Plot Points
What families are feuding in Romeo and Juliet?
(Capulet and Montague)
Who is Juliet’s cousin who is aggressive and quick to fight?
(Tybalt)
“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” – What does “wherefore” mean?
Why?
What is a soliloquy?
A speech a character gives alone on stage to reveal thoughts
What type of play is Romeo and Juliet?
Tragedy
Who kills Tybalt?
(Romeo)
Which character acts as a comic relief and also helps Juliet secretly?
(The Nurse)
Who says, “A plague o’ both your houses”?
(Mercutio)
What literary device is used in “My lips, two blushing pilgrims”?
Metaphor
What is iambic pentameter?
(A line of verse with five pairs of unstressed/stressed syllables)
Why is Romeo banished from Verona?
(For killing Tybalt)
Who tries to stop the fighting in the very beginning?
Benvolio
“Thus with a kiss I die” – Who says this and in what context?
Romeo before taking poison
Give an example of dramatic irony from the play.
(Audience knows Juliet is alive, Romeo does not)
Define a “pun” and give an example from the play.
(Play on words; e.g., Mercutio’s joke about being a “grave man”)
What plan does Friar Laurence make to help Juliet avoid marrying Paris?
(She'll fake her death using a sleeping potion)
Who is Paris and what role does he play?
(A nobleman who wants to marry Juliet)
What does Juliet mean when she says, “My only love sprung from my only hate!”?
(She’s in love with Romeo, who is from the family her family hates)
What is the main theme shown through the fate of Romeo and Juliet?
(The power of fate or consequences of impulsive actions)
What does “Star-cross’d lovers” mean?
(Lovers doomed by fate)
Describe how miscommunication leads to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
(Romeo doesn't get the letter, believes Juliet is dead, kills himself; she wakes and kills herself)
Compare Romeo’s behavior at the start of the play to his behavior after meeting Juliet.
(At first, he is lovesick over Rosaline, but becomes passionate and impulsive after meeting Juliet)
“These violent delights have violent ends” – Who says this and what does it foreshadow?
(Friar Laurence; foreshadows the tragic end)
Identify the literary device: “Death lies on her like an untimely frost upon the sweetest flower.”
Simile
What does the Prologue of the play serve as?
(A sonnet that sets the stage and summarizes the plot)