English Romeo and Juliet Questions

Romeo and Juliet Prologue

Households

Romeo’s family and Juliet’s family

Verona

Setting, city in Italy

Star Crossed Lovers

Lovers who are doomed to face problems or tragedy because of fate or circumstances. It comes from the idea that the stars control people’s destinies. 

Prince 

The ruler of the city; institutes the ban on fighting 

Romeo

Tragic hero of the play

Capulet

Juliet’s father

Juliet

Female main character

How old is Juliet?

nearly 14 years old

Tybalt

Juliet’s cousin; the antagonist of the play

Benvolio

Romeo’s best friend; on good terms with both families

Paris

Nobleman (like the middleman) who is interested in marrying Juliet

Montague

Romeo’s father

Nurse

Raised Juliet; (like a nanny) she has a closer relationship with her than her mother

Mercutio

Romeo’s best friend; quick tempered

How does the scene begin?

With a fight between the Capulet and Montague servants, showing the long-standing feud

How does the fight start?

The fight starts when Sampson and Gregory (Capulet servants) provoke Abram (Montague servant) with insults

How are Benvolio and Tybalt different?

Benbolio tries to keep the peace; Tybaalt enjoys fighting and escalating conflict

Who breaks up the fight? What warning does he give, and what can we infer based on this?

Prince Escalus breaks up the fight. He warns that anyone who fights again will be punished with death, showing the feud has caused serious problems in Verona

Why are Romeo’s parents worried about him?

He has been acting sad and withdrawn, and they don’t understand why

Why is Romeo sad?

He is in love with Rosaline, but she does not return his feelings

What advicec does Benvolio give Romeo?

Benvolio tells Romeo to forget Rosaline and look at other women

soliloquy

reveals the character's private thoughts and feelings to the audience.

monologue

allows a character to express their thoughts aloud.

Act 3

The story reaches its climax in this act of a play.

aside

a comment directed to the audience and is usually brief

act

divides the play into major sections

scene

smaller division within an act, often changing with the setting or characters

characters and setting

developed through stage directions, dialogue, and actions.

Act 5

The story ends with either death or marriage in this act of a play

Plot

series of related events in an organized way.

tragedy

serious work of drama in which the hero suffers catastrophe or serious misfortune

dialogue

develops characters, advance the plot, and convey emotions and themes.

stage directions

provide the actors with instructions on when to deliver their lines

Meter

rhythm of lines of poetry

hamartia

a tragic flaw that leads to the downfall of a tragic hero

5

The amount of acts in a Shakespearean Play

Peripeteia

reversal of fortune and fate at the start of the tragic hero's downfall

Hubris

Excessive pride

Act 1

the setting, characters, and situation are introduced in this act.

Drama

is different from a short story because it has acts and stage directions

Act 2

This act develops the conflicts and complications that build tension toward the climax

sonnet

A poem with 14 lines and an alternating rhyme scheme

Rhyme scheme

pattern of rhymes at the end of lines in a poem

Elizabethan Era

a time when poetry and literature were highly valued

Benvolio

Romeo's loyal friend who tries to keep peace between the families

Capulet

Juliet's father and the head of her household

Juliet

the female main character of the play, nearly fourteen years old

Montague

Romeo's father and head of his family

Nurse

raised Juliet and has a close relationship with her

Paris

the nobleman that hopes to marry Juliet

Prince

rules Verona and forbids fighting between the families

Romeo

the tragic hero of the play, known for his impulsive nature

Tybalt

Juliet's hot-tempered cousin who despises the Montagues

fighting

In Act 1, what have the Montegues and Capulets been doing that causes the prince to become angry?

Heartbroken

Romeo's feelings at the beginning of the play

Rosaline

Romeo's initial love interest

Wait

When Paris asks to marry Juliet, what does Lord Capulet tell him to do?

concern

Benvolio shows _________for Romeo and tries to calm the fighting families

foreshadowing

"star-crossed lovers" is an example of this literary device.

chorus

The purpose of the _________ in the prologue is to introduce the story line

Aggressive

This word describes Tybalt's personality as revealed in Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet