ENGLISH LITERATURE

FOR
ROMEO AND JULIET

QUESTION AND ANSWER

STUDY NOTES

E. Sam Navaya
REV. PROF. IMMANUEL MLENGA’S INT’L
ACADEMY

Contact 0884357602
This material is designed for the students of Rev. Prof. Immanuel Mlenga’s International
Academy. It is therefore very illegal to reproduce any part of this booklet

©All rights reserved

First edition 2012.

Second edition 2017

2| P a g e
 Act 1
ACT 1 SCENE 2

Question
1.In this scene Lord Capulet talks to Paris about marrying
his daughter Juliet. What two reasons does he give for not
wanting Juliet to marry at this time (lines 8-14)?
Answer
She is too young, hasn’t experienced the world yet, his
only daughter and it will take him away from her too soon
Question
2.On what condition will Lord Capulet agree to Juliet’s
marriage with Paris (Lines 16-19)?
Answer
If he can convince Juliet to agree to marry him, he’ll
give his consent.
Question
3.What does this reveal about Lord Capulet’s love for his
daughter?
Answer
He is protective of her and wants the best for her.
Question
4.From the servant who cannot read we learn that Rosaline,
with who Romeo believes he is in love, will be at the
Capulet party.
Why does this excite Benvolio? What is his plan (lines 84-
89)?
Answer
He wants Romeo to come so he will be over Rosaline. He
wants Romeo to look at other women, and there will be
other women there.
Question
5.Explain Benvolio’s analogy in lines 86-89.
Answer
He will show Romeo that although he thinks Rosaline is
beautiful, he’ll compare her to other beautiful girls who
will make his “swan” (beautiful) look like a “crow” (ugly).
Question
6.Why does Romeo agree to go to the party (lines 102-103)?
Answer

3| P a g e
 Because he wants to go, not because the others think it’s
a great idea.

ACT 1 SCENE 3

Question
7.In this scene Lady Capulet is informing Juliet and her
nurse of Count Paris’ proposal of marriage. What is the
nurse’s relationship with Juliet?
Answer
Nurse raised her, is basically her mother figure.
Question
8.What is the nurse’s one wish for Juliet and why? (lines
62-63)
Answer
To be married, because she thinks that’s what every happy
woman should do.
Question
9.When Lady Capulet asks Juliet how she feels about being
married, what is Juliet’s answer (line 67), and what does
it reveal about her character?
Answer
It’s nothing something she’s always dreamed and hoped for.
She is immature and isn’t really interested in boys yet.
Question
10. The nurse and Lady Capulet are both excited and pleased
by Paris’ proposal but for different reasons. The nurse
says Paris is “a man of wax” and at the end of the scene
encourages Juliet to “Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy
days.” What does the nurse see in Paris, and what does it
reveal about her attitude toward love and marriage?
Answer
The nurse sees that Paris is a good looking, rich guy who
would make beautiful babies with her. She sees marriage as
a superficial thing, based mostly on looks and money.
Question
11. What is Juliet’s attitude toward love and marriage?
(lines 98-100)
Answer
She is not interested.

4| P a g e
 ACT 1 SCENE 4.

Question
12. Why does Romeo feel uneasy about going to the party?
What dream-like premonition has he had? (lines 106-111)
Answer
He had a dream that something bad would happen.

Question
13. What decision does Romeo make in lines 112-113
Answer
He is going to let fate have its way, leaving the
decisions up to the ‘Gods’ to lead his way in life.

Question
14. How is this important to the theme of the story?
Answer
People are always letting a ‘higher power’ make decisions
for them, even when they have a really bad feeling about
what’s going to happen.

ACT 1 SCENE 5

Question
15. We learn from Romeo’s soliloquy (a speech delivered
while the speaker is alone, calculated to inform the
audience of what is passing in the character’s mind) that
he is struck by love at first sight when he sees Juliet at
the party. Paraphrase Romeo’s speech (lines 43-53) in 2-3
sentences.
Answer
She’s more beautiful than everything he’s ever seen, and
he’s never been in real love until this moment (see ya
later, Rosaline).

