Romeo and Juliet Chapter Questions Act 1, Scene 1 1. Based on this first scene, what can you determine about Benvolio=s character? 2. How does Tybalt=s personality different from Benvolio=s? 3. Who is Prince Escalus? What specific lines in the original text indicate how angry he is about the feuding? 4. Benvolio and the Montagues are concerned about Romeo. Explain Why. 5. What information is Benvolio able to get from Romeo concerning his melancholy (sadness)? 6. Find lines that show that Romeo is quite romantic. 7. What advice does Benvolio give Romeo concerning Rosaline? 8. What kind of friend is Benvolio to Romeo? How do you know? Act 1, Scene 2 1. How does Lord Capulet feel about the feud at this time in his life? 2. Why has Paris come to see Lord Capulet? 3. How old is Juliet? Do you feel that someone could be happily married in their teens? 4. What is Capulet=s reply to Paris? 5. Why does Benvolio want Romeo to attend Capulet=s party? Why does Romeo agree to go? Act 1, Scene 3 1. What happened to Nurse=s daughter? 2. What do the Nurses ramblings tell us about her feelings for Juliet? 3. How does Juliet feel about getting married? Act 1, Scene 4 1. Describe Romeo=s mood as he and his friends go to the party? Find passages from the original text to support your answer. 2. Find an example of Foreshadowing (hints or clues which suggest what will happen in the future). 3. Based on Romeo=s last speech, do you think Elizabethans believed people had control over their lives or that fate determined their future? Act 1, Scene 5 1. What lines indicate that Romeo was not really in love with Rosaline? 2. Tybalt=s anger at the presence of a Montagues bears out the hot-tempered nature of his character. Provide the lines that describe what Tybalt would like to do to Romeo? 3. What does Lord Capulet=s acceptance of Romeo=s presence tell you about how he feels about the family feud? 4. Juliet does not admit to Nurse that she has fallen in love with Romeo? Do you think Juliet would be
more likely to tell her mother about her feelings for Romeo or the Nurse? 5. Explain these lines: 134-135- AGo ask his name. If he be married, My grave is like to be my marriage bed@. 6. What problems do you anticipate for Romeo and Juliet? Act 2, Scene 1 1. Do Romeo=s friends know that he has fallen in love with Juliet? How do you know? Act 2, Scene 2 1. How do Romeo and Juliet feel about their respective last names? 2. Why is Romeo unafraid to tell Juliet how he feels? 3. Cite the lines that show that Juliet is less impulsive- more sensible than Romeo. 4. Why doesn=t Juliet want Romeo to swear by the moon? Act 2, Scene 3 1. Why does Friar Laurence think that Romeo has Asinned@? 2. Explain what Friar Laurence meant by, AYoung men=s love lies not truly in their hearts but in their eyes@. 3. Why does Friar Laurence finally agree to marry Romeo and Juliet? 4. What advice does Friar give Romeo at the end of the scene? Act 2, Scene 4 1. How do you know Tybalt is still angry? 2. Why do you think Romeo still chooses not to tell his friends about Juliet? 3. Why does Shakespeare include this humorous scene with the nurse? 4. What instructions does Romeo give the nurse? 5. Do you think the Nurse can be trusted not to tell Juliet=s parents? In your own personal opinion, do you think the Nurse should tell Juliet=s parents? Act 2, Scene 5 1. Why is Juliet worried and frustrated at the beginning of the scene? 2. When Nurse arrives how does Juliet act? 3. How does Nurse seem to feel about the marriage? Act 2, Scene 6 1. What advice does the Friar give Romeo about love? Cite the lines. 2. How soon after meeting one another have Romeo and Juliet married? 3. What do you think would have happened if Friar Laurence had told Lord Capulet as soon as he learned that Romeo wanted to marry Juliet?
Act 3, Scene 1 1. Why does Benvolio urge Tybalt and Mercutio to take their fight off the streets? 2. How does Romeo act when he and Tybalt first meet? Why? 3. Why does Romeo=s behaviour toward Tybalt anger Mercutio? 4. Give an example of a pun used by Mercution (pun: a play on words). 5. Why doesn=t Prince have Romeo executed (killed)? 6. Tybalt was Juliet=s cousin. Do you think she will blame Romeo for killing him? Act 3, Scene 2 1. At first, who does Juliet think is dead? 2. When Juliet finds out that Romeo killed Tybalt, what is her first reaction? 3. Once the shock is over, what does Juliet realize about the situation? 4. What symbol of her love does Juliet send Romeo? Act 3, Scene 3 1. Why does Friar Laurence tell Romeo that he has a pack of blessings on his back? 2. What news does the Nurse bring and how does Romeo receive it? 3. What plan does the Friar suggest to Romeo? 4. What does the Nurse give Romeo that provides him with comfort? Act 3, Scene 4 &5 1. What plan does Lord Capulet make for Thursday? Why is this an example of dramatic irony (Dramatic Irony: when the audience is aware of something that the characters themselves are not)? 2. How does Juliet mislead her mother about her mourning? 3. Juliet is usually very respectful towards her parents. What does her anger and resentment towards them say about her feelings for Romeo? 4. Does Nurse understand Juliet=s grief over Romeo=s banishment and her determination not to marry Paris? 5. Will Juliet ever confide in Nurse again? Explain. Act 4, Scene 1 1. Does Paris seem like a nice man? Does it seem as though he would be a good husband? 2. What solution to the problem does friar offer to Juliet? 3. What other choices did Friar Laurence have at this point? Do you think he made the right decision for their particular circumstances? Act 4, Scene 2 1. What lie does Juliet tell her father when he asks where she has been? How does Juliet please her
father in this scene? 2. Does Juliet tell the nurse of her plan? Act 4, Scene 3 1. What does Juliet plan to do if the potion does not work? 2. What doubts does Juliet have about Friar Laurence? 3. What other fears does she have? Act 4, Scene 4 &5 1. Who discovers Juliet=s body? 2. What does Friar Laurence encourage Capulet to do after discovering Juliet=s death? 3. Based on previous evidence and on previous decisions that you have reached, do you believe that Capulet is sincere when he says, AAnd with my child my joys are buried?@ Why did it take him so long to realize how much his daughter meant to him? 4. Give an example o f personification of death. Act 5, Scene 1 1. Why is Romeo in such a good mood before he receives the news about Juliet? 2. What happens in this scene that the Friar does not consider? 3. What plan does Romeo make? What lines tell you that he is going to take his fate into his own hands? 4. How does Romeo convince the apothecary to sell him the poison? 5. Is there a chance that Romeo will not go through with the suicide? What could prevent him from following through with these plans? Act 5, Scene 2 1. Why was Friar John unable to deliver Friar Lawrence=s letter to Romeo? 2. What does Friar Lawrence say that he is going to do after hearing this news? Act 5, Scene 3 1. Why is Paris at the Capulet vault? 2. What does Romeo tell Balthasar? 3. What does Balthasar say that he will do? 4. Why does Paris want to kill Romeo? 5. Did Romeo truly want to kill Paris? 6. What does Romeo say about Juliet=s appearance? How is this an example of irony? 8. What does the Friar say Juliet should do when she awakens?
9. What does Juliet do? 10. What happened to Lady Montague? 11. How is the story finally explained to the families and to the Prince? 12. What happens between the Capulet=s and the Montague=s? What do the families say they will do to honour each other=s children?