Questions and Answers

1. M. Riddell
2019

2. PROLOGUE
1.WHERE ISTHE PLAY SET?
Verona, Italy

3. 2. INTHE PROLOGUE, SHAKESPEARETELLS USTHAT OUR
TWOTITLE CHARACTERSARE GOINGTO KILLTHEMSELVES.
(YOU ALREADY KNEWTHIS, RIGHT?)
HIS 1600’S AUDIENCEWOULD’VE ALREADY KNOWNTHE
STORY OF ROMEO & JULIET FROMA FAMOUS POEM OFTHE
TIME, SOTHIS INFORMATIONWOULD NOT HAVE RUINEDTHE
EXPERIENCE.
IN FACT, MANY SCHOLARS SAYTHAT KNOWINGTHE DEATHS
ARE COMINGACTUALLY IMPROVESTHE PLAY. HOW COULD
THIS BE? EXPLAINYOURTHOUGHTS.

4. Knowing that the young lovers are doomed from the start makes the
audience fully aware of the bittersweet quality of their courtship.
We feel the ecstasy along with the couple, but also the agony because
we know they will soon die.
It is this give-and-take between joy and pain that makes the play so
compelling for the audience.

5. SCENE ONE
1. COMPLETETHIS SENTENCE: IN SHAKESPEAREAN
TIMES, BITINGYOURTHUMBWAS...
b. an insult

6. 2. IS BENVOLIO A MONTAGUE OR A CAPULET?
He is a Montague; he’s Romeo’s level-headed cousin.

7. 3.WHY DOESN’T LADY CAPULETWANT HER HUSBAND
TO GET INVOLVED INTHE FIGHT?
He’s too old. She says he needs a crutch, not a sword.

8. 4. PRINCE ESCALUS IS FURIOUSWITH ALL OFTHIS
DISRUPTION FROMTHE FEUDING FAMILIES. HOW MANY
TIMES HAVE SUCH FIGHTS RECENTLY CAUSED HAVOC INTHE
STREETS?
Three

9. 5. EARLY INTHE MORNING, BENVOLIO SPOTTED
ROMEO.WHEREWAS ROMEO ANDWHATWAS HE
DOING?
He was walking along the edge of the woods. He was alone and
feeling sorry for himself.When he spotted Benvolio, he slipped into
the woods because, Benvolio says, it seems he wanted to be alone.

10. 6. ROMEO’S IN LOVEWITH ROSALINE. WHY DOES SHE
WANT NOTHINGTO DOWITH ROMEO?
She has decided to become a nun.

11. SCENETWO
1. HOW OLD IS JULIET?
She is thirteen, almost fourteen.

12. 2. LORD CAPULET’SWILLINGNESSTO ALLOW JULIETTO HAVE
A SAY INWHOM SHE MARRIES IS PRETTY PROGRESSIVE,
SINCE MOST MARRIAGES FORTHIS SOCIALCLASSATTHE
TIMEWOULD’VE BEEN ARRANGED BY PARENTS.WHY, DO
YOU SUPPOSE,CAPULET ISWILLINGTOTAKE JULIET’S
FEELINGS INTO CONSIDERATION?
Lord Capulet says that all of this other children have died, so Juliet,
his jewel, gets more indulgence that other girls might.

13. 3.WHY ISTHE CAPULET SERVANTTHEWRONG MAN
FORTHE JOB OF DELIVERINGTHE PARTY INVITATIONS?
He can’t read, so will be unable to deliver the invitations.

14. 4.WHY DOES BENVOLIO SUGGESTTHAT HE AND
ROMEO CRASHTHE CAPULET’S PARTY?
Benvolio knows that Rosaline, the nun-to-be, will be at the party
and he wants Romeo to do a side-by-side comparison of her beauty
next to other dazzling girls at the party.

