Name ______________________________

Study Guide

Bring this study guide to class every day.

IMPORTANT: Bring this packet to class every day. If you lose it, you must print out another copy
from the website.

Anticipation Guide
Before Reading: After Reading:
Agree Disagree Agree Disagree

______ ______ 1. If I am attracted to someone, I’ll find a way to see him or her ______ ______
even if my parents tell me not to.

______ ______ 2. It is very important that the parents of the bride and groom ______ ______
get along well.

______ ______ 3. My parents would have to really like the person I married, or I ______ ______
wouldn’t get married.

______ ______ 4. “Love at first sight” is rare, but it does happen. ______ ______

______ ______ 5. I agree with the saying, “love conquers all.” ______ ______

______ ______ 6. It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at ______ ______
all.

______ ______ 7. It is possible to die of grief. ______ ______

8. It is possible to die of a broken heart.

______ ______ 9. Being separated from the one you love is worse than death. ______ ______

______ ______ 10. All’s fair in love and war. ______ ______

______ ______ 11. It is better to take love slowly than to rush into things and act ______ ______
on impulse.

______ ______ 12. Plays are boring. ______ ______

______ ______ 13. Shakespeare is hard to read. ______ ______

______ ______ 14. Parents always make the best decisions for their children. ______ ______

______ ______ 15. It is okay to hate someone just because your family does. ______ ______
 Romeo and Juliet Scavenger Hunt
Discover how your classmates’ opinions and ideas relate to the play! Walk around the room and find a
student to which each statement applies, and ask him or her to sign on the line. Students may sign papers
only once. When you're finished, share your findings with the class, and discuss the situations to which
students relate, and why.

Find someone who:

1. Makes decisions very quickly. ________________________________________________

2. Has ignored a parent’s rules. ________________________________________________
3. Goes to friends for advice. ________________________________________________
4. Has felt betrayed by adults. ________________________________________________
5. Has stood up for a friend. ________________________________________________
6. Believes in love at first sight. ________________________________________________
7. Has felt regret for a mistake he/she made. ________________________________________________
8. Has lost someone important to him/her. ________________________________________________
9. Falls “in love” quickly. ________________________________________________
10. Would sacrifice anything for true love. ________________________________________________
11. Has had to move from a beloved home. ________________________________________________
12. Has strict parents. ________________________________________________
13. Has tried to stop a fight. ________________________________________________
14. Listens to friends' problems. ________________________________________________
15. Has had parents disapprove of a relationship. ________________________________________________
16. Believes that “revenge is sweet”. ________________________________________________
17. Has learned from past prejudices. ________________________________________________
18. Has “loved” someone who loved another. ________________________________________________
19. Has witnessed a violent scene. ________________________________________________
20. Holds a grudge. ________________________________________________
21. Likes to talk, joke, and gossip. ________________________________________________
22. Has found that violence leads to other problems. ________________________________________________
23. Has gotten into trouble for fighting. ________________________________________________
24. Has kept a secret from a friend. ________________________________________________
25. Has believed something later found to be false. ________________________________________________
 WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?:
SHAKESPEARE’S WORDS
SHAKESPEARE’S WORDS
When asked the number one challenge with Shakespeare’s works, modern day audiences will almost always respond
“the language.” It’s true that the language does sound a bit different to our ears, and Shakespeare uses phrases that
we no longer use in our everyday speech. But think of this: There are phrases that we use today that would baffle
Shakespeare, should he mysteriously time travel to this day and age. That’s because language (especially English) is
constantly transforming.

Here are some original quotes from Romeo and Juliet. Can you match them to their modern-day translations?

O mischief, thou art swift

To enter in the thoughts of desperate men! Two unlucky children of enemy families
Romeo, Act 5, Scene 1 become lovers and commit suicide.

Love goes toward love as

schoolboys from their books, No story has ever been sadder than
But love from love, toward school with heavy looks. what happened to Romeo and Juliet.
Romeo, Act 2, Scene 2

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes Destructive thoughts come quickly to the
A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life; minds of desperate men!
Chorus, Prologue

For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch, Oh, Romeo, Romeo, why do you have to be who
And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss. you are? Forget about your family and change
Juliet, Act 1, Scene 5 your name. Or just swear you love me, and I’ll
stop being a Capulet.

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
A lover goes toward his beloved as
Romeo, Act 2, Scene 2
enthusiastically as a student leaving homework,
but when he leaves her, he feels as miserable as a
A plague o’ both your houses! student does on his way to school.
They have made worms’ meat of me. I have it,
And soundly too. Your houses!
Mercutio, Act 3, Scene1 Shhh! What’s that light in the window over there?
It’s Juliet, and she is like the sun rising.
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
Prince, Act 5, Scene 3 After all, pilgrims touch the hands of
statues of saints. Holding one palm
against another is like a kiss.
O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet. May a deadly sickness strike both your families!
Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2 They’ve turned me into a corpse, food for
worms. I’m done for. Curse your families!
ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
IN THE 16TH CENTURY, people believed in the “divine right
of kings.” That is, that monarchs were given their right to rule directly
from God, and they were subject to no earthly authority. When Henry
VIII couldn’t get what he wanted from the heads of the Catholic
Church—namely, a divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon,
who had not given him a male heir—he broke from the Church
and declared himself the head of the new Anglican Church, which
eventually became part of the Protestant Reformation. This was the
beginning of a time of bitter religious disputes in England, full of
assassination attempts.

BY THE TIME SHAKESPEARE WAS BORN,,Queen

Elizabeth—Henry VIII’s eldest daughter, born to his second wife,
Anne Boleyn—was in power. Her 44 years on the throne provided the
kingdom with more stability than the previous short-lived reigns of her
two half-siblings, Edward VI and Mary, and paved the way for a thriving
culture and a sense of national identity.

Kings and Queens and Religions,

Oh My!
1534 Henry VIII breaks with the Catholic
Church and declares himself head of the
Anglican Church

1547 The Anglican Church becomes

Protestant under Edward VI, Henry’s only All citizens of England were subject to the whims of the
son. church and the monarchy at this time, but the theatre
experienced a greater freedom, unknown to the previous
1553 Catholicism is restored under generations. (For evidence of this, look no further than
Mary, Henry’s daughter by his first wife, the numerous bawdy and pagan references found in
Catherine of Aragon; she earns the Shakespeare’s plays!) This was partially because Queen
Elizabeth herself was a patron of the theatre, and under the
nickname “Bloody Mary” for having almost
patronage of her successor, King James I, Shakespeare’s
290 Protestants burned at the stake. company of actors became known as “The King’s Men,” an
unprecedented honor at the time. Of course, this doesn’t
1558 Elizabeth restores Protestantism; mean it was a total free-for-all for playwrights like Shakespeare.
she has over 190 Catholics executed. Much of the subject matter of their plays reflected the
sentiments of the sitting monarch, with positive portrayals of
1603 James I continues harsh sanctions their ancestors and references to current politics that were
against non-conforming Catholics; a failed sympathetic to the monarch’s cause. After all, there was no
assassination attempt by the Catholics is “freedom of speech” at this time, and the price of falling out of
known as the “Gunpowder Plot.” grace with the king or queen could very well be your life!
GROWING UP SHAKESPEARE:
Fun, Games, and School
BOYS AND GIRLS began “petty school” around the age four to learn to read. Girls left school at age six to be taught
at home by their mothers or, if they were rich, a private tutor. If their parents were middle class like Shakespeare’s, they could
afford not to send their boys out to work, so the boys went on to a local grammar school to study Latin. It was essential to
know this language in order to attend university to study things like law and medicine. Most boys hated school, with its long
hours, dull lessons, and strict schoolmasters. Shakespeare acknowledges this in his famous “seven stages of man” speech in
AS YOU LIKE IT when Jacques mentions the “whining schoolboy...creeping like snail, unwillingly to school.”

FOOTBALL—or soccer, as we know it—was a

popular sport for people in the countryside around
Shakespeare’s home town. The balls were made from
inflated pigs’ bladders! Shakespeare makes mention
of this sport in THE COMEDY OF ERRORS: “Am I so
round with you as you with me, that like a football you
do spurn me thus?” Other popular sports of the day
Shakespeare mentions in his works include tennis,
bowling, wrestling, rugby, billiards, and archery.

FESTIVALS occurred at various times of

the year. One of the most popular was on
May 1st—May Day, the celebration of the
arrival of summer! Columns were erected
(maypoles) and adorned with ribbons and
flowers, traditionally as part of a dance. This
tradition is referenced in A MIDSUMMER
NIGHT’S DREAM: “They rose early to
observe the rite of May.”

RIGHT: Children learned to read using a “hornbook” like this one—a piece of wood
covered with printed paper, protected by a transparent sheet of horn.
LONDON CITY LIVING
Filth, Fashion, and Fighting
IF YOU LIVED IN LONDON during Shakespeare’s time, you would have encountered overly crowded streets, heaps
of trash on the sidewalk, and the heads of executed criminals placed on poles for all to see. But amidst the grime, there were
also beautiful churches and large mansions filled with nobles and wealthy merchants. Most items you needed would have been
purchased from street vendors, including vegetables, fruits, toys, books and clothing.

ABOVE: Like New York City today, space was tight. Many buildings were designed with vertical living in mind, as London quickly
became the epicenter of culture for England.

SHAKESPEARE MOVED TO LONDON

to work in the theatre. But theatre wasn’t the only
cultural event happening in London. You could
also view bloody tournaments between animals,
and public executions! Gambling was also
popular.

LEFT: The first theatre was built in 1576. Its

shape—like The Globe—was influenced by bear
fighting-rings, which were popular in London at
the time.
OUTBREAKS OF THE PLAGUE were
common in Elizabethan London. Many Londoners
believed the plague was caused by the various smells
throughout the city, so they carried containers filled with
herbs to combat the stench. What they didn’t know was
that the plague was actually spread by fleas that lived
on rats, which were rampant on the dirty streets.

In 1592, the plague forced London theatres to shut

their doors for two whole years. 12,000 Londoners lost
their lives. With no playhouses to produce his works,
Shakespeare focused his attention on writing narrative
poems and sonnets.

CLOTHING WAS A SIGN OF ONE’S RANK so there were strict rules dictating what citizens could and could not
wear. Those dressing above their status could be arrested! Exceptions were made for actors as they often played nobles on
stage.

LEFT: As a rule, the less practical the outfit, the higher

the rank of it’s wearer. Wealthy men often wore hats with
ostrich feathers for decoration, and huge “ruff” collars.
Wealthy women wore wide padded dresses with puffy
sleeves.

