Literary Terms
What kind of play is Romeo and Juliet?
Tragedy
Where does Romeo go when he is banished?
He goes to Mantua.
"Come, bitter poison, come, unsavory guide! You desperate pilot, let's crash this sea-weary ship into the rocks! Here's to my love! ROMEO drinks the poison. Oh, that pharmacist was honest! His drugs work quickly. So I die with a kiss."
Love is a powerful force that can lead to deep connection and tragic destruction.
What is the name of the man who wrote Romeo and Juliet?
William Shakespeare
Who is the female protagonist in Romeo and Juliet?
Juliet
What is the type of poem called that is used in the Prologue and the scene when Romeo and Juliet first meet, ending with their first kiss?
Sonnet
How soon after first meeting do Romeo and Juliet get married?
The following afternoon.
“My child is yet a stranger in the world./ She hath not seen the change of fourteen years./ Let two more summers wither in their pride/ Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.” (1.2.8-10)
The desires of youth often clash with the values of the older generations.
The creator of Romeo and Juliet was a poet and a _____.
Playwright
What trait does Romeo possess that leads to his and Juliet's deaths?
Impulsiveness, intense romanticism
What literary device is being used to describe Romeo's lips: "My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand/ To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss" (1.5.93-94)?
Metaphor
Where do Romeo and Juliet first meet? Why is Romeo there?
They meet at Capulet's party. Romeo crashes it, thinking he will see Rosaline there.
"Let me have/ A dram of poison, such soon-speeding gear/ As will disperse itself through all the veins/ That the life-weary taker may fall dead,/ And that the trunk may be discharged of breath/ As violently as hasty powder fired/ Doth hurry from the fatal cannon's womb." (5.1.61-67)
1. Impulsiveness can lead to tragic consequences
2. Love is a powerful force that can lead to destruction.
How many plays did Shakespeare write?
38
What is the name of Romeo's right-hand-man/best friend, who insults the Nurse and is killed by Tybalt?
Mercutio
A tragic hero’s tragic flaw is some trait that leads to the character’s ________.
downfall
Explain how Romeo ends up at the Capulet party.
The Capulet servant is given the list of party guests to invite, but he can't read. Romeo and Mercutio help him read the list, and Romeo sees Rosaline's name. Mercutio wants Romeo to find another girl to get over Rosaline, and Romeo wants to find Rosaline.
"Hang thee, young baggage!/ Disobedient wretch! I tell thee what: get thee to church 0' Thursday,/ Or never after look me in the face. " (3.5.160-162)
The desires of youth often conflict with the values of the older generation.
Name two other plays or poems by Shakespeare.
Much Ado About Nothing
Hamlet
Macbeth
Othello
Midsommers Night Dream
What's the correct order of events?
Friar Lawrence marries Romeo and Juliet.
Capulet informs Juliet she must marry Paris.
Romeo is pining for Rosaline.
The Montagues and Capulets end their feud.
Tybalt kills Mercutio.
An "iamb" is...
a pair of syllables, the first is unstressed and the second is stressed (ex: possESS, JaPAN, eLOPE)
Explain how the timing of Romeo and Juliet’s death increased the tragedy of the ending.
Juliet was moments away from waking up from her 42-hour sleep when Romeo drank the poison. Once Juliet awakened, Romeo's lips were still warm. The close timing of these events makes their deaths sting even more because it feels like the tragedy could have been avoided if Juliet had just awoken a few moments earlier.
"I'm done for in this world, I believe. Maya plague strike both your houses. Goddammit! I can't believe that dog, that rat, that mouse, that cat could scratch me to death! "
Family rivalry is pointless and causes destruction.
Which literary device does Shakespeare use in the Prologue to let the audience know what is going to happen later in the play?
Foreshadowing
The cause of this character's death was heartbreak after Romeo was banished.
Lady Montague