15. 5.WHAT DOES ROMEOWANTTO HAPPENTO HIS EYES IF
THEY FIND SOMEONE OTHERTHAN ROSALINE DESIRABLE AT
THE PARTY?WHAT DOESTHIS SHOW US ABOUT ROMEO? IN
LINES 88-91.
Romeo says his tears should turn into fire and then burn out his
eyeballs as punishment for lying to him.That’s some heavy, dark
stuff from Romeo.This line, along with other emotional outbursts
from Romeo, show us that he is an emotional guy, prone to
exaggerated focus on his feelings. Obviously, this personality trait
will color his actions later in the play.

16. SCENETHREE
1.WHO IS SUSAN?
The Nurse’s daughter who was the same age as Juliet but died as a
baby.

17. 2. PARIS HAS DECIDEDTO COURT JULIET.WHAT ISTHE
NURSE’S OPINION OF PARIS?
Very favorable. She says he’s a “man of wax,” meaning the perfect
model of masculinity.

18. 3. DOES LADY CAPULETWANT JULIETTO LOVE PARIS?
B.Yes. She says Paris is a gorgeous book and Juliet will be the
cover.

19. 4.WHAT IS JULIET’S REACTIONTO HER MOTHER’S
REQUEST?WHAT DOESTHIS SHOW US ABOUT JULIET?
She says that she’s not really interested in getting married, but
she’ll check out Paris and give him a chance, since that’s what her
mother wants.This shows us that she’s a reasonable girl and an
obedient daughter.

20. SCENE FOUR
1. ACCORDINGTO MERCUTIO,WHO ORWHAT IS QUEEN MAB,
ANDWHAT DOES SHE DO?
She is the fairies’ mid-wife, meaning that she helps deliver their
babies. She also delivers dreams to all humans. Depending on who
you are and what’s in your heart/mind, she’ll deliver a specific
dream – sometimes good, sometimes bad – to you.

21. 2. WHAT DOES ROMEO SAY ABOUTTHEVALUE OF
DREAMS?
He believes that dreams hold the secret of your fate/ destiny. He
would agree with modern dream interpreters that the subjects of
our dreams tell us a lot about our lives.

22. 3. WHAT DOES MERCUTIO SAY ABOUTTHEVALUE OF
DREAMS?
He believes that dreams are meaningless, just our brains whirling
while we sleep and we shouldn’t give weight to such nonsense.

23. 4. ATTHE END OFTHE SCENE, ROMEOTELLS BENVOLIO HE
HADA STRANGE DREAM/VISION. DESCRIBETHE DREAM.
Romeo says he has a foreboding sense that something at tonight’s
party will start the wheels in motion that will lead to his untimely
death. Still, he doesn’t resist. Fate will direct his sail, he says.

24. SCENE 5
1.WHEN ROMEO FIRST SEES JULIET,WHATTERMS DOES HE
USETO DESCRIBE HER?
There’s a few descriptions of a light object amongst dark things.
For example, she seems to be a glowing jewel in a dark-skinned
(Ethiopian) ear and a snowy dove amongst black crows.

25. 2. HOW DOESTYBALT RECOGNIZE ROMEO?
Since they’re at a costume ball and wearing masks, it is Romeo’s
voice that catchesTybalt’s attention.

26. 3.WHENTYBALT SPOTS ROMEOATTHE PARTYANDWANTS
TO HAVE HIM KICKED OUT. LORD CAPULET REFUSESTO DO
SO. NAMETHETWO REASONSWHY CAPULET DECIDESTO
LET ROMEO STAY.
First, Romeo has a good reputation in town; Capulet knows that Romeo’s
not a troublemaker.
Second, such a scene would ruin the spirit of the party. Capulet doesn’t
want the drama.Tybalt, of course, isn’t happy about this answer.

27. 4. INWHATWAY IS KISSING LIKE PRAYING?
In prayer, two hands press together, while in kissing, two lips press
together. Romeo’s flirty talk is trying to get Juliet, a good and
proper girl’s permission to make-out a little bit.

28. 5. WHO FINDS OUT FIRSTTHEY HAVE FALLEN FORTHE
ENEMY?
Romeo