Question
16. To what does he compare Juliet?
Answer
Beautiful doves, precious jewels

5| P a g e
 Question
17. How does this speech about his love for Juliet compare
to his speeches about being in love with Rosaline?
Answer
Never was poetic about Rosaline, always just talked about
how sad he was this he’s talking about how awesome Juliet
is.
Question
18. Tybalt recognizes Romeo’s voice and tries to start a
fight. What two reasons does Lord Capulet give for
stopping him (lines 65-69)?
Answer
He’s a good kid, has a good reputation, and doesn’t want
to start a fight at his party.
Question
19. What threat does Tybalt make as he agrees to withdraw?
(lines 90-91)
Answer
He’ll back off now, but not the next time he sees him.
Question
20. Dramatic Irony is when the audience knows something the
characters do not. What is ironic about Juliet’s line 134?
Answer
Eventually death is her wedding bed.

Act 2
Act 2 scene 1 and 2
Juliet is on the balcony outside her bedroom but cannot hear
the words that Romeo says to himself as he looks at her from
the hiding place below. Answer the following questions about
lines 2-25:

Question
21. Romeo repeats the light and dark images he introduced
when he saw Juliet for the first time. Why does Romeo
compare Juliet to the sun?
Answer
Bright, beautiful

Question

6| P a g e
22. Why is the moon envious?
Answer
Moon is pale, wishes it were beautiful like the sun.

Question
23. Why does he compare Juliet’s eyes to the stars?
Answer
He’s looking up, they are bright and sparkly.

Question
24. Why is this comparison to stars another example of
foreshadowing?
Answer
Stars are always brightest before they die (like Juliet is
going to)

Question
25. Juliet is still unaware that Romeo is nearby. Paraphrase
these lines. (lines 33-36)
Answer
Why are you a Montague? Change your name so that you won’t
be a Montague, or I will change mine so I’m not a Capulet.

Question
26. What is Juliet’s attitude toward the feud that has
separated the two families? (lines 43-55)
Answer
She thinks it’s stupid because it’s only because of a name.

Question
27. After Juliet asks some important questions (lines 58-84),
she realizes that Romeo has overheard her intimate
thoughts about him. How does her attitude change in lines
85-105? What is she worried about?
Answer
She is worried he’ll think she’s crazy so she says maybe
she doesn’t really love him, she’ll pretend not to if he
will still try to win her heart (play hard to get.

Question

7| P a g e
28. Juliet speaks of her fears in lines 116-119. What are
her fears?
Answer
She’s worried they are rushing things, moving too quickly,
and that he’ll change his mind tomorrow.

ACT 2 SCENE 3

Question
29. What does Romeo tell Friar Laurence, and what does he
want from the Friar (lines 43-64)?
Answer
He is in love with Juliet (not Rosaline anymore) and he
wants him to marry them.

Question
30. What is Friar Lawrence’s reaction to hearing of Romeo’s
new love (lines 65-80)?
Answer
Thinks he’s moving way too fast, because just yesterday he
was crying over Rosaline and now he wants to marry someone
else.

Question
31. Reread lines 89-92. What reason does Friar Laurence give
for agreeing to marry Romeo and Juliet? He thinks it will
end the feud between the two families

ACT 2 SCENE 4

Question
32. What message does Romeo urge the nurse to give to Juliet
(lines 163-166)?
Answer
Get Juliet to make a reason up to go to confession at
Friar Lawrence’s cell and there we’ll get married.

ACT 2 SCENE 5

8| P a g e
 Question
33. Why does the Nurse agree to help Juliet marry Romeo?
Answer
She thinks he’s a good looking guy and it makes Juliet
happy

Act 3

ACT 3 SCENE 1

Question
34. Mercutio tries to provoke Tybalt to fight (lines 37-38).
Why doesn’t Tybalt want to fight him (line 53)?
Answer
He is waiting for Romeo

Question
35. After Tybalt insults Romeo, Romeo responds with lines
59-62. What is the “reason” Romeo has for ignoring the
insult?
Answer
They are now family, even though he can’t tell him why.

