Shakespeare and Poetry
A poem with three quatrains, using a rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef, followed by an ending couplet of two lines with a rhyme scheme of gg.
What is an English (Shakespearean) Sonnet?
This character sets the scene for each Act of the play and provides useful background information concerning the long-running feud between the Montagues and the Capulets.
What is the Chorus?
The play takes place in this town.
Where is Verona, Italy?
Romeo discovers Juliet's feelings for him when he catches her doing this.
What is talking to herself by her window?
This character helps pass messages to Romeo for Juliet and gets teased by the Montague men in Act 2.
Who is the nurse?
Term (plural) used to describe a small group of syllables in a line of poetry.
What are "feet"?
Remember: a foot = two syllables
This Capulet character insults this Montague character by biting his thumb, resulting in a brawl in the middle of the street in Act I: Scene I.
Who are Sampson (Capulet) and Abraham (Montague)?
This character wants to marry Capulet's daughter. Capulet would prefer Juliet wait ___ years before marriage.
Who is Paris and two?
At the beginning of Act 2: Scene 3 Friar Laurence is in his garden doing this.
What is collecting weeds and flowers to make medicines and potions?
Which line(s) is in iambic pentameter?
(1) The Prince O' Cats, a very good swordsman,
(2) Sent a letter to Romeo's house;
(3) The message was clear, he wanted a fight.
What are line 1 and line 3?
The term count in the following line is this type of syllable.
When I do count the clock that tells the time
What is stressed?
(U) = When, do, the, that, the
(S/) = I, count, clock, tells, time
This character encourages his cousin Romeo to attend the Capulet ball, to get over his love for Rosaline.
Who is Benvolio?
Most of Act I Romeo is acting like this because of this!
What is sad because Rosaline doesn't want to return his affection- she has made a vow of celibacy?
Friar Laurence's response to Romeo when asked if he can marry him to Juliet later that day, Act 2 Scene 3.
What is Friar chides Romeo for being so fickle (he was in love with Rosaline yesterday); but says that he thinks some good could come from Romeo and Juliet's marriage?
Approximately how many days has passed between Act I and Act II?
Another name for the term that describes the rhythm established by the words in that line
What is meter?
Remember: 1 meter = 1 foot = 2 syllables.
This character is described as the Prince o' Cats, a great swordsman, short-tempered, and Romeo's rival.
Who is Tybalt?
In Act I, Scene IV Mercutio talks about this Fairy Queen who is known to control people's dreams.
Sometime she gallops o'er a courtier’s nose,
And then dreams he of smelling out a suit...
Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier’s neck,
And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats,
Who is Queen Mab?
As Juliet is about to marry Romeo, the nurse offers the following advice-
"To fetch a ladder, by the which your love / Must climb a bird's nest soon when it is dark. / I am the drudge, and toil in your delight, / But you shall bear the burden soon at night."
-which means this.
What is later that night, Romeo will climb through Juliet's window to spend the night to consumate the marriage?
The ages of our star-crossed lovers, Juliet and Romeo, respectively.
What are thirteen and unknown?
This is a type of metric line used in traditional English poetry and verse drama.
What is Iambic pentameter?
Iambic means Unstressed/Stressed Syllables
Pentameter means 5 feet = 10 syllables.
This character, a good friend of Romeo, is related to Prince Escalus and is witty, vulgar, and does not believe in the possibility of romantic love.
Who is Mercutio?
The following lines are example of what figurative language:
If I profane with my unworthiest hand / This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: / My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand / To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."
What is a metaphor?
At the beginning of Act 2, Scene 6, in lines 1–15, Romeo and Friar Laurence have an exchange about love, in which the friar warns Romeo about his intensity and advises him to this.
What is love moderately?
A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction- e.g. heavy feather; deafeaning silence; act naturally; seriously funny, etc
What is an oxymoron?