RIGHT: The less wealthy wore practical clothing conducive

to labor. While the wealthy were wearing luxurious fabrics
such as silk and velvet, the lower-status citizens often wore
rough wool.
 LOST IN TRANSLATION:
MALE AND FEMALE ROLES IN SOCIETY
“An you be mine, I’ll give you to my friend.
An you be not, hang! Beg! Starve! Die in the streets!”
—Capulet to Juliet when she refuses to marry Paris, Act 3, sc. 5

Society’s expectations of boys and girls are usually always different. Queen Elizabeth I, the
ruler of England in Shakespeare’s time, always had to defend her extraordinary ability to run
the country, since women were not expected to be capable of leadership.

In Shakespeare’s Time:
PERCEPTIONS OF MALES RESULTS

Natural capacity for learning and rational thought......... School day lasted from 6AM – 5PM
Leaders in society............................................................ Politicians and rulers were usually male
Physically strong.............................................................. Noble boys schooled in swordplay, horsemanship,
etc.
Dominant over a wife and children.................................. The father’s rule prevailed in the household

PERCEPTIONS OF FEMALES RESULTS

Emotional, not capable of logical thought...................... Were kept home from school and taught domestic
chores of housekeeping and child-rearing
Indecent for women to be seen in public as leaders...... Only had command over children
Should be beautiful for others to enjoy.......................... Beauty regimens proposed
Submissive to the husband’s or father’s rule................... Had no rights as an individual citizen

As you can see, the way boys and girls are treated has changed greatly. But boys and girls are
still different from each other, and are still subject to opposing expectations.

In Modern Times: Ask Yourself:

Do any of these Elizabethan attitudes towards boys and girls remain today? For instance, are girls still
expected to be beautiful? How and why?
What qualities and attributes made a person popular or a leader in Elizabethan times? Are they the same
now? Are they the same for men as for women?
Do adults treat boys and girls differently? How?
Do certain cultures place more value on being a boy or being a girl? Why?
Do you think men get certain opportunities in life that women don’t? Do women have opportunities that
men don’t get? Why do you think that?
YOU DON’T SEE HOW
IMPORTANT THIS IS: BELIEFS
How people should behave is an important topic for many people.

In Shakespeare’s Time:
Elizabethans had strict codes of behavior—for instance, the code of honor. One could be challenged to
a duel over a perceived lie, a physical hurt, or an insult in even the slightest degree to one’s honor. Any
difference of opinion could be perceived as an insult. Of course, just like in modern times, differences
went way beyond the personal as well.

One interesting thing about Romeo and Juliet is that it is never explained exactly why the Capulet and
Montague families are fighting, but they are described as having equal status in Verona society and that
an “ancient grudge” has continued to give rise to violent conflict. What could have happened to begin
this feud?

Modern Times: Opposing Beliefs

SUBJECT WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM? CONSEQUENCES

Political assassinations are not uncommon, and

Highly opposing visions of in America 13 attempts on Presidents have
Politics: the way a society should be been made, four of them successful (Lincoln,
run tend to clash. Kennedy, Garfield, and McKinley).

Have you ever looked at someone’s

Love: boyfriend or girlfriend and said to Families can be split up over approval or
yourself, “I just don’t understand disapproval of in-laws.
what she sees in him”?

What people hold as deep beliefs The current Israeli-Palestinian conflict reflects
Religion: can create resentment and hatred the deep religious oppositions in the Middle
between groups of different faiths. East that have been raging for hundreds of
years.

Artistic expression represents human

emotion, actions, and opinions as Artist Michael Dickinson is currently facing
Art: well as color, line, and form, and can up to three years in a Turkish prison for
easily be interpreted in a variety of portraying the Prime Minister of Turkey as a
positive or negative ways. dog.

The injustices and privileges that In April of 1992, riots in Los Angeles killed 55
governments bestow upon the people when four white police officers were
Equality: people they govern continue to affect cleared of assaulting Rodney King, a young
different ethnic, racial, and political black man.
groups.

In Modern Times: Ask Yourself:

What differences of belief affect you in your life? Pick one of the categories above and ask yourself how
you see different points of view on that subject show up in your life. You don’t have to use the specific
examples here—come up with ones you know.
WHO’S WHO IN VERONA
The following is a list of some important characters that appear in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. List
each under the family to which he or she is related to by blood or allegiance.

Chorus Nurse Mercutio

Lady Montague Lord Montague Sampson
Abrahm/Abraham Friar Laurence Apothecary
Prince Escalus Balthasar Lord Capulet
Benvolio Romeo Gregory
Lady Capulet Friar John Juliet
Paris Peter Tybalt

Montague Capulet Neutral

CHARACTER ANALYSIS
The following is a list of some important characters in Romeo and Juliet. Describe each in an adjective or
two; then state how each either helped or hindered Romeo and/or Juliet, and state whether or not the
character is dead or alive by the end of the play.

