Romeo and Juliet Reading Guide

Questions to consider for greater understanding

Prologue

In what city does this play take place?
Why are Romeo and Juliet called “star-cross’d lovers”?

Act 1 Scene 1

1. Who is fighting at the beginning of the first scene?

2. Who tries to break up the fighting?

3. What threat does the Prince make to Lord Montague and Lord Capulet?

4. Benvolio and Montague describe the way Romeo has been acting. What do they have to say about him?

5. Why is Romeo so sad?

6. What is Benvolio’s advice to Romeo?

Act 1 Scene 2

1. Why does Capulet think it will be easy for Montague and him to keep the peace?

2. What does Paris ask about Capulet?

3. What is Capulet’s first answer?

4. A bit later Capulet appears to change his mind about Paris’ question. What does he then tell Paris?

5. What does Capulet give to the servant, and what is the servant then supposed to do?

6. What problem does the servant have?

7. How does he solve the problem?

8. What is the name of the woman Romeo loves?

9. What do Romeo and Benvolio decide to do

Act 1 Scene 3

1. How old is Juliet?

2. When Lady Capulet asks Juliet how she feels about marriage, what is Juliet’s answer?

3. Following Juliet’s answer, what does Lady Capulet then tell Juliet?

Act 1 Scene 4

1. According to Mercutio, who or what is Queen Mab, and what does she or it do?

2. What does Mercutio say about dreams?

3. What is Romeo’s mood at the end of this scene?

Act 1 Scene 5

1. What does Romeo think of Juliet the first time he sees her?

2. How does Tybalt recognize Romeo?

3. When Tybalt is ready to seize Romeo and throw him out of the party, what does Capulet say to Tybalt?

4. Explain what the conversation is about between Romeo and Juliet.

5. How does Romeo find out Juliet’s last name?

6. How does Juliet find out Romeo’s last name?

Act 2 Scene 1

1. What does Mercutio say about “blind love”?

Act 2 Scene 2

1. When Juliet appears on her balcony, what does Romeo compare her to?

2. How does Juliet “speak, yet…[say] nothing”?

3. When Juliet leans her cheek on her hand, what does Romeo say?

4. Unaware of his presence, what does Juliet ask Romeo to say?

5. In a sentence or two, explain what Juliet says about names.

6. Juliet asks how Romeo got into her place. The orchard walls are high, and Romeo’s life would be in danger if her relatives were to find him there. What is Romeo’s response to these questions?

7. Why is Juliet embarrassed?

8. Why doesn’t Juliet want Romeo to swear his love for her to the moon?

9. Juliet is going to send someone to Romeo on the following day for what purpose?

Act 2 Scene 3

1. What has Friar Laurence been out gathering in his basket?

2. Explain lines 21-22: “Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied:/ And vice sometime’s by action dignified.”

