Meyer 2014: Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare Study Guide Shakespeare Word Bank tis = it is twould = it would adieu = goodbye ado = fuss/busy activity alderman = town official an = if anon = right away apothecary = pharmacist aqua vitae = brandy athwart = across/straddling ay/aye = yes banished = exile/kicked out of town be = are (you be but a man) beguiled = cheated/tricked beshrew = curse betwixt = between blow = punch bosom = chest/place where the heart lives by my troth = in truth/i promise/i swear by my loyalty carrion = dead body chide/chidst = to scold conference/counsel = advice/discussion conjure = use magic to bring forth corse = corpse countenance = facial expression county/count = title of standing like duke lady or earl courtier = member of the royal court coz = cousin dost = does it/do you dote/doting = to show excessive love or fondness doth = does drift (Get my drift?) = meaning (Understand me?) ducats = gold coins elflocks = locks of hair (tangled by elves) ere=before farewell = goodbye feign = fake/pretend fickle = changes one s mind often foe = enemy fool = simple minded/jester forth = forward ghostly father = priest/friar (father through the Holy Ghost)
Go gi go-den = God give you a good evening go to = get out God-den = good evening good morrow/good eve = good morning/good evening have at thee = defend yourself heir = next in line to inherit the family s assets (title/house) hence = from now/from here/for this reason henceforth = from here on out herald = messenger hie = go how = what (or how) humor = mood (good or bad Is she in good humor today?) in faith = it s true I swear jest = joke kinsman = family/male relative knave = man (scurvy knave = naughty man) lament/lamentation = feel grief/speak of sadness/words of mourning love = care/concern (not necessarily romantic) maid = unmarried woman (assumed a virgin) marry = By the virgin Mary (swear by) merry = happy/gay midwife = woman who helps another give birth mine = my naught = nothing nay = no o er perch = fly over perjury = lie plague = disease prithee = I pray you prorogued = postponed rapier = sword shall = will/plan to shrift = confession (in the Catholic church) sire/master/lord = father or employer slander = to speak ill of/to disparage a person s honor or name slay/slain/slew = kill/killed soft = wait spector = ghost star-crossed = doomed sweetmeats = candies thee = you thine = your(s) thither/yonder = over there thou art = you are thou wert = you were thus = in this way
thy = your tithe = payment to a minister or church official tut = nonsense word meaning be serious or come on pish/posh twain = in two/separated vexed = troubled/angered visage = facial expression wagoner = wagon driver want = lack wax/made of wax = perfection (like a statue cast in wax) weeds/livery/vestments = clothing wench = woman what news? = what s up? wherefore = therefore/why whilst = while wit/witty = cunning/intelligence/quick with a response woe = sadness woo = to date/to romance/speak love wot = know yea/yeah = yes Prereading: (pp. 982-987) Shakespeare is considered the greatest of the English language. Define Renaissance: The European Renaissance: When? Reached its peak during: Where? SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER Graded Assignment: Find and print a nonfiction article from the library s server. Read the article and explain 5 specific ways that Renaissance England was different from the U.S. in 2012. 1. Print article and attach. 2. List ways:
Shakespeare s Theatre: Named? Where, specifically, was it located? Describe the theatre: How many spectators could attend? List three ways the experience was different than today s theatre? 1. 2. 3. SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER Graded Assignment: Inference ESP How might the mixed crowd of upper and lower classes affect the performance? Shakespearean Drama: (pp. 986-987) Define the following: Tragedy: Comic Relief: Allusion: How does the use of allusion affect the telling of a story? Explain:
Foil: Name a foil from a story you have previously read/seen in a movie: Critical Thinking: What defines this character as a foil? Soliloquy: Aside: Critical Thinking: Why would an author write a soliloquy or aside for a character? Define the following: Blank Verse: Iambic Pentameter:
The Tragedy of Act I, Scene I Place the characters below under the correct category: Tybalt Nurse Mercutio Friar Laurence Count Paris Sampson Benvolio Abram Prince Escalus Romeo s People Juliet s People Neither Where is the scene set? In the beginning of the scene, what penalty does the Prince give to anyone fighting in the streets again? How many fights have upset the streets so far? What s the issue between the men? Why does Shakespeare use an aside in lines 46-57? What is Romeo upset about in this scene?
Graded assignment: On a SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER, draw a picture of Romeo s idea of love from lines 186-191. It must have a two-line explanation at the bottom. Act I, Scene II What is Lord Capulet s objection to his daughter s marriage? Translate the following response from Paris, Younger than she are happy mothers made. Benvolio teases Romeo and challenges him to do what? ACT Prep: Which of the following statements describes what occurs immediately after Capulet sends the servant to invite his guests? a) The Montagues and Capulets begin to brawl. b) Romeo is asked to read the guest list. c) The nurse tells a story about Juliet as an infant. d) Lady Capulet speaks to Juliet about Count Paris. Act I, Scene III Lady Capulet is Juliet s. The nurse is Juliet s caretaker, friend, servant, nanny, and confidant. Define: confidant Translate Lady Capulet s line? Speak briefly, can you like of Paris love?
Translate Juliet s response, I ll look to like, if looking liking move; But no more deep will I endart mine eye/than your consent gives strength to make it fly. Act I, Scene IV What sort of character is Mercutio? Give three descriptors: 1. 2. 3. Translate Romeo s lines, I am too sore enpierced with his [Cupid s] shaft/to soar with his light feathers, and so bound/ I cannot bound a pitch above dull woe./under love s heavy burden do I sink. Whom is Romeo thinking about? Critical Thinking: Compare and contrast Romeo and Mercutio s characters with a Venn Diagram.
