2025 Freshman Honors English Semester Two Final Exam Study Guide

Flashcards for 2025 Freshman Honors English Semester Two Final Exam Study Guide

Exposition in Romeo and Juliet

The play opens in Verona, introducing the feud between the Montagues and Capulets. Romeo is lovesick over Rosaline.

Rising Action in Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love. They marry secretly with Friar Lawrence's help. Tybalt kills Mercutio, and Romeo kills Tybalt, leading to Romeo's banishment.

Climax in Romeo and Juliet

Romeo is banished. Juliet is ordered to marry Paris. She drinks a potion to appear dead to avoid the marriage.

Falling Action in Romeo and Juliet

Romeo doesn't receive the message about Juliet's plan. He believes she is dead, goes to her tomb, and kills Paris. Romeo then drinks poison and dies.

Resolution in Romeo and Juliet

Juliet wakes up, sees Romeo dead, and kills herself with his dagger. The Montagues and Capulets end their feud.

Setting of Romeo and Juliet

Verona, Italy, in the 14th or 15th century.

Romeo Montague

Protagonist, round, dynamic. Initially loves Rosaline, then deeply loves Juliet. Impulsive and passionate.

Juliet Capulet

Protagonist, round, dynamic. Naive at first, but becomes determined and willing to defy her family for love.

Benvolio

Romeo's cousin and friend. A Montague. Peaceful and tries to prevent violence.

Nurse

Juliet's caregiver and confidante. A round character, providing comic relief and support to Juliet.

Lord Capulet

Juliet's father. Authoritarian and initially wants Juliet to marry Paris.

Friar Lawrence

A Franciscan friar and Romeo's confidant. He secretly marries Romeo and Juliet, hoping to end the feud.

Lady Capulet

Juliet's mother. Distant and wants Juliet to marry Paris for social advancement.

Friar John

Sent to deliver a letter to Romeo but fails due to quarantine.

Tybalt

Juliet's cousin. Antagonist, flat, static. Aggressive and hates Montagues.

Prince Escalus

The ruler of Verona. Tries to maintain peace and punishes those who disrupt it.

Paris

A nobleman who wants to marry Juliet. Flat character, mostly serves as a plot device.

Peter

The Nurse's servant.

Mercutio

Romeo's close friend. A round character, witty and cynical.

Apothecary

Sells poison to Romeo.

Fate in Romeo and Juliet

The Prologue declares Romeo and Juliet as 'star-cross'd lovers,' suggesting their destiny is predetermined. Events unfold leading to their tragic end, implying fate's control.

Love and Hate in Romeo and Juliet

The intense love between Romeo and Juliet is set against the violent hatred of their families. This contrast highlights the destructive nature of both emotions.

Day and Night in Romeo and Juliet

Used to symbolize contrasting moods and situations. Day represents public life and conflict, while night is associated with secrecy and love.

Aside

A remark or passage by a character in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play.

Soliloquy

A speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud to the audience.

Tragic Flaw

A character's weakness that leads to their downfall.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

Antithesis

A figure of speech in which an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed by parallelism of words that are the opposites of, or strongly contrasted with, each other

Verse

A single line of poetry

Prose

Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.

Pun

A play on words.

Foil

A character who contrasts with another character.