Dead Character Descriptive Adjectives Archetype Helped or

or Hindered
Alive
Prince
Lord Montague
Paris
Lord Capulet
Mercutio
Benvolio
Tybalt
Friar Laurence
Apothecary
Lady Montague
Lady Capulet
Nurse
 Ro m e o a n d J u l i e t
Character Connections
House of Capulet House of Montague

Lady Capulet Lord Capulet Lady Montague Lord Montague

Mother of Juliet Father of Juliet Mother of Romeo father of Romeo

Juliet Romeo
Daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet, Son of Lord and Lady Montague,
in love with Romeo Secretly in love with Juliet
Married

Tybalt Petruchio Benvolio

Nephew to Capulet Companion to Tybalt Cousin to Romeo,
Nephew to Montague

Nurse Peter Sampson Gregory Balthasaar Abram Friar Friar

Maid and Servants to Capulet Servant to Servant to Lawrence John
Confidant to Romeo Montague a peaceful priest,
Juliet friend to Romeo

House of Escalus
Paris Escalus Mercutio
Kinsman to the Prince, Prince of Verona Kinsman to the Prince,
engaged to Juliet friend of Romeo

Page
Servant to Paris

People of Verona
Servants Masquers Muscians Gentleman Watchmen Citizens Apothecary
and and Women and
Attendants Torchbearers

Character Key

Main Characters in white

Secondary Characters in black
 William Shakespeare’s

Act I
The Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet

Act I, Scene i: Street Skirmish

The Structure of a Tragedy

Directions: Identify three pieces of information in Act I that make up the exposition of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Identify the inciting force of Act I of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Identify one event in Act I that makes up the rising action of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Prologue Poetic Structure of the Prologue

Chorus: Two households, both alike in dignity, 1. Number the lines of the prologue
In fair Verona where we lay our scene,
2. How many lines are there?
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
3. Mark the rhyming pattern.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life, 4. Draw in brackets to separate
quatrains/sestet/couplets
Whose misadventured, piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife. 5. What is the name of the poetic form
The fearful passage of their death marked love, which Shakespeare uses for the
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Prologue?

Which but their children's end, naught could remove, 6. What meter is used in this poem?
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
7. Underline examples of poetic
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. language and label the margin with
what they are.
Questions
1. Who speaks the Prologue?
Poetry Reminders:

Stressed syllables are labeled with an accent mark: / Unstressed

syllables are labeled with a dash: – Metrical feet may be two or
2. What is the purpose of the Prologue? three syllables in length, and are divided by slashes: |

There are five basic rhythms:

Pattern Name Example
–/ Iamb/Iambic invite
/– Trochee/Trochaic deadline
––/ Anapest/Anapestic to the beach
3. What is the place setting of the play? /–– Dactyl/Dactylic frequently
// Spondee/Spondaic true blue

Meter is measured by the number of feet in a line. Feet are named

by Greek prefix number words attached to “meter.” A line with five
feet is called pentameter; thus, a line of five iambs is known as
4. What is the relationship between the two households? “iambic pentameter” (the most common metrical form in English
poetry, and the one favored by Shakespeare).

The most common line lengths are:

monometer: one foot
dimeter: two feet
trimeter: three feet
5. What does Shakespeare mean by “star-crossed lovers”? tetrameter: four feet
pentameter: five feet
hexameter: six feet
heptameter: seven feet
octameter: eight feet

6. What happens to the lovers? Naturally, there is a degree of variation from line to line, as a rigid
adherence to the meter results in unnatural or monotonous
language. A skillful poet manipulates breaks in the prevailing
rhythm of a poem for particular effects.

7. What is the subject matter for this play?

8. Why does Shakespeare tell us how the story is going to end?

9. What does the chorus ask of the audience in the last two lines? Why?

10. What themes are established in Prologue?

 11. Identify the tone (the poet’s feeling) behind each section: do not use a low level tone word.
a. Section 1

b. Section 2

c. Section 3

d. Section 4

Reading Strategy
READING SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA
While you read a Shakespearean drama, it is important to keep track of what happens and when. The events in The
Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet take place in less than one week. All of the events in Act I take place on the first day,
Sunday.

Directions: Use this chart to keep track of the main events that take place on this dramatic day. One event has been
recorded for you.
SUNDAY
Morning A street brawl breaks out between servants of two rival families, the Capulets and the
Montagues.

Afternoon

Evening

Reading Check
Directions: Recall the events in Act I of William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Then answer
the questions in phrases or sentences.

1. How does Shakespeare start the play so that he gains the attention of the groundlings?

2. Who has a longstanding conflict in the play?

2. Why is Romeo upset at the beginning of Act I?

3. Who wants to marry Juliet?

4. Why is Juliet upset at the end of Act I?

LITERARY ANALYSIS
Directions: Answer each question or complete the sentences.

1. Reading Shakespearean Drama Act I begins with an example of the strong conflict between ____________.
During Act I, this conflict increases because ___________________________________________________________ .

2. Identify Character Foils A foil is a character who has the opposite character traits of another character.
Mercutio is a foil for Romeo because __________________________________________________________________ .
The nurse is a foil for Juliet because ___________________________________________________________________ .

3. Analyze Foreshadowing In order to build suspense and make a story more interesting, writers often use
techniques such as foreshadowing, or hints and clues of events to occur later in the plot. When authors give these
hints and clues, we can make a prediction, or an educated guess as to what will happen next.

Directions: Below are several examples of foreshadowing in Act I. Read the selection from Act I, then predict
what you think will happen later in the story, based upon the clues.

Prologue: The Chorus's first speech declaring that a “pair of star-crossed lovers take their life.”

Prediction: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Scene 2: Benvolio tries to talk Romeo out of his love for Rosaline; “Take thou some new infection to thy eye, / And
the rank poison of the old will die.”

Prediction: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Scene 4: Romeo worries about whether to go to the party because of his ominous dream; “I fear, too early: for my
mind misgives / Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars, / Shall bitterly begin his fearful date.”

