Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Read the prologue on page 901
How many lines does the Chorus have?
Write down the rhyme pattern (abab, …)
How many syllables are in each line?
The last two lines rhyme—what is this called?
What purpose does the Prologue serve? What information does it reveal to the
audience?
What is the setting of the play?
The theme of the play is sketched in the Prologue. What is it?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
According to the Prince in Scene I, in what way has the
feud between the Capulets and the Montagues affected
the city of Verona?
What warning does the prince give the two families?
In Scene I, explain how Benvolio and Lord Montague
describe Romeo’s mood at the beginning of the play?
What reason does Romeo give for this mood?
In Scene 2 why does Romeo want to go to the Capulet’s
party? Why does Benvolio want him to go?
Who wants to marry Juliet, besides Romeo?
Would Juliet be more likely to share secrets and ask for
favors of her mother or the nurse?
What decisions are made in Scene 2 and 3 about a
marriage for Juliet?
How old is Juliet, according to the nurse?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
In Scene 4, lines 3-17, what does Mercutio suggest Romeo do to improve
his mood?
What kind of person is Mercutio?
What is Mercutio’s purpose in his dream speech? Who is Queen Mab?
How does Tybalt react to Romeo’s presence at the party during Scene 5?
What does Lord Capulet say about Romeo?
Explain the circumstances of Romeo and Juliet’s meeting in Scene 5. In
what way does each find out the identity of the other?
How does Romeo react when he first sees Juliet?
What does Romeo’s reaction tell you about Romeo’s standard for falling
in love?
Describe Romeo. Tell what kind of person he is.
Contrast Benvolio and Tybalt (FOILS). How are they different?
Describe the Nurse.
Define vendetta –
Define fickle –
 Write a “2-sentence summary” for each of the 5
scenes in Act I
 Example:
Scene 1 –
1) The servants of the enemy houses fight in the streets
of Verona causing the Prince to deliver his last
warning to the Capulets and Montagues.
Romeo confesses to Benvolio that he is depressed over
Rosaline, who is not returning his love.
Scene 2 –
1) Paris asks…
2)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
_____Romeo
_____Nurse
_____Paris
_____Benvolio
_____Tybalt
_____Lord Montague
_____Juliet
_____Prince
_____Lord Capulet
_____Mercutio
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
Asks Juliet’s father if he can
marry her
Throws a big party
Depressed over Rosaline
Does not like to fight –
Montague
Capulet’s main enemy
Ruler of Verona
Romeo’s friend; entertainer
of the group
Raised Juliet
Hot-headed Capulet who
likes to fight
Only 13 years old
Juliet

Goes to her balcony (soliloquy), wants Romeo to forget his name & she’ll do the same

Worries that Romeo will think she’s too easily won

Wants Romeo to give her messenger the word-if he wants to marry her/when & where

Gets angry at nurse for taking so long
Romeo

Compares Juliet to sun, bright angel

Said he climbed the wall by love’s wings

Not afraid of watchmen

Tells Nurse that he agrees to marry Juliet

Asks Friar Laurence to marry him
Friar Laurence

Works with herbs, plants (mentions the power of one flower-both a medicine and a poison)

Thinks Romeo loves too easily (with his eyes, not his heart)

Agrees to marry R & J, hoping it will end family feud
Nurse

Juliet’s messenger

Teased by Mercutio/offended by him

Teases Juliet by stalling, changing subjects
Mercutio

Mentions that Tybalt sent letter to the house of Montagues (challenging Romeo to a duel)

Talks about Tybalt’s skills in fighting (Prince of Cats)

Teases nurse
Peter

Nurse’s servant
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
Where does Juliet go after the party?
Who is looking for Romeo after the party? What names do they call him?
When Romeo first sees Juliet, to what does he compare to her beauty?
Translate this passage to modern day language: “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou
Romeo?”
When Juliet is still talking to herself, what does she ask Romeo to do, and what does Juliet
promise to do?
Translate this passage to modern day language: “What’s in a name? That which we call a
rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
According to Romeo, how did he climb the garden wall? What cannot stand in his way?
What warning does Juliet give Romeo about being at her balcony?
Juliet is worried that Romeo might think she is too easily won – what lines support this?
Who first speaks of marriage?
What plan do Romeo and Juliet come up with before they part?
What is Friar Laurence doing when we first meet him?
What does Romeo ask the friar to do?
What is Friar Laurence’s opinion of Romeo’s rapid change of affections from one girl to
another?
Why does Friar Laurence finally agree to marry Romeo and Juliet?
Why does the nurse come to see Romeo in the city square?
Where do Romeo and Juliet wed?
What is a soliloquy?
1.
Some of the Montagues and Capulets have
never even met, yet they hate each other – why?
2.
What is a Stereotype?
3.
What are some stereotypes that you know of?
4.
What is the effect of this hatred and prejudice?
5.
Is this kind of hatred only seen in Shakespeare’s day?
6.
What do you think Shakespeare is telling us?
7.
Is this the same message that he was sending to the
Elizabethans?
Scene 1
 Romeo wanders off after party and ends up…

His friends tease him about…
Scene 2
 Juliet goes to balcony, thinking she’s alone and
talks about…

Friar scolds Romeo for loving too quickly based
on a girl’s ….

Friar agrees to marry R & J, hoping to end…
Scene 4
 Tybalt sends Romeo…

Romeo reveals himself and tells Juliet…

Romeo meets up with friends on street

Juliet is worried that…

They tease…

Juliet wants to know if Romeo wants to marry
her, so she will send a messenger to him by…

Romeo tells the Nurse …
Scene 3
 Friar Lawrence soliloquy (herb) about how one
flower can be both healing and…

Romeo tells him about loving Juliet and asks
Friar …
Scene 5
 Nurse stalls Juliet with news from Romeo
Scene 6
 Romeo and Juliet …
 Act II: When Romeo and Juliet first meet at
the party they fall in “love at first sight.”
Considering their age – a mere 15 and 13 years
old – is this truly real “love”? What is your
opinion of the idea “love at first sight”?
Using your Shakespearean Insults, write a letter from Tybalt to Romeo.
Be creative in your insults!
Verona, Italy 1594
Dear Romeo,
Thou art a venomed flap mouthed giglet. Stay away from my family or there will be
Hell to pay. Thou should have known that I would have recognized your rough - hewn
voice, it brings pain to my ears. Are thou not aware of our families’ feud? Thou family is
full of blood sucking minnows! I challenge your gorbeling fly bitten butt to a duel. A duel I
shall have. You will show up or you will be a qualling boiled -brained foot licker forever!
Thou sayest thou art so strong and brave, so show up and thy will prove thou art a pig nut.
Tybalt Capulet
Prince of Cats
Romeo,
You have insulted my family’s honor as well as my own. For that you must
pay, you rank half-faced measle. Meet me at the town center coutyard
unless you are too much of a mangling ill-bread hedge pig to come. I wish
to challenge you to a duel for the honor of my family, though I doubt such a
saucy weather-bitten harpy will accept. I doubt even a goatish roughhewn
flirt gill like you could fail to understand me, meet me at the hour of noon and
if you fail co come the whole of Verona shall know you for the arrant inbred
miscreant that you are! Remember duel at noon in the courtyard, you scurvy
fen-sucked scut. Stay away from my cousin, a scurvy rough-hewn hedge
pig the likes of you does not deserve someone of her caliber.
Tybalt