House of Capulet
House of Montague
#Elizabethanlingo
Romeo & Juliet:
Literary Terms
Who Said What?
Kill or be Killed
Supporting Cast
100
This Capulet liked to pick a fight with the Montagues and vengeance was the reason for his murder in Act III. 
Who is Tybalt?
100

Romeo goes to this place to die next to his beloved.

What is the "Capulet Monument or Capulet Tomb?"

100

Juliet uses this Elizabethan cliche to describe Romeo's kissing "skillz" after their first kiss.

What is "kiss by the book?

100
"For thou art / As glorious to this night being o'er my head / As is a winged messenger of heaven... "


Romeo uses this literary device to compare his beloved, Juliet, to an angel.



What is a simile?
100

Not realizing Romeo is hiding below in the Capulet's orchard, Juliet begins this famous soliloquy lamenting how she has fallen for a Montague.

(Answer is only the first line of the soliloquy)

What is “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherfore art thou Romeo?”

100
This character concocted a potion for Juliet to fake her own death.
Who is Friar Laurence?
100

This servant to the Capulets bit his thumb at a servant to the Montagues, which instigated a fight between the feuding families in the beginning of Romeo and Juliet.

Who is Sampson?
200
This Capulet was already married with child by the age of 14.
Who is Lady Capulet?
200

Although Romeo avoids a death sentence for Tybalt's murder, Romeo refers to this punishment from the Prince of Verona as "Hell itself."

What is being "banish'd"? 

200

If you had an important assignment in your English class and Shakespeare was your teacher, he might say this if he wanted you to get right to work. 

What is "Anon?"

200

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet would be an example of this genre, which was also included in the original title of the play.

What is a tragedy?

(And for inquiring minds who want to know the original title, here it is: The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet)

200

In Act 1, Scene 1, when Abram asked Sampson if Sampson bit his thumb at Abram, Sampson offered this smart retort.

What is "I do bite my thumb, sir."

(Acceptable if the answer does not include "sir." Just need to be clear Sampson suggested he only "bit his thumb."

200

Mercutio wishes this upon the houses of the Capulets and Montagues after he is stabbed by Tybalt.

What is a "plague?"

200
Sampson bit his thumb at this servant to the Montagues.
Who is Abram?
300
In Verona's town square, Mercutio taunts this loyal servant to the Capulets, saying, "A bawd, a bawd, a bawd! So ho!"
Who is the nurse?
300

This is the neighboring city where Romeo takes up temporary residence upon being "banish'd" by the Prince of Verona for the murder of Tybalt.

What is Mantua?

300

Considered a rude and offensive gesture during the Elizabethan era.

What is biting your thumb?

300

This literary device is used throughout Romeo and Juliet, but the consequence is most dire when Romeo kills himself unaware his beloved Juliet is faking her death.

What is dramatic irony?

300

"... see what a scourge is laid upon your hate, that heaven finds means to kill your joys with love.”

This character's admonishment leads to the end of the feud between the Capulets and Montagues.

Who is the prince?
300
"O happy dagger" is the way this character refers to their instrument of death.
Who is Juliet?
300

The Apothecary in Romeo and Juliet is an old homeless man. Today, someone in this field must go to medical school, makes a nice living, and is referred to by this title instead of as an "apothecary."

What is a pharmacist?
400
When the nurse encourages Juliet to do this, Juliet feels betrayed and no longer trusts her.
What is go along with her parents desire to marry Paris?



400

This cousin of Romeo served as a personal dating coach, defended Romeo's vengeful murder of Tybalt to the Prince of Verona, and failed miserably at maintaining peace between the Capulets and Montagues.

Who is Benvolio?

400

If fast food restaurants existed in the 16th century, this salted fish might be on the menu.

What is a "poor-john"?

400

In Act I, Scene 4, this character blathered on about being Juliet's wet nurse and how Juliet once fell and hit her head when she was little and on and on and on... which is an example of this theatrical device often employed by Shakespeare.

What is a monologue?
400

When Tybalt sees Romeo at the Capulet's party, he asks a servant to "fetch" this for him.

What is a "rapier?"

400

Lady Montague was the only character to die naturally in Romeo and Juliet, but Lord Montague believed this event is actually what "stopped her breath."

What is Romeo being "banish'd" from Verona?
400
This character was sent by Friar Laurence to deliver an important message to the exiled Romeo in Mantua.
Who is Friar John?
500
Romeo's first crush was related to Juliet in this way.
What is Juliet's cousin?
500

He came to Mantua to bring Romeo what turned out to be #fakenews - with deadly consequences.

Who is Balthasar? 

500

This polite farewell in #Elizabethanlingo translates to "God give you a good evening." 

What is "God gi' go-den?

500

In the middle of Juliet's famous soliloquy from her balcony in Act II, Scene 2, Romeo demonstrates another one of Shakespeare's favorite theatrical devices when he says, "Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"

What is an aside?
500

This character would not have been a follower of Romeo's Instagram in this day and age, referring to Romeo as a "villain" and as a "haughty" and "vile Montague." 

Who is Paris?

500
These are characters killed by Romeo.
Who were Tybalt, Paris and Romeo?
500
This is the prince's name.
What is Escalus?