Prediction: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Scene 5: Tybalt makes a promise to himself that Romeo will be sorry for showing up at the Capulet party. “I will
withdraw, but this intrusion shall / Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall”

Prediction: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Scene 5: Juliet sends the Nurse to find out Romeo's status: “If he be married, / My grave is like to be my wedding
bed.”

Prediction:____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Love: When we first see Romeo he shows all of the signs of a Petrarchan Lover—someone who is in love with the
idea of being in love. How does Romeo act? ______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

We then learn that Romeo is suffering from Unrequited Love-He loves someone who does not love him back. What
suggestion does Benvolio make to Romeo to help him get over his unrequited love for Rosaline?
______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

What happens to Romeo at the Capulet feast? What becomes of the love that he felt at the beginning of the play?
What does this tell you about Romeo? ___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Motif. What is the significance of the motif of stars in the prologue and in scene 4? ___________________________
_________________________________________________ What is the playwright suggesting about the role of fate in
people’s lives?___________________________________________________________________________________________
Do you agree that fate plays an important role in life?________________________________________________________
It is often said that “character is destiny.” In other words, people’s fates result from the sort of people they are.
What sort of people are Romeo and Juliet?__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________ In what way do
they act impulsively? _____________________________________________________________________________________
What fate might result from their impulsiveness? ___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Directions: Locate examples of figurative language found in Act I, and then write scene and line number, identify the
term, and explain.

Scene and line Term Explanation

i, 127-129 simile Lord Montague compares Romeo’s dark, mood to a worm that spoils a bud
– a comparison that suggests Romeo will be destroyed.

i, 154-159 oxymoron Romeo speaks in contradictions as he rails at love which also brings pain
to him.

i, 168-172 metaphor Romeo talks to Benvolio and defines love in a series of metaphors, “A sea
nourished with loving tears.” Romeo is in love with being in love.

Your Turn
Mercutio’s Queen Mab Speech
MERCUTIO: O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you.
She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate stone
On the forefinger of an alderman,
Drawn with a team of little atomies
Over men's noses as they lie asleep;
Her wagon spokes made of long spinners' legs;
The cover, of the wings of grasshoppers;
Her traces, of the smallest spider web;
Her collars, of the moonshine's watery beams;
Her whip, of cricket's bone; the lash, of film;
Her wagoner, a small gray-coated gnat,
Not half so big as a round little worm
Pricked from the lazy finger of a maid;
Her chariot is an empty hazelnut,
Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub,
Time out o' mind the fairies' coachmakers.
And in this state she gallops night by night
Through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love;
O'er courtiers' knees, that dream of curtsies straight;
O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream on fees;
O'er ladies' lips, who straight on kisses dream,
Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues,
Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are.
Sometime she gallops o'er a courtier's nose,
And then dreams he of smelling out a suit;
And sometime comes she with a tithe-pig's tail
Tickling a parson's nose as 'a lies asleep,
Then he dreams of another benefice.
Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier's neck,
And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats,
Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades
Of healths five fathom deep; and then anon
Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes,
And being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two
And sleeps agains.

1. In the space provided above, sketch a simple picture of Queen Mab and her carriage according to Mercutio's
description. The drawing does not need to be artistic, but it does need to be neat and clear. Label each part
of your drawing with its corresponding line from the speech.

2. According to Mercutio, who or what is Queen Mab?

3. According to Mercutio, what are the dreams that Queen Mab delivers for each of the following people?

a. Lovers dream of:

b. Courtiers (first mention) dream of:

c. Lawyers dream of:

 d. Ladies dream of:

e. Courtiers (second mention) dream of:

f. A parson dreams of:

g. A soldier dreams of:

4. Is Queen Mab the queen of good dreams, nightmares, or both? Explain.

5. Reread Mercutio's exchange with Romeo at the end of the scene. What does Mercutio think of dreams?

6. Why do you suppose Mercutio told such a fantastic story to Romeo?

7. What kind of person is Mercutio?

We know that Romeo has at least two dreams, a dream of Rosaline and the dream he mentions in Act I, scene.4.

1. What do we know about each dream?

a. The dream of Rosaline:

b. Romeo's dream that night:

2. What do these dreams reveal about Romeo?

3. Comment on his dreams in terms of the Elizabethan attitude toward the stars and astrology.

Literary Analysis
SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA: BLANK VERSE
Blank verse consists of unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter in which a typical line has five unstressed syllables, each
followed by a stressed syllable. The rhythms of blank verse are close to those of natural speech, so it is particularly
suited to dialogue. Blank verse may contain variations in the pattern, which give the lines the flow and sound of spoken
English. This line shows the iambic pentameter pattern:

Directions: In the chart, write one line of blank verse from Act I. Mark the unstressed (˘) and stressed (´) syllables.

Act One, Scene ______, Lines ____________

 The Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet
William Shakespeare’s

Act II

Act II, Scene iii: Friar Laurence and Romeo

The Structure of a Tragedy

Directions: Identify five events in Act II that make up the rising action of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Analysis
SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA: SOLILOQUY/ASIDE
Shakespeare frequently uses the soliloquy and the aside to reveal characters’ private thoughts and feelings. A
soliloquy is a speech that a character makes while alone on stage or when no other character on stage is listening. An
aside is a remark that a character says in a soft voice. An aside can be said to the audience or to another character.
Any other characters on stage are not supposed to hear an aside.