Question
36. Why does Romeo’s answer to Tybalt’s insults upset
Mercutio? What does he think Romeo is doing (line 70)?
Answer
He thinks Romeo is just backing down and backing out, and
giving up. Being a wimp?

Question
37. Romeo tries to stop Mercutio and Tybalt from fighting
by reasoning with them (lines 82-85). Summarize what he
says.
Answer
He’s saying they shouldn’t fight, put down their weapons
and basically let’s be friends.

Question

9| P a g e
38. Even when he is dying, Mercutio continues to joke and to
make puns. Explain the pun he makes in lines 92-99.
Answer
Grave man – normally a very sick person, but he means a
man in a grave.

Question
39. Mercutio repeats the following line (106) three times
and then adds the next line. Explain what he means: “A
plague O’ both your houses! They have made worm’s meat of
me.”
Answer
He is putting a curse on the houses, it’s their fault, and
their fighting, and that has resulted in his death.

Question
40. After Mercutio dies, why does Romeo decide to kill
Tybalt instead of accepting Mercutio’s death as an
unfortunate accident?
Answer
He’s angry and wants to have revenge.

Question
41. What does Romeo mean in line 132 - 136?
Answer
He is fortune’s play thing – the gods are using him to
have fun.

Question
42. What is Lord Montague’s reasoning in his attempt to
persuade the Prince not to kill Romeo for killing Tybalt?
(lines 180-183)
Answer
He was simply doing what the law would have done anyway,
kill Tybalt.

Question
43. What is the Prince’s ruling, and what are the reasons
he gives for making it (lines 182-185)?
Answer

10| P a g e
 Romeo is exiled to Mantua because though he did what the
law did, he still needs to be punished and people need to
know that revenge murder is not acceptable.

ACT 3 SCENE 2

Question
44. In lines 37-68 the nurse confuses Juliet as she tells
Juliet of the fight. What misconception does Juliet make?
Answer
She thinks Romeo is dead.

Question
45. When Juliet receives news of Tybalt’s death, what is her
first reaction (lines 73)?
Answer
She is upset.

Question
46. Reread Juliet’s lines 90-92. When the nurse agrees with
Juliet, Juliet has a different reaction to Romeo’s killing
of Tybalt. Explain. (lines 90-92)
Answer
She is now happy Tybalt is dead because it means that
Romeo is alive.

Answer
47. What happens at the end of the scene?
Answer
Nurse goes to find Romeo to tell him to come see Juliet

ACT 3 SCENE 3

Question
48. What is Romeo’s reaction when he learns that he has been
banished?
Answer
He would rather be dead

Question

11| P a g e
49. From the beginning of the play, Romeo acts impulsively.
In what way is he still impulsive in this scene (lines
102-108)?
Answer
Says he wants to kill himself instead of being banished.

Question
50. Explain Friar Laurence’s plan (lines 146-154).
Answer
He’ll go to Juliet to “seal the deal”, then head to Mantua
before the sun comes up and the guards are out. Then he’ll
stay there till the Friar can come up with a way to fix
everything, then he can come back.

ACT 3 SCENE 5

Question
Questions begin with Lady Capulet’s entrance, line 68.

51. Lady Capulet misunderstands Juliet’s sadness, and Juliet

Question
52. What is Juliet’s response when she is told the news that
she is to marry Paris (lines 116-123)? How has she changed
since Act 1?
Answer
She doesn’t want to marry him, she hates him.

Question
53. What is her mother’s reaction to Juliet’s response (line
124 and lines 139-140)?
Answer
She better do what her father is told
Question

12| P a g e
54. What is Lord Capulet’s response to Juliet’s refusal to
marry Paris? (lines 190-194)
Answer
If she doesn’t, she’ll be out on the streets and will die
a beggar.

Question
55. What does the Nurse advice Juliet to do (lines 212-225)?
What is her reasoning?
Answer
Marry Paris because he’s a better match and Romeo is as
good as dead
56. After the Nurse leaves, and Juliet is alone, what does
Juliet decide to do (lines 240-243)?
Answer
She is going to go to Friar Lawrence and find a way to
figure out how to be with Romeo.

