Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Before, During, and
After Reading Skills
Act I
Literary Response
Romeo and Juliet Act I Scenes 1&2
Read the play carefully and note the way the
characters interact with each other and the
reasons behind their actions.
Which character played the most
important role in the first two
scenes?
What did he/she do that you
thought was so important?
Explain your thoughts and ideas and use evidence
from the text to support your response.
Before Reading Skills
Prepare to Read
•Examine the literary and reading focus
information on page 804.
•What literary elements do you think you
should try to focus on as you read the play?
•How will reading Romeo and Juliet be similar
to reading the other texts?
Before Reading Skills
Preview and Predictions
•Examine the text features located throughout
the first two scenes.
(pages 806-821)
•Make a list of the things you “know” or “think
you know” based only on the text features.
•Make a list of at least 3 things you want to
know, but you need to read in order to find out.
•What genre or type of text do you think we are
reading? Why?
During Reading Skills
Structure and Purpose of a Drama
•The purpose of a drama is to entertain
the audience and to present
information/details about the
characters.
•The audience will learn about the
characters in several ways. Pay
attention to the characters and try to
keep them organized as you read.
•You will be asked to create a character
chart to identify the characters and
their character traits.
How do we learn about a
character during a play?
•What the characters say
•What the characters do
•What other characters
say about them
•How other characters
treat them
Comprehension/Discussion Questions
Prologue
page 807
1. Read the prologue and examine what information
the author shares with us at the beginning of the
play.
2. How is this information given to the audience?
3. Use your poetry skills to analyze the meaning of
the prologue.
4. Translate the information into prose.
5. What questions do you have after reading the
prologue?
Act I Scene 1
808-809
A. Analyzing Cause and Effect – What causes
the Capulet servants Sampson and Gregory
to draw their weapons?
???
B. Making Inferences – What can you infer
about Sampson’s and Gregory’s character
based on these speeches?
???
C. Analyzing Cause and Effect – What causes
Gregory’s behavior toward the Montague
servants to change?
???
Pages 810-817
Read the rest of the scene
and respond to questions
D-P on your own paper.
The Language of Shakespeare
How is the language of Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet different from the
language we use?
Identify the differences.
Translate Shakespeare’s words into
modern language.
Explain the meaning of important lines
from Act I of Romeo and Juliet.
Gregory to Sampson
To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand.
Therefore, if thou art moved, thou run’st away.
Tybalt to Benvolio
What, art thou drawn among these heartless
hinds?
Turn thee, Benvolio; look upon thy death.
Montague and Lady Montague
Thou villain Capulet! – Hold me not; let me go.
Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe.
Romeo to Mercutio
Is love a tender thing? It is too rough,
Too rude, too boist’rous, and it pricks like a
thorn
Romeo to Mercutio
Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace!
Thou talk’st of nothing.
Nurse to Juliet
Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his
grace!
Thou wast the prettiest babe that e’er I nursed.
And I might live to see thee married once, I
have my wish.
Lady Capulet to Nurse
I have rememb’red me; thou’s hear our
counsel.
Thou knowest my daughter’s of a pretty age.
Lady Capulet to Juliet
What say you? Can you love the gentleman?
This night you shall behold him at our feast.
Read o’er the volume of young Paris’ face,
And find delight writ there with beauty’s pen
Romeo and Benvolio
Give me a torch. I am not for this ambling.
Being but heavy, I will bear the light.
Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance.
Romeo to Benvolio
I fear too early, for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
Shall bitterly begin this fearful date.
Capulet
Welcome, gentlemen! Ladies that have their
toes
Unplagued by corns will walk about with you.
…
She that makes dainty,
She I’ll swear hath corns.
Romeo
Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!
For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.
Tybalt and Capulet
It fits when such a villain is a guest.
I’ll not endure him.
He shall be endured.
What, goodman boy! I say he shall. Go to!
Am I the master here or you? Go to!
Tybalt
I will withdraw; but this intrusion shall,
Now seeming sweet, convert to bitt’rest gall.
Romeo and Juliet
O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do!
They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.
Saints do not move, though grant for prayers
sake.
Then move not while my prayer’s effect I take.
Thus from my lips, by thine my sin is purged.
Juliet
My only love, sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to me
That I must love a loathed enemy.
L
Your Favorite Lines
Select a total of four lines from Act I
that you thought were important,
interesting, funny, or odd.
Copy the lines, page(s), and
character(s) involved.
Translate any words or phrases that
need to be clarified.
Explain the meaning of the lines and
what was happening in the play as
the lines were being spoken.