Romeo & Juliet Literary Devices, Terms, and Roman Numerals

Flashcards covering key literary terms, dramatic devices, and citation formats from Romeo & Juliet, along with Roman numeral rules and equivalents from 1 to 20.

How are Shakespearean dramas structured across acts, and what narrative elements do they correspond to?

They are broken into five acts that address the five traditional elements of narrative structure: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

In Shakespearean drama, what does a new scene represent?

A new scene means a new place (which in the theatre corresponds to moving the set around).

In MLA format, what does the parenthetical play citation '(Shakespeare 3.4.8-15)' represent?

It represents Act 3, Scene 4, lines 8-15.

What is an aside?

A comment that a character makes that is intended to be heard by the audience but not the other character(s) on stage.

What is a soliloquy?

A speech that a character makes when alone to allow the audience to know the character's thoughts.

What is a foil, and what example is given from Act I, scene i of Romeo & Juliet?

A character whose qualities sharply contrast with those of another character, used to emphasize or de-emphasize another character's traits. Example: Tybalt is a foil to Benvolio in Act I, scene i.

What are the poetic structure and rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet?

It consists of 14 total lines with the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, organized into Quatrain 1, 2, 3, and a Couplet.

What meter is used in a sonnet, and what do the root parts of 'iambic pentameter' mean?

It is written in iambic pentameter with 10 syllables per line, where 'iamb' means a group of two and 'penta' means five.

What is dramatic irony?

A technique used to create suspense where the audience knows something that the character(s) doesn't.

What is foreshadowing?

Language that subtly hints at what will happen in the future.

What is an oxymoron, and what example is given in the notes?

A phrase consisting of words that seem opposite in meaning. Example: 'beautiful tyrant'.

What is a pun, and what example is provided?

A form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect (basically, a dad joke). Example: 'I feel sorry for the calendar; Its days are numbered.'

What is a metaphor, and what example is provided?

A comparison made by saying that something IS something else. Example: 'The world's a stage.'

What language elements should readers become familiar with to aid fluency when reading Shakespearean language in Romeo & Juliet?

Common pronouns, verbs, and prepositions.

What are the quick rules for repeating, subtracting, and adding Roman numerals?

Repeat I up to three times ($\text{III} = 3$); placing I before V or X means subtract ($\text{IV} = 4$, $\text{IX} = 9$); placing I after V or X means add ($\text{VI} = 6$, $\text{XI} = 11$).

How are Roman numerals 11 through 20 formed according to the rule?

They are formed by $X + (1\text{-}10)$, yielding XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX, and XX.