Act 4

ACT 4 SCENE 1

Question
57. Why is Paris visiting Friar Laurence?
Answer
To set up the wedding

Question
58. Juliet tells Friar Laurence what she will do if the
wedding to Paris cannot be avoided. Summarize lines 50-67.
Answer
Kill herself

Question
59. Summarize lines 68-76. The Friar says he has thought of
a way out, but what would it require?
Answer
She would have to be willing to be dead to all of her
family, and possibly risk death itself.
Question

13| P a g e
60. What is Juliet’s answer to the Friar in her effort to
convince him that she will do anything to avoid the
marriage with Paris (lines 76-88)?
Answer
She would jump off buildings, be chained to a tree with
wild bears, buried alive with rotting flesh, etc, all to
avoid marrying Paris.

Question
61. Detail Friar Laurence’s plan as described in lines 89-
120.
Answer
Go home, go to bed by yourself, and take this potion. It
will make you seem dead for 42 hours. Then you will wake
and Romeo will take you off and you can live together
while people think you are dead.

ACT 4 SCENE 2

Question
62. What is Juliet saying in lines 17-18?
Answer
She is sorry that she has disrespected her father so she
goes to confess her sins so she can apologize.

ACT 4 SCENE 3

Question
63. What is Juliet doing in lines 14 – 23?
Answer
She is talking about how she’s afraid to take the potion,
and she sets a dagger next to her in case it doesn’t work
so she can kill herself in the morning if she wakes up.

Question
64. What is the importance of lines 55-59?

Answer

14| P a g e
 She sees the ghosts of Tybalt and Romeo, which she’ll see
their bodies when she eventually does wake up. Also, the
portion kicking in and she’s starting to dream.

ACT 4 SCENE 4

Question
65. What is revealed about Capulet in lines 7-12? What kind
of language is used?
Answer
He’s a bit of a womanizer, chases after women like cats
chase after mice.

Act 4 Scene 5

Question
66. In lines 29 – 29, note the figurative language that is
used. Who is it describing?
Answer
Juliet is in her death state.

Question
67. Who is the “him’ in line 37?
Answer
Death, her new husband

Question
68. What is the purpose of the interlude with the musicians
in lines 100-101?
Answer
To show that the less important people of Verona don’t
really care that Juliet is dead, they just want to make a
living and get paid.

Act 5

15| P a g e
 ACT 5 SCENE 1

Question
69. What premonition does Romeo have at the beginning of
this scene (lines 1-11)?
Answer
That he was dead and Juliet woke him with a kiss.

Question
70. What news does Balthazar bring? How does this disrupt
the Friar’s plan?
Answer
That Juliet is dead. Romeo hasn’t yet heard from the Friar
so he doesn’t know that she is not really dead.

Question
71. Summarize Line 24. Why is this bold thing to say?
Answer
He has left his whole life up to the ‘stars’ until this
point, but then he says he’s going to start making his own
decisions. It’s bold because it could make the god’s mad
and they could take it out on him.

Question
72. What does Romeo decide to do after he hears Balthazar’s
story (lines 34-57)?
Answer
Go to Verona and lie forever with Juliet (kill himself).

ACT 5 SCENE 2

Question
73. What story does Friar John tell Friar Laurence as
explanation as to why he could not deliver the letter to
Romeo?
Answer
There was a plague in Verona and he wasn’t allowed to
leave because they thought he’d take the plague with him
and spread it (quarantine).
ACT 5 SCENE 3

16| P a g e
 Question
74. What does Romeo notice about Juliet? Explain the
dramatic irony in lines 91-96
Answer
Her lips are still red and her cheeks have colour, looks
like death has not yet taken her over. Ironic because we
know she’s not dead.

Question
75. What does Juliet realize about the situation in line 167?
Answer
That someone is coming so she needs to act quickly.

Question
76. Explain the lines 169-170
Answer
 She has given the dagger a new home, or sheath, in her
body (stabs herself).
 In this case we see Juliet being a sacrifice for she
has died for love she had for Romeo.

17| P a g e