Quotes
Who says this? When? Why? What does it mean?
"my grave is like to be my wedding bed,"
Juliet speaks this line right after meeting Romeo at the Capulet party, during their first conversation. After Romeo and Juliet share a kiss, she learns from the Nurse that Romeo is a Montague, which shocks her. In this moment of despair, she says, "My grave is like to be my wedding bed," feeling as though if she cannot marry Romeo (because of the family feud), she would rather die.
What event happens at the beginning of the play when we meet characters for the first time?
A public brawl breaks out between the servants of the Montagues and Capulets. This sets the tone of conflict and violence for the play. Prince Escalus warns both families that further fighting will result in death.
Describe Romeo
- Who is his family?
- How was he when we first met him?
- Where does he meet Juliet?
This character from Romeo and Juliet is a young Montague who, when we first meet him, is depressed over a break-up with a girl. He goes to a party to try and see his ex, but ends up getting caught up with his feelings for a new beauty, Juliet.
What is this literary device? What does it mean?
See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!
This is an example of metaphor.
In these lines from Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is speaking to himself as he watches Juliet on her balcony. He imagines being a glove on her hand, so that he could touch her cheek. The metaphor compares Romeo's desire to be close to Juliet to the idea of being a glove, a soft and intimate object that could physically connect him to her.
Theme: Family Conflict and Violence
In Act 1, Scene 1, how does the fight between the servants of the Montagues and Capulets set the tone for the rest of the play?
This public brawl reflects the deep-seated animosity between the two families, which drives much of the action throughout the play. The scene establishes the constant tension and hostility that will influence the characters' actions and decisions, and foreshadows the tragic consequences of the feud.
"O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name."
Who said this? When? What does it mean?
Juliet is on her balcony and grappling with the conflict of loving Romeo, who is a Montague.
What happens RIGHT after Romeo and Juliet meet at the Capulet party in Romeo and Juliet?
Romeo sneaks to Juliet's balcony. Romeo and Juliet declare their love for each other. They agree to marry secretly the next day. Juliet, though conflicted by the family feud, is deeply in love with Romeo.
Describe Juliet
- Who is her family?
- What are her parents planning for her?
- What is she worried about?
This Character is a young girl whose parent's are setting up to potentially marry a rich man named Paris. She sees Romeo at a family feast and ends up falling in love with him. When she finds out that he is a Montague she is anxious about her family finding out because they may kill him due to a FEUD.
When Romeo is sneaking up to Juliet's balcony he says, "But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." What element is this? What does he mean?
In this metaphor, Romeo compares Juliet to the sun. He is describing how her presence lights up the darkness, just as the sun brings light to the world at dawn. By calling Juliet the sun, Romeo elevates her, suggesting that she is radiant, powerful, and central to his world, just as the sun is central to life on Earth.
Theme: Youth and Impulsivity
Explain what drives Romeo’s feelings for Juliet, and how does his desire to marry her show his impulsive nature?
Romeo's impulsive nature is evident in his actions throughout the play. For example, he quickly agrees to marry Juliet the day after they meet, without considering the consequences of their secret union.
"Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."
How said this? When? Why?
Romeo expresses his awe upon seeing Juliet for the first time at the Capulet party.
What happens when Romeo attends the Capulet party in Romeo and Juliet?
Details to include: What BIG moment happens?? Who sees this happen and gets mad? What does the mad person try to do?
Romeo sneaks into the Capulet party and meets Juliet. They instantly fall in love, unaware of their families’ feud. Tybalt becomes enraged when he sees Romeo but is stopped by Lord Capulet, who doesn't want to cause trouble at the event.
What is this character's name?
A priest who agrees to secretly marry Romeo and Juliet, hoping their union will end the feud between their families.
Friar Laurence
Friar Laurence says to Romeo,"Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast"...what does this mean? How does this connect to the foreshadowing of tragic events in the play?
In Act 2, Scene 3, when Friar Laurence tells Romeo, "Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast," he is advising Romeo to be patient and cautious in his love for Juliet. Friar Laurence recognizes Romeo’s impulsive nature and cautions him against rushing into things, especially considering the seriousness of their situation. Romeo and Juliet have only just met and their love is intense, but Friar Laurence urges him to approach their marriage with more thoughtfulness and deliberation, rather than acting too hastily.
