1. Where are Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, and a few others planning on going at the beginning of scene iv?
2. What do they use to disguise themselves?
3. How would you describe Mercutio's character based on what he has said and done?
4. Romeo says he has decided to attend the party despite a warning__________________. This is an example of
what literary device?
5. Who is Queen Mab? What do people dream about after a visit from Queen Mab?
6. Briefly summarize what Mercutio says about dreams to Romeo.
Act I, Scene v (pp. 1057-1062)
1. What is Romeo's first impression of Juliet?
2. Why hasn't Romeo been immediately discovered at the party?
3. Who finally realizes that he is a Montague? How?
4. What does Capulet say to Tybalt about this?
5. How are Juliet and Tybalt related?
6. When Romeo and Juliet first see one another, do they know each other's identity?
7. What is Juliet's reaction when she is told Romeo is a Montague?
Act II, Scene i (pp. 1064-1067)
1. What do Mercutio and Benvolio think has happened to Romeo?
Act II, Scene ii (pp. 1067-1073)
1. What does Romeo mean when he says, “He jests at scars that never felt a wound”?
2. When she begins talking, does Juliet know that Romeo is underneath the balcony?
3. How does Romeo feel about his family name? What quote supports this?
4. Juliet is the one that brings up the idea of ______________________. How will they arrange this?
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Act II, Scene iii (pp. 1073-1076)
1. Friar Laurence is very knowledgeable about ___________________________.
2. According to Romeo, what is the difference between his love for Rosaline and his love for Juliet?
3. Friar Laurence agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet because he thinks the marriage will…
Act II, Scene iv (pp. 1076-1083)
1. Mercutio and Benvolio blame ________________ for Romeo's disappearance.
2. Why is the Nurse looking for Romeo?
3. How do Romeo's friends treat the nurse?
Act II, Scene v (pp. 1083-1085)
1. Why is Juliet frustrated with the Nurse at the beginning of the scene?
Act II, Scene vi (pp. 1085-1086)
1. What is Romeo risking in order to marry Juliet?
Act III, Scene i (pp. 1088-1095)
1. Who starts the fight in the street?
2. Who is killed as a result of the fight?
3. Why does Romeo decide to join the fight? Who is then killed?
4. What is Romeo's punishment? Why?
Act III, Scene ii (pp. 1095-1098)
1. Who does Juliet think the Nurse is talking about when she says, “He's dead! He's dead!”?
2. How does Juliet react to Romeo's banishment?
Act III, Scene iii (pp. 1099-1103)
1. Romeo says he would rather be _____________________ than banished.
2. Friar Laurence says that Romeo should be grateful for _______________________.
3. Why is Romeo jealous of “every cat…dog/And little mouse”?
4. ______________________ will bring Romeo news of Juliet.
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Act III, Scene iv (pp. 1103-1104)
1. Capulet thinks Juliet is upset and crying about __________________________.
2. In order to cheer her up, Juliet's father decides to arrange ___________________________.
Act III, Scene v (pp. 1106-1112)
1. What are Romeo and Juliet “arguing” about? Why?
2. Why does Juliet's mother come to see her?
3. How do Capulet's feelings towards his daughter change in this scene?
4. Paraphrase what he says to her.
Act IV, Scene i (pp. 1114-1118)
1. Paris thinks Juliet is weeping because of _________________.
2. When the Friar and Juliet are alone, she threatens to ______________________.
3. Juliet names several things she would rather do than marry Paris, list three of them.
4. What is Friar Laurence's “remedy”?
5. How is Romeo to be notified of the Friar's plan?
Act IV, Scene ii (pp. 1118-1120)
1. What does Capulet impulsively do that upsets Friar Laurence's plan?
Act IV, Scene iii (pp. 1120-1122)
1. What does Juliet ask of the Nurse? Why?
2. What are three things that Juliet fears before she takes the potion?
Act IV, Scene iv (pp. 1123-1124)
1. What are Lord and Lady Capulet doing in Scene iv? Describe their emotions.
Act IV, Scene v (pp. 1124-1128)
1. Who finds Juliet?
2. What is the irony of this scene?
3. How does Capulet feel about his daughter's death? Support your opinion with a quote.
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Act V, Scene i (pp. 1130-1133)
1. Where is Romeo?
2. What news does Balthasar bring Romeo?
3. Why does Romeo think the apothecary will sell him the poison even though the sale of poison is against the
law?
4. Romeo says _____________________ is worse poison than any the apothecary could sell to him.
5. Where does Romeo plan to go at the end of Scene i?
Act V, Scene ii (pp. 1133-1134)
1. Why is Friar John unable to deliver Friar Laurence's letter to Romeo?
Act V, Scene iii (pp. 1134-1145)
1. Where is Paris? Why?
2. Paris assumes Romeo is there for what reason?
3. What happens between Romeo and Paris?
4. What does Juliet do when she awakens?
5. List the six people who are dead by the end of the play.
6. ____________________takes responsibility for the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.
7. Is he the only one at fault? Why or why not?
8. The one good thing to come out of this tragedy is ______________________.
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