Directions: Use this chart to identify soliloquies and asides from Act II. Explain what each of these devices reveals
about the character who speaks it. One speech and its speaker have been provided.
Scene and Line Character Who Speaks Soliloquy or Aside? What Is Revealed
Numbers
Scene 2, lines 1–25 Romeo

Reading Strategy
READING SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA
The events in Act II take place in the space of two days.
Directions: Use this chart to keep track of the main events that take place in Act II.

SUNDAY

Evening

MONDAY
Morning

Afternoon
The Balcony Scene
1. 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:
a. 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?

b. Why does he want the sun to kill the envious moon?

c. Why is the moon envious?

d. Why does he compare Juliet’s eyes to the stars?

e. Why is this comparison to stars another example of foreshadowing?

2. Lines 33-36. Juliet is still unaware that Romeo is nearby. Paraphrase these lines

3. Lines 43-44. Paraphrase lines 38-49. What is Juliet’s attitude toward the feud that has separated the two families?

4. After Juliet asks some pertinent 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?

5. Why does Juliet object to Romeo’s swearing on the moon (lines 109-111)?

6. Juliet speaks of her fears in lines 116-119. Explain.

7. Paraphrase lines 142-148.

8. In what time of year and of day does the balcony scene take place? What do the two lovers both know at the end of
the scene? How does what happens between the two young people differ from thinking something over carefully in
the cold light of day?

Reading Check
Directions: Recall the events in Act II of William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Then answer
the questions in phrases or sentences.
1. Where do Romeo and Juliet first declare their love for each other?

2. What does Juliet say will happen to Romeo if her family finds him with her?

3. Why does Romeo go to see Friar Laurence?

4. Why does the Nurse seek out Romeo?

 5. What does Friar Laurence caution Romeo about before Juliet arrives?

LITERARY ANALYSIS
Directions: Answer each question or complete the sentences.
1. Reading Shakespearean Drama
Circle the details that are important in setting up conflicts in the play.
a. Mercutio teases Romeo.
b. Romeo and Juliet declare their love.
c. Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel.
d. Benvolio and Mercutio look for Romeo.
e. Friar Laurence agrees to perform a secret marriage.
f. Friar Laurence gathers herbs early one morning.

2. Make Inferences about Character Motives

Why do you think Romeo and Juliet rush to get married? ____________________________________________
I think they are in a hurry because _____________________________________________________________________
One detail from the play that supports my answer is _____________________________________________________
Analyze Juliet’s statements about marriage and love, starting from Act 1, scene 3, in which Lady Capulet asks her
how she feels about marriage, through Act 2, scene 2, in which Juliet speaks to Romeo from her balcony about
their love and about marriage.
How do Juliet’s feelings change? _______________________________________________________________________
Who first mentions the subject of marriage, Romeo or Juliet? _____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Analyze Character Development

Think about how Romeo changes when he meets Juliet.
Before Romeo meets Juliet he is ________________________________________________________________________
After Romeo meets Juliet he is _________________________________________________________________________
This change shows that Romeo is _______________________________________________________________________

3. Analyze Malapropism
A malapropism is inappropriateness of speech resulting from the use of one word for another which resembles
it.
Act II, Scene 4 shows us more of the nurse’s character as she trades quips and puns with Mercutio. What
malapropisms does the nurse use and what did she really mean?
First malapropism _____________________________ what she really meant _________________________________
Second malapropism _____________________________ what she really meant _________________________________
Benvolio’s malapropism _____________________________ what he really meant _______________________________
 William Shakespeare’s

The Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet

Act III

Act III, Scene iv: Romeo and Juliet

The Structure of a Tragedy

Directions: Identify one event in Act III that makes up the rising action of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Identify the climax of Act III of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Identify four events in Act III that make up the falling action of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

3. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Analysis
SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA: ALLUSION
An allusion is a reference to a famous person, place, event, or work of literature. The writer expects the audience to
understand the reference. Shakespeare often uses allusions to historical and current events, ancient Greek and Roman
mythology, and the Bible.

Directions: Complete this chart to identify and explain four allusions in Act III. One allusion and its meaning have
been provided for you.
Scene and Line Allusion Meaning
Numbers
Scene 2, “Gallop apace, you fiery- Phoebus is the god whose chariot pulls the sun across the
Lines 1–2 footed steeds,/Toward sky. Juliet wants the chariot horses to pull the sun away to
Phoebus’ lodging!” Phoebus’s house quickly so night will fall. She wants time
to move faster.
Scene 2,
Line 47

Scene 5,
Line 2

Scene 5,
Lines 19–20

Reading Strategy
READING SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA
The events in Act III take place in the course of two days.

Directions: Use this chart to keep track of the main events that take place during Act III.
MONDAY
Afternoon

Evening

TUESDAY
Morning
Reading Check
Directions: Recall the events in Act III of William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Then answer
the questions in phrases or sentences.
1. How does Mercutio die?