3. When Friar Laurence sees Romeo, what comment does Friar Laurence make about seeing Romeo so early in the morning?

4. What does Friar Laurence mean when he says to Romeo, “Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes?

5. Friar Laurence agrees to perform the marriage ceremony for Romeo and Juliet for what reason?

Act 2 Scene 4

1. According to Mercutio, what kind of man is Tybalt?

2. What is the nurse saying to Romeo in lines 157-163?

3. How is Juliet to arrange to meet Romeo?

Act 2 Scene 5

1. The nurse is supposed to be gone only a half hour, but she is actually gone for how long?

2. How is the nurse behaving that is frustrating to Juliet?

Act 2 Scene 6

1. What does Friar Laurence mean when he says, “Therefore, love moderately; long love doth so”?

Act 3 Scene 1

1. At the beginning of the scene, why does Benvolio think that there will be a fight?

2. What does Mercutio accuse Benvolio of in lines 15-30?

3. When Tybalt and Mercutio first begin arguing, what does Benvolio try to get them to do?

4. What does Tybalt call Romeo?

5. Why won’t Romeo fight Tybalt?

6. What does Mercutio think is the reason Romeo refuses to fight?

7. Why does Mercutio keep repeating, “A plague o’ both your houses”?

8. What does Romeo say that Juliet’s love has done to him?

9. Why does Romeo call himself “fortune’s fool”?

10. When Benvolio relates to the Prince what happened, what does he say Romeo tried to do before Mercutio was killed?

11. What does Lady Capulet accuse Benvolio of? Why?

12. What is Romeo’s punishment for killing Tybalt?

Act 3 Scene 2

1. Why is Juliet so impatient for the nurse to return?

2. Describe Juliet’s rapidly changing attitudes toward Romeo in this scene.

3. What piece of news has upset Juliet the most?

4. What does the nurse promise to do?

Act 3 Scene 3

1. Explain Romeo’s reaction to the news of his banishment.

2. Romeo tells Friar Laurence that the priest cannot know or understand how Romeo feels. Why?

3. What argument does Friar Laurence use to prevent Romeo from killing himself?

4. What does the nurse give to Romeo?

Act 3 Scene 4

1. What does Capulet tell his wife to say to Juliet/

Act 3 Scene 5

1. As Romeo is preparing to leave Juliet, what argument does she use to convince him to stay?

2. What is it that Juliet says (a bit later) that convinces Romeo that he should leave?

3. Just as Romeo is about to descend the rope ladder and leave Juliet, what does Juliet say about the way Romeo looks?

4. Why does Lady Capulet think Juliet is crying?

5. When Lady Capulet threatens to send someone to Mantua to poison Romeo, what does Juliet say?

6. After Lady Capulet breaks the news about Paris, what is Juliet’s response?

7. If Juliet’s mother does not arrange to delay the marriage, what will Juliet do?

8. What is Capulet’s reaction to Juliet’s threats?

9. What is the nurse’s advice to Juliet?

10. How does Juliet’s attitude toward the nurse change?

11. What “scheme” does Juliet devise to get rid of the nurse and to get out of the house?

Act 4 Scene 1

1. Why is Friar Laurence reluctant to marry Paris to Juliet?

2. How does Paris explain the sudden haste of the marriage plans?

3. What is ironic about the conversation between Juliet and Paris?

4. If Friar Laurence cannot help her, what does Juliet threaten to do?

5. Why does Friar Laurence think that Juliet well accept his plan?

6. Describe the friar’s plan for Juliet.

Act 4 Scene 2

1. What does Juliet say that makes her father happy?

2. How does Capulet change the wedding plans? What implication does this have?

Act 4 Scene 3

1. How does Juliet show her maturity and independence in this scene?

2. If the potion does not work, what will Juliet do?

3. What are some of the fears Juliet has about the potion?

Act 4 Scene 4

1. What is happening in this brief scene?

Act 4 Scene 5

1. Describe the imagery Shakespeare uses in describing Juliet’s “death”?

2. What does Friar Laurence say to comfort the Capulet family?

3. What event are the Capulets now preparing for?

Act 5 Scene 1

1. What news does Balthasar bring to Romeo?

2. What does Romeo mean when de says, “Then I defy you, stars!”?

3. What actions does Balthasar’s news prompt Romeo to do?

Act 5 Scene 2

1. What does Friar John tell Friar Laurence?

2. After hearing this news from Friar John, what does Friar Laurence intend to do?

Act 5 Scene 3

1. Why is Paris at Juliet’s tomb?

2. Romeo gives Balthasar two reasons for entering the Capulet’s tomb. What are those two reasons?

3. Why does Paris think that Romeo has come to the tomb?

4. What is it about Juliet that should have told Romeo that she was not dead?

5. Why doesn’t Friar Laurence stay in the tomb with Juliet after she awakens?

6. Why does Juliet kiss Romeo after he is dead?

7. When Montague first arrives on the scene, what does he tell those gathered?

8. Relate the events that lead to Romeo and Juliet’s death as they are told by Friar Laurence near the play’s end.

9. What information does Romeo’s letter give?

10. How do Montague and Capulet plan to honor the memories of their children?