Foreshadowing: In lines 114-121, guess what Shakespeare wants the audience to predict for Romeo s future. Act I, Scene V How do the men avoid being recognized at the Capulet s party? As Romeo walks in to the party, he asks, about Juliet, Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop s ear-/beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! Why is this comment strange? Tybalt recognizes Romeo s voice and asks for his. Lord Capulet tells him to (paraphrase): Translate Romeo s line, my life is my foe s debt. Juliet says to her nurse, If he [Romeo] be married/my grave is like to be my wedding bed. Give three reasons why is this a strange comment to make about Romeo. 1. 2.
SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER Graded assignment: Find an article and write an ESP on the following: Research a long-standing feud between communities or nations and explain why the conflict continues for generations rather than being resolved. 1) Article attached 2) ESP written on the above question and attached Act II, Prologue (p. 1020) Explain why the chorus recites a sonnet at the beginning of the act. Graded Assignment: Write the rhyme scheme of each line of the prologue below: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Write your own sonnet in the same rhyme scheme ON A SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER.
Act II, Scene I Why did Shakespeare write such a short and repetitive scene? Act II, Scene II (The balcony scene) Romeo has the first lengthy soliloquy from lines 2-25 and again from 28-34 (40). What does this tell the audience about Romeo? This is the most famous scene in dramatic history. Choose 4 lines of dialogue, write them below, and translate them: Original Dialogue: Translate: Explain the entire scene with 5 descriptive phrases: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
What do decide to do tomorrow? Consider the nurse a foil to Juliet. Give three reasons why this could be so: 1) 2) 3) Act II, Scene III Where is the scene set? What is Friar Laurence s initial reaction to Romeo s request? What is Friar Laurence s final decision? Why? Identify three examples of figurative language used in this scene; copy with page numbers. 1) 2) 3) Now rewrite them in plain speech: 1) 2) 3)
Act II, Scene IV Lines 20-27 refer to a fable. What literary term is this? Lines 40-45 mention famous lovers like Helen. Who is Helen and why would Shakespeare make this reference? Mercutio is very rude to Juliet s nurse: Prove it with a quote and page number. Translate the following line of Romeo s, A gentleman, [Mercutio] nurse, that loves to hear himself talk and will speak more in a minute than he will stand to in a month. Romeo tells the nurse to have Juliet meet him where? Act II, Scene V Juliet says, Now, good sweet nurse O Lord, why lookst thou sad?/though news be sad, yet tell them merrily;/if good, thou shamst the music of sweet news/by playing it to me with so sour a face. What is Juliet saying about her nurse? Why must the nurse fetch a ladder?
Act II, Scene VI Friar Laurence says, Therefore love moderately: long love doth so;/too swift arrives as tardy as too slow. What is the advice he gives Romeo? ACT Practice: Which of the following statements best sums up Romeo s character? a) He is cautious, tough, and eager to please. b) He tries to help everyone except his family s enemies. c) He is courteous and well intentioned, but impulsive. d) He is bookish and has difficulty socializing. Act III, Scene I Tybalt tries first to fight with but he will not fight. Mercutio tries to taunt into fighting, even though warns them that the Prince will punish them. stabs under the arm of his friend. Translate the line, A plague o both your houses! Explain Romeo s response to Tybalt: After Benvolio explains what has happened to the Prince and Lady Capulet, the prince decides to.
Act III, Scene II Quote a line that tells us on whose side Juliet s loyalty resides: SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER Graded Assignment: Give a reasoned explanation of what Juliet should do in light of the information given to her by the nurse (ESP format). Act III, Scene III Explain what Friar Laurence is saying to Romeo: Thy fault our law calls death; but the kind Prince,/Taking thy part, hath rushed aside the law, /And turned that black word death to banishment./this is dear mercy, and thou seest it not. According to the Friar, Romeo should count his blessings (lines 152-158). List three: 1) 2) 3)
Act III, Scene IV On Thursday, Lord Capulet will. Dramatic Irony is when the audience knows more than the characters. What does the audience know that the characters need to know? Dramatic Tension is created because Lady Capulet is heading toward Juliet s room and she will find Act III, Scene V Lady Capulet finds Juliet weeping and assumes it is for Tybalt. Translate the following line: Evermore weeping for your cousin s death?/what, wilt thou wash him from his grave with tears?/an if thou couldst, thou coldst not make him live./therefore have done. Some grief shows much of love; But much of grief shows some want of wit. (72-78) Do you agree with Juliet s mother? Why or why not? What advice does the nurse suggest in lines (242-255)?
Act IV, Scene I Explain the plot that Friar Laurence, Romeo, and Juliet are hatching: Predict: Will it work? Why or why not? What societal pressures limit Juliet that do not affect Romeo? 1) 2) Do women today have different expectations of them than men? Explain: Act IV, Scene III Juliet suspects that someone might harm her in lines 26-31. Who and why? When Juliet says, O, look! Methinks I see my cousin s ghost/seeking out Romeo (57-58) what literary device is Shakespeare using?
Act IV, Scene V Friar Laurence s deception of the family (a holy man lying) is an example of which literary device? Act V: All Translate Friar Laurence s line: Scene II, (19) The letter was not nice, but full of charge Why is the Friar concerned that Romeo did not get the letter? What innocent bystander dies at Juliet s tomb? SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER Graded assignment: Which characters are to blame for the tragic deaths in this play? Give 3 names and two pieces of proof (each). Be specific with page numbers and quotes. SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER Final Activity: Graded assignment Draw a complete plot diagram with exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and dénouement.