2. Why is Romeo banished?

3. What plan does Friar Laurence offer that comforts Romeo?

4. What does Lord Capulet order Juliet to do?

5. What is the Nurse’s advice to Juliet?

LITERARY ANALYSIS
Directions: Answer each question or complete the sentences.
1. Reading Shakespearean Drama
Circle the event that you think causes the biggest problem for Romeo and Juliet.
a. Tybalt kills Mercutio c. The Prince banishes Romeo from Verona.
b. Romeo kills Tybalt d. Lord Capulet insists that Juliet marry Paris.
I think this event causes the biggest problem because ___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Analyze Character Motivation

I think the main reason that Romeo kills
Tybalt is _____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
I think that Romeo’s behavior (is/is not) justified because ________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Evaluate Characters
Compare and contrast the nurse and Friar Laurence in Act III. One way that the nurse helps Romeo and Juliet is
that she _____________________________________________________________________________________________
One way that Friar Laurence helps Romeo and Juliet is that he ____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
I think that (the nurse/Friar Laurence) is more trustworthy because ________________________________________

At this point in the story, what might resolve, without further tragedy, the conflict and the complications that have
taken place? ___________________________________________________________________________________________
What would the main characters have to be willing to do?_________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Assess the likelihood of this happening. __________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Compare the judgment the Prince imposes on Romeo for the death of Tybalt, to the punishment with which Capulet
threatens Juliet if she refuses to marry Paris. What desire or wish motivates the Prince? ____________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
What motivates Capulet? _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Irony is a literary device in which words are used to express a contradiction between appearance and reality--
usually reality is the opposite of what it seems. In literature, there are three types of irony.
Verbal irony- when the author or a character deliberately says one thing in order to suggest or
emphasize the opposite
Situational irony- a contradiction in what the audience or reader thinks will happen, and what
actually happens
Dramatic irony- a situation in which the audience or reader knows something that the characters do
not know

Directions: In the following events from Act IV, several instances of dramatic irony are used to enhance the
audience's understanding and appreciation of the play. For each example, explain what is ironic about the
situation. In other words, what is the truth behind the situation or, since it is dramatic irony, what does the audience
know that the characters do not know?

1. When they meet in Friar Lawrence's cell, Paris still thinks that Juliet is going to marry him.

What the audience knows: _____________________________________________________________________________

2. Juliet begs her father's forgiveness for her behavior and tells him that the wedding is still on.

What the audience knows: _____________________________________________________________________________

4. In Scene three, Juliet asks the nurse to leave her alone that evening so that she can prepare herself for the
wedding.

What the audience knows: _____________________________________________________________________________

5. After Juliet is found “dead,” Friar Lawrence arrives and asks, “Come, is the bride ready to go to church?”

What the audience knows: _____________________________________________________________________________

5. Puns
Even when he is dying, Mercutio continues to joke and to make puns. Explain the pun he makes in lines 92-99.
Uses of Imagery
Directions: Read the following soliloquy and answer the questions on the bottom of the page.
Juliet: Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds,
Towards Phoebus' lodging! Such a waggoner
As Phaethon would whip you to the west
And bring in cloudy night immediately.
Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night,
That runaways' eyes may wink, and Romeo
Leap to these arms, untalk'd of and unseen.
Lovers can see to do their amorous rites
By their own beauties; or, if love be blind,
It best agrees with night. Come, civil night,
Thou sober-suited matron, all in black,
And learn me how to lose a winning match,
Played for a pair of stainless maidenhoods.
Hood my unmanned blood, bating in my cheeks,
With thy black mantle; till strange love, grown bold,
Think true love acted simple modesty.
Come, night; come, Romeo; come, thou day in night;
For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night,
Whiter than new snow upon a raven's back.
Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night;
Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.
O, I have bought the mansion of a love,
But not possessed it, and though I am sold,
Not yet enjoyed. So tedious is this day
As is the night before some festival
To an impatient child that hath new robes .
And may not wear them ....

1. Underline all the references to light/day and dark/night.

2. Which reference predominates?

3. Explain the allusions to “Phoebus' lodging” and “Phaethon” in reference to the light/dark image.

4. In Scene 2, line 47, Juliet mentions the “death-darting eye of a cockatrice.” Explain the allusion in this line.

5. What does the reference “to cut him out in little stars” foreshadow?
 William Shakespeare’s

The Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet

Act IV

Act IV, Scene iii: Juliet after drinking the potion.

The Structure of a Tragedy

Directions: Identify three events in Act IV that make up the falling action of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Analysis
SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA: COMIC RELIEF
Shakespeare often includes comic relief in his tragedies. Comic relief is a humorous scene, incident, or speech that
is included in a serious drama to relieve emotional intensity. For example, the comical exchange between Peter and
the musicians at the end of Act IV, Scene 5, follows the grief-filled scene in which Juliet’s body is discovered.

Directions: Record other examples of comic relief from Act IV on the chart. An example has been done for you.
Scene and Line Description Emotional Situation Relieved
Numbers
Scene 5, Peter and the musicians exchange insults and Juliet’s body has been discovered.
Lines 113–158 puns.

Reading Strategy
READING SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA
The events in Act IV take place over the course of two days.
Directions: Use this chart to keep track of the main events that take place during Act IV.

TUESDAY

Afternoon

Evening

WEDNESDAY
Morning

Reading Check
Directions: Recall the events in Act IV of William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Then answer
the questions in phrases or sentences.

1. Why does Paris want to marry Juliet so soon?

2. What does Juliet threaten to do if she must marry Paris?

 3. What does Friar Laurence give to Juliet?

4. What does Lord Capulet do when he hears that Juliet will marry Paris?

5. What advice does Friar Laurence offer to comfort the Capulet family?

LITERARY ANALYSIS
Directions: Answer each question or complete the sentences.

