Prologue:
1. In what city does this play take place?
2. Why are Romeo and Juliet called “star-cross’d lovers”?
Act I
scene i:
3. Who is fighting at the beginning of the first scene?
4. Who tries to break up the fighting?
5. What threat does the Prince make to Lord Montague and lord Capulet?
6. Benvolio and Montague describe the way Romeo has been acting. What do they have to say about him?
7. Why is Romeo so sad? Explain.
8. What is Benvolio’s advice to Romeo?
scene ii:
9. Why does Capulet think it will be easy for Montague and him to keep the peace?
10. What does Paris ask about Capulet?
11. What is Capulet’s first answer?
12. A bit later Capulet appears to change his mind about Paris’ question. What does he then tell Paris?
13. What problem does the servant have?
14. What is the name of the woman Romeo loves?
15. What do Romeo and Benvolio decide to do?
scene iii:
16. How old is Juliet?
17. When Lady Capulet asks Juliet how she feels about marriage, what is Juliet’s answer?
18. Following Juliet’s answer, what does Lady Capulet then tell Juliet?
scene iv:
19. According to Mercutio, who or what is Queen Mab, and what does she or it do?
20. What does Mercutio say about dreams?
21. What is Romeo’s mood at the end of the scene? Explain.
scene v:
22. What does Romeo think of Juliet the first time he sees her?
23. How does Tybalt recognize Romeo?
24. When Tybalt is ready to seize Romeo and throw him out of the party, what does Capulet say to Tybalt?
25. Explain the conversation between Romeo and Juliet.
26. How does Romeo find out Juliet’s name?
27. How does Juliet find out Romeo’s last name?
Act II
scene i:
28. What does Mercutio say about “blind love”?
29. When Juliet appears on her balcony, what does Romeo compare her to?
30. How does Juliet “speak, yet…[say] nothing”?
31. When Juliet leans her cheek on her hand, what does Romeo say?
32. Unaware of his presence, what does Juliet ask Romeo to say?
33. In a sentence or two, explain what Juliet says about names.
34. Juliet asks how Romeo go into her place. The orchard walls are high, and Romeo’s life would be in danger if her relatives were to find him there. What is Romeo’s response to these questions?
35. Why is Juliet embarrassed?
36. Juliet is going to send someone to Romeo on the following day for what purpose?
scene iii:
37. What has Friar Lawrence been out gathering in his basket?
38. Explain lines 21-22: “Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied,/ And vice sometime by action dignified”?
39. When Friar Lawrence sees Romeo, what comment does Friar Lawrence make about seeing Romeo so early in the morning?
40. What does Friar Lawrence mean when he says to Romeo, “Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes”?
41. Friar Lawrence agrees to perform the marriage ceremony for Romeo and Juliet for what reason?
scene iv:
42. According to Mercution, what kind of man is Tybalt?
43. What is the nurse saying to Romeo in line 157-163?
44. What will Juliet do or say so that she can meet Romeo?
scene v:
45. The nurse is supposed to be gone only a half hour, but she is actually gone for how long?
46. How is the nurse behaving that is frustrating Juliet?
scene vi:
47. What does Friar Lawrence mean when he says, “Therefore, love moderately; long love doth so”?
Act III
scene i:
48. At the beginning of the scene, why does Benvolio think that there will be a fight?
49. What does Mercutio accuse Benvolio of in lines 15-30?
50. When Tybalt and Mercutio first begin arguing, what does Benvolio try to get them to do?
51. What does Tybalt call Romeo?
52. Why won’t Romeo fight Tybalt?
53. What does Mercutio think is the reason Romeo refuses to fight?
54. Why does Mercutio keep repeating, “A plague o’ both your houses”?
55. What does Romeo say that Juliet’s love has done for him?
56. Why does Romeo call himself “fortune’s fool”?
57. When Benvolio relates to the Prince what happened, what does he say Romeo tried to do before Mercutio was killed?
58. What does Lady Capulet accuse Benvolio of doing? Why?
59. What is Romeo’s punishment for killing Tybalt?
scene ii:
60. Why is Juliet so impatient for the nurse to return?
61. Describe Juliet’s rapidly changing attitudes toward Romeo in this scene.
62. What piece of news has upset Julet the most?
