Name Mrs. Guin English 9 Honors Date ROMEO AND JULIET: Reading Guide I. VOCABULARY: Be able to define the following words and understand them when they appear in the play. ACT I pernicious posterity anguish profane ACT II adjacent retain perverse rancor ACT III eloquence adversity predicament fickle ACT IV lurk stifle revive lament ACT V misadventure haughty unsavory tedious
II. LITERARY TERMS: Be able to define each term and apply each term to the play. aside characterization conflict External: 1. vs. 2. vs. 3. vs. Internal: 4. vs. figurative language foil imagery: irony: I. dramatic irony II. situational irony III. verbal irony: metaphor monologue: oxymoron: personification: pun rhyming couplet simile soliloquy: symbol: theme:
tragedy: tragic flaw: III. Questions: Answer the following questions on your own paper. You do not have to rewrite the questions. Prologue: 1. In what city does this play take place? 2. Why are Romeo and Juliet called star-cross d lovers? Act I, Scene 1: 1. What contrasts do you see between Gregory and Samson? [p. 698] 2. What have you learned so far about the grudge between the Capulets and the Montagues? [p. 699] 3. Who is fighting at the beginning of the first scene? 4. Who tries to break up the fighting? 5. Summarize what has happened thus far in Scene 1. [p. 700] 6. What does this comment indicate about the difference between Benvolio and Tybalt? [p. 701] 7. What threat does the Prince make to Lord Montague and Lord Capulet? 8. Summarize the prince s words to the crowd. What is his attitude toward the brawls between the Capulets and Montagues? [p.702] 9. Benvolio and Montague describe the way Romeo has been acting. What do they have to say about him? 10. What information did Benvolio extract from Romeo? Why is Romeo sad? Explain. [p. 703] 11. Identify the oxymorons in Romeo s speech in lines 170-178. 12. What do we learn about the woman Romeo loves in the speech in lines 203-210? [p. 705] 13. What is Benvolio s advice to Romeo? 14. How would you summarize Romeo and Benvolio s conversation? [p. 706] Act I, Scene 2: 1. Why does Capulet think it will be easy for Montague and him to keep the peace? 2. What does Paris ask about Capulet? 3. What is Capulet s first answer? 4. A bit later Capulet appears to change his mind about Paris question. What does he then tell Paris? 5. What problem does the servant have? 6. How does the character of the servant provide contrast to the characters who have just been talking? [p. 707] 7. Explain Romeo s metaphor in line 55 when he says, Shut up in prison, kept without my food. 8. What is the name of the woman Romeo loves? 9. What do Benvolio and Romeo learn from the servant? What do Benvolio propose they do with the information? [p. 708] Act I, Scene 3: 1. How old is Juliet? 2. How do the Nurse and Lady Capulet differ? How do their characters contrast? [p. 710] 3. How would you characterize Lady Capulet s response to the Nurse s funny story? [p. 710] 4. When Lady Capulet asks Juliet how she feels about marriage, what is Juliet s answer? 5. Compare and contrast the reactions of the Nurse and Lady Capulet in this scene. What is the focus and principal concern of each character? 6. Summarize Lady Capulet s attempt to persuade her daughter. How does Juliet respond? 7. With what literary element does Shakespeare end Scene 3?
Act I, Scene 4: 1. How does Mercutio s attitude and energy level differ from Romeo s? What does the contrast between the two characters lend to the scene? [p. 713] 2. According to Mercutio, who or what is Queen Mab, and what does she or it do? 3. What does Mercutio say about dreams? 4. What examples of simile, metaphor, and personification do you find in Mercutio s speech in lines 98-103? 5. What does Romeo reveal in lines 106-110? [p. 715] 6. What is Romeo s mood at the end of this scene? Explain. Act I, Scene 5: 1. Summarize the dialogue in lines 14-37. [p. 717] 2. What does Romeo think of Juliet the first time he sees her? 3. How does Tybalt recognize Romeo? 4. When Tybaltt is ready to seize Romeo and throw him out of the party, what does Capulet say to Tybalt? 5. What differences in attitude and tone do you see between Tybalt and Capulet? Why do they respond so differently to the maskers? [p. 718] 6. Summarize the conversation between Romeo and Juliet. 7. How does Romeo find out Juliet s last name? 8. How does Juliet find out Romeo s last name? 9. What does Juliet mean when she says My only love, sprung from my only hate!? Act II, Scene 1: 1. What is Mercutio s attitude toward Romeo s love sickness? [p. 723] 2. What does Mercutio say about blind love? Act II, Scene 2: 1. What wound does Romeo suggest that Mercutio has never felt? [p. 724] 2. When Juliet appears on her balcony, what does Romeo compare her to? 3. How does Juliet speak, yet... [say] nothing? 4. What figure of speech is Romeo using in line 13? Explain. [p. 725] 5. When Juliet leans her cheek on her hand, what does Romeo say? 6. Unaware of his presence, what does Juliet ask Romeo to say? 7. In a sentence or two, explain what Juliet says about names. 8. Why does Romeo say this? What does it suggest about his attitude toward the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues? 9. What figure of speech does Juliet use in lines 58-59? What words does Shakespeare use to suggest the strength of Juliet s love? 10. Juliet asks how Romeo got into her place. The orchard walls are high, and Romeo s life would be in danger if her relatives were to find him there. What is Romeo s response to these questions? 11. Why is Juliet embarrassed? 12. Why does Juliet compare her and Romeo s declarations of love to lightning in lines 119-120? What is the point of the metaphor in lines 121-122? [p. 728] 13. Why do you think Juliet wants to marry Juliet? [p. 729] 14. What idea is communicated by the simile in lines 156-157? Restate it in your own words. [p. 730] 15. Juliet is going to send someone to Romeo on the following day for what purpose?