Theme: Fate
How was Romeo invited to the Capulet party in the beginning of the play? ANSWER BASED ON READING, NOT MOVIE.
Throughout Acts 1 and 2, Romeo and Juliet speak about fate and destiny.
They believe their love is preordained, and their decisions seem to be guided by forces beyond their control (such as Romeo’s chance encounter with the Capulet servant).
Who says the following line? Why? When? What does it mean?
"What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet..."
Juliet says this line on her balcony, as she reflects on the conflict between her love for Romeo and the fact that he is a Montague, a member of the family her own family despises. She is expressing her frustration with the idea that their families' names—labels that have no real bearing on the essence of a person—are preventing her from being with Romeo.
In this moment, Juliet argues that Romeo’s identity is not defined by his last name, just as a rose would still be sweet-smelling, regardless of what it is called.
After the balcony scene what does Romeo decide to immediately do?
Romeo seeks Friar Laurence’s help to marry Juliet. The Friar agrees, hoping that their union will help reconcile the feuding families.
This character in Romeo and Juliet is a hot-headed Capulet who despises the Montagues. He challenges Romeo to a duel after the latter attends the Capulet party.
Tybalt
Describe BOTH literary elements in the following excerpt:
"Within the infant rind of this small flower / Poison hath residence AND medicine power: For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part; Being tasted, slays all senses with the heart."
The flower represents duality—its ability to both heal and harm. While the flower can cure when smelled, it becomes deadly when tasted. This is ironic because, much like the flower, certain situations and actions in the play, especially those involving love and conflict, have the potential for both positive and negative outcomes. This can also foreshadow how Romeo and Juliet's love, for instance, brings both joy and ultimately death.
Theme: Violence
Why does Tybalt challenge Romeo to a duel in Romeo and Juliet?
Tybalt’s duel challenge is rooted in the ongoing feud between the Montagues and Capulets. For Tybalt, honor and loyalty to his family are paramount, and the duel is a way to assert his family’s dominance and revenge for Romeo’s presence at the party. Tybalt's violent response reflects how the feud forces people to act violently, even when it is not necessarily in their personal interest or rational.
Who says the following quote, when do they say it, why do they say it, and what does it mean?
"Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.
Jesu Maria, what a deal of brine
Hath wash’d thy sallow cheeks for Rosaline!
How much salt water thrown away in waste.."
Friar Laurence says this in Act 2, Scene 3 after Romeo arrives to visit him early in the morning, seeking Friar Laurence's help to marry Juliet. The Friar is surprised by Romeo's sudden shift in affection from Rosaline (whom he had been pining for) to Juliet. He remarks on how Romeo's intense grief for Rosaline was superficial and wasted, as Romeo has now quickly fallen in love with Juliet. Friar Laurence is both amused and somewhat critical of Romeo’s impulsive nature.
In Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio receives a challenge to a duel from Tybalt. Tybalt is angry at Romeo for attending the Capulet party and wants to settle the matter with a fight. Mercutio, being Romeo's close friend, accepts the challenge on Romeo's behalf, leading to the tragic events that follow.
What is this character's name?
This character in Romeo and Juliet is Romeo's witty and loyal friend, known for his playful banter and sharp tongue.
Mercutio
Describe the irony in the following excerpt from Fr. Laurence:
"I must up-fill this osier cage of ours / With baleful weeds and precious-juiced flowers,"
While he is trying to create a remedy (using flowers) to help Juliet, he is also aware of the dangerous, poisonous potential of the plants (baleful weeds). The irony lies in the fact that his actions, which he intends for good, can also lead to harm.
Theme: Love vs. Family Loyalty
What does Romeo and Juliet's love reveal about the conflict between personal desires and family loyalty in Act 1 and Act 2?
Their love also highlights the tension between personal desires and familial loyalty. Both Romeo and Juliet struggle with the conflict between their love for each other and their loyalty to their families. Juliet, in particular, shows the complexity of this struggle when she contemplates the significance of Romeo's name, famously declaring that "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," indicating that their love transcends their families' feud.