Romeo and Juliet
Act Two
Study Questions
Scene 1
1. When Mercutio calls to Romeo, “I conjure thee by Rosaline’s bright eyes, / By her high forehead,
and her scarlet lip, / By her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh,” why is this an example of
dramatic irony?
2. Both Benvolio and Mercutio are annoyed that Romeo disappears after the Capulet party. But
how do these two friends respond differently to Romeo’s absence?
Scene 2
1. What does Juliet mean when she says, “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”
2. What does Juliet mean when she says, “O, be some other name! / What’s in a name? That which
we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet”?
3. What does Romeo mean when he says, “My life were better ended by their hate / Than death
prorogued, wanting of thy love”?
4. Why doesn’t Juliet want Romeo to swear by the moon that he loves her?
5. Why does Juliet want to wait to act on their love?
6. Who is the first one to suggest marriage?
7. What plan do Romeo and Juliet devise?
Scene 3
1. What does Friar Lawrence mean when he says, “For naught so vile that on the earth doth live /
But to the earth some special good doth give; / … Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, / And
vice sometimes by action dignified”? How does this relate to the play? To real life?
2. How does Friar Lawrence respond to the news that Romeo now loves Juliet?
3. What reservations does Friar Lawrence have about Romeo and Juliet’s marriage? Why does Friar
Lawrence agree to help them wed?
Scene 4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
We learn that Romeo has been sent a letter. Who is the letter from, and what does it say?
What are some of the sexual jokes that Mercutio and Romeo make?
What warning does Nurse give Romeo?
What plan does Romeo make (regarding the wedding and the wedding night)?
What reservations does Nurse have about Romeo and Juliet’s marriage? Why does she agree to
help them wed?
Scene 5
1. What does Juliet mean when she says, “Love’s heralds should be thoughts”?
2. How many hours has Juliet waited for Nurse, and why is she so impatient for Nurse’s return?
3. Why do you think Nurse stalls in giving Juliet the news? What does this scene show about Juliet
and Nurse’s relationship?
Scene 6
1.
2.
3.
4.
What are some examples of foreshadowing in this scene?
What are some examples of dramatic irony?
What warning/advice does Friar Lawrence give to Romeo?
What conflicts and questions remain unresolved at the end of Act Two?
Also review the 2.1 & 2.2 Scavenger Hunt. Pay special attention to specific lines and Shakespeare’s use
of imagery.