Act II, Scene 3: 1. What has friar Lawrence been out gathering in his basket? 2. Explain lines 21-22: Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied,/and vice sometime by action dignified? 3. When Friar Lawrence sees Romeo, what comment does Friar Lawrence make about seeing Romeo so early in the morning? 4. What does Friar Lawrence mean when he says to Romeo, Young men s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes? 5. Why is the Friar motivated to help Romeo? [p. 734] Act II, Scene 4: 1. According to Mercutio, what kind of man is Tybalt? 2. How is Juliet to arrange to meet Romeo? Act II, Scene 5: 1. The nurse is supposed to be gone only a half hour, but she is actually gone for how long? 2. How is the nurse behaving that is frustrating to Juliet? Act II, Scene 6: 1. Identify the simile in the Friar s warning. What does this simile add to the drama of the scene? [p. 743] 2. How would you describe the mood, or feeling, of this scene? Why did Shakespeare create such a mood? [p. 744] Act III, Scene 1: 1. At the beginning of the scene, why does Benvolio think that there will be a fight? 2. What does Mercutio accuse Benvolio of in lines 15-30? 3. When Tybalt and Mercutio first begin arguing, what does Benvolio try to them to do? 4. What does Tybalt call Romeo? 5. Why won t Romeo fight Tybalt? 6. What does Mercutio think is the reason Romeo refuses to fight? 7. Why does Mercutio keep repeating, A plague o both your houses? 8. What does Romeo say that Juliet s love has done to him? 9. Why does Romeo call himself fortune s fool? 10. When Benvolio relates to the Prince what happened, what does he say Romeo tried to before Mercutio was killed? 11. What does Lady Capulet accuse Benvolio of? Why? 12. What is Romeo s punishment for killing Tybalt? Act III, Scene 2: 1. Why is Juliet so impatient for the nurse to return? 2. Describe Juliet s rapidly changing attitudes toward Romeo in this scene. 3. What piece of news has upset Juliet the most? 4. What does the nurse promise to do? Act III, Scene 3: 1. Explain Romeo s reaction to the news of his banishment. 2. Romeo tells Friar Lawrence that the priest cannot know or understand how Romeo feels. Why? 3. What argument does Friar Lawrence use to prevent Romeo from killing himself? 4. What does the nurse give to Romeo? Act III, Scene 4: 1. What does Capulet tell his wife to say to Juliet? 2. What conflict will Juliet have with her parents? Act III, Scene 5:
1. As Romeo is preparing to leave Juliet, what argument does she use to convince him to stay? 2. How does Romeo show his love for Juliet? [p. 765] 3. Later, why does Juliet think Romeo should leave? 4. Just as Romeo is about to descend the rope ladder and leave Juliet, what does Juliet say about the way Romeo looks? 5. Why does Lady Capulet think Juliet is crying? 6. When Lady Capulet threatens to send someone to Mantua to poison Romeo, what does Juliet say? 7. What double meaning can be read into lines 93-102? [p. 769] 8. After Lady Capulet breaks the news about Paris, what is Juliet s response? 9. If Juliet s mother does not arrange to delay the marriage, what will Juliet do? 10. What is Capulet s reaction to Juliet s threats? 11. What is ironic about Lady Capulet s words in line 140? 12. What is the nurse s advice to Juliet? 13. How does Juliet s attitude toward the nurse change? 14. What scheme does Juliet devise to get rid of the nurse and to get out of the house? 15. In Juliet s soliloquy (lines 235-242), what mood does Juliet express? Act IV, Scene 1: 1. Why is Friar Lawrence reluctant to marry Paris to Juliet? 2. How does Paris explain the sudden haste of the marriage plans? 3. What is ironic about the conversation between Juliet and Paris? 4. If Friar Lawrence cannot help her, what does Juliet threaten to do? 5. Why does Friar Lawrence think that Juliet will accept his plan? 6. Summarize the friar s plan for Juliet. Act IV, Scene 2: 1. How would you describe the change in mood and tone in the opening lines of Scene 2? 2. What does Juliet say that makes her father happy? 3. Why is Capulet s statement in lines 31-32 ironic? [p. 780] 4. How does Capulet change the wedding plans? What implication does this have? Act IV, Scene 3: 1. How does Juliet show her maturity and independence in this scene? 2. If the potion does not work, what will Juliet do? 3. What are some of the fears Juliet has about the potion? 4. How does Juliet imagine the burial vault? How does the imagery in this passage make you feel about Juliet waking up in such a place? [p. 782] Act IV, Scene 4: 1. Summarize what is happening in this brief scene. 2. Why is this scene ironic? Act IV, Scene 5: 1. What information does the audience have that the Nurse lacks? How does this irony help to create tension? [p. 784] 2. Why does Capulet compare death to an untimely frost and Juliet to the sweetest flower of all the field? 3. What does Friar Lawrence say to comfort the Capulet family? 4. What event are the Capulets now preparing for? 5. What does the final dialogue between the musicians suggest about human nature?
Act V, Scene 1: 1. What news does Balthasar bring Romeo? 2. What does Romeo mean when he says, Then I defy you, stars!? 3. Why does Romeo decide to return to Verona? What is your response to his decision? [p. 791] 4. Think about Balthasar s caution and Romeo s response? What consistent flaw in Romeo is revealed here? [p. 792] 5. Explain the irony in lines 80-86. Look back to Act 2, Scene 3 [p. 731] and cite any words/lines that foreshadow the action Romeo takes in lines 80-86. Act V, Scene 2: 1. What does Friar John tell Friar Lawrence? 2. What do the repeated misfortunes befallen Romeo and Juliet suggest about destiny or fate? [p. 793] 3. After hearing this news from Friar John, what does Friar Lawrence intend to do? 4. How does the incident with the letter from Friar Lawrence relate to the prologue s statement about starcross d lovers bound for misadventur d piteous ruin? Act V, Scene 3: 1. Why is Paris at Juliet s tomb? What does Shakespeare reveal about Paris in this scene? [p. 794] 2. Romeo gives Balthasar two reasons for entering the Capulet s tomb. What are those two reasons? 3. Why do you think Shakespeare put such harsh and angry words in Romeo s mouth? [p. 795] 4. Why does Paris think that Romeo has come to the tomb? 5. Shakespeare is bringing together characters who are in extreme emotional turmoil. What do you think will happen next? 6. Why is Romeo so reluctant to fight Paris? [p. 796] 7. What is it about Juliet that should have told Romeo that she was not dead? 8. How does Romeo s speech heighten the audience s sense of tragedy and of suspense? [p. 797] 9. In your opinion, what power has thwarted Romeo and Juliet? Explain. [p. 799] 10. Why doesn t Friar Lawrence stay in the tomb with Juliet after she awakens? 11. Why does Juliet kiss Romeo after he is dead? 12. What common human traits and weaknesses are displayed by Juliet? [p. 800] 13. When Montague first arrives on the scene, what does he tell those gathered? 14. Why does the Prince say Look, and thou shalt see? What might he be helping Montague to see? [p. 802] 15. Relate the events that lead to Romeo and Juliet s death as they are told by Friar Lawrence near the play s end. Why might Shakespeare have inserted this summary even though the audience already knows this information? 16. In your opinion, how much blame does Friar Lawrence deserve for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet? [p. 803] 17. What information does Romeo s letter give? 18. What does the Prince mean when he tells Capulet and Montague, See what a scourge is laid upon your hate? Why does the Prince regret winking at their discords? 19. How do Montague and Capulet plan to honor the memories of their children? 20. What did Capulet and Montague learn from their children s deaths? CONNECT **What proves to be the real power of love in this play? Do the deaths of Romeo and Juliet prove or disprove that love is powerful? Explain your answer in a well-written paragraph.