1. Reading Shakespearean Drama

In Act IV, Scene 1, Friar Laurence convinces Juliet to follow his plan. If the nurse was also in this scene, do you think
Juliet would have made the same choice? Explain. ____________________________________________________

2. Make Judgments Circle the statement with which you agree.

a. I feel sympathy for the Capulets, the nurse, and Paris because they are truly sad when they believe Juliet is
dead.
b. I do not feel sympathy for the Capulets, the nurse, and Paris because their actions were unfair to Juliet.
I made this judgment because _________________________________________________________________________

3. Identify Dramatic Irony Dramatic irony exists when the audience knows something that a character does not.
Circle two examples of dramatic irony in Act IV.
a. Friar Laurence convinces Juliet to pretend to be dead.
b. Lord Capulet plans the wedding, but for a day earlier than expected.
c. Juliet says she will marry Paris, but we know she has another plan.
d. Juliet’s family think she is dead, but we know she is not.
e. Peter jokes with the musicians, but the mood is serious.

4. Recognize Protagonist and Antagonist A protagonist is the main character in a literary work. An antagonist is a
character, group of characters, a set of circumstances, or society as a whole that are in conflict with the protagonist.
Who is the antagonist of this play? _____________________________________________________________________
Explain your answer.__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Evaluate Comic Relief Re-read Act IV, Scene 4, lines 100–140.

(I would/would not) include this scene in a film version because __________________________________________

6. Foreshadowing. What lines from Capulet in Act IV echo or repeat Juliet’s line from Act I? ________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways has Juliet’s statement turned out to be prophetic, an example of foreshadowing? ________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
William Shakespeare’s

Act V
The Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet

Act V, Scene iii: Romeo kisses Juliet for the last time.

The Structure of a Tragedy

Directions: Identify the catastrophe of Act V of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Identify two events in Act V that make up the falling action of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

2. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TRAGEDY
A Shakespearean tragedy is a drama that ends in disaster—most often death— for the characters. A tragic hero and/or
heroine has a character flaw, or is the victim of a cruel twist of fate. A tragic hero or heroine often has a high social
status.

Directions: Use this chart to analyze the characteristics of a tragedy in Romeo and Juliet. Write examples of each
characteristic.
Characteristics of a Tragedy Examples in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
Tragic Hero/Heroine

Downfall

Character flaw(s)

Disaster/Catastrophe

Reading Strategy
READING SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA
The events in Act V take place throughout the course of one day.

Directions: Use this chart to keep track of the main events that take place during Act V.
Wednesday
Morning

Evening

Late Evening to Dawn

Reading Check
Directions: Recall the events in Act V of William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Then answer
the questions in phrases or sentences.

1. How does Romeo hear about Juliet’s death?

__________________
2. How does Friar Laurence’s plan go wrong?

3. What does Romeo say when he encounters Paris at the Capulets’ tomb?

4. What does Friar Laurence find in the Capulets’ tomb?

5. At the end of the play, what do Lord Capulet and Lord Montague promise to do?

LITERARY ANALYSIS
Directions: Answer each question or complete the sentences.

1. Reading Shakespearean Drama

Circle the events that occur in the resolution of this tragedy.
a. Romeo takes poison and dies. e. Romeo is banished.
b. Romeo and Juliet fall in love. f. Tybalt kills Mercutio.
c. Juliet stabs herself. g. Juliet says she will marry Paris.
d. Romeo kills Tybalt. h. The Capulet-Montague feud ends.
I think the conclusion of the play (is/is not) satisfying because ____________________________________________

2. Make Judgments
If you were the ruler of Verona, how would you treat each of these characters? Write punish or pardon on the line
before each character. Then give the reason for at least one of your decisions.
Lord Capulet Friar Laurence
Lord Montague Nurse

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Identify Soliloquy
Reread Scene 3, Lines 74–120. Is this speech an example of a soliloquy? Why or not?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Analyze Tragedy
In a tragedy, the hero usually has a character flaw that leads to his or her downfall. Underline the statement that
is closest to your opinion. Then write the evidence from the drama that supports your opinion.
a. I think Romeo has a character flaw that leads to the tragedy.
b. I think Juliet has a character flaw that leads to the tragedy.
c. I think they both have character flaws that lead to the tragedy.
d. I do not think either of them have a character flaw, but the tragedy happens anyway.
My evidence: ________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Examine Universal Theme

Circle the theme from the drama that you think is most relevant today. Then complete the sentence.
a. There are forces in life over which people have no control.
b. Family ties can create personal limits.
c. Friendship is worth defending with your life.
d. Love does not always follow society’s rules.
I think this theme is still relevant because _______________________________________________________________
6. Tragic Flaw. From what tragic flaw do both Romeo and Juliet suffer? Give examples to support your answer. ___
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Why do you think they do so? ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What does this play teach about the dangers of impulsive young love? ______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. An epitaph is an inscription or verse written to be used on a tomb or written in commemoration of someone who
has died. Write an epitaph for Romeo, Juliet, Paris, Tybalt, Mercutio, or Lady Montague.

The rules for an epitaph are as follows:

Line 1: tell something about the identity of the character and include an approximation of their age at death or the
year they died (or both if you choose).
Lines 2-8: tell something about the life of the person who died. These lines need to use a rhyme scheme (this means
that the lines should rhyme in some way).

Around your epitaph include a “message wall” where other characters from the play leave messages for your
character. You should have at least three messages total (one from each character) from other characters on your
character’s “wall”. The messages should be accompanied by a picture (could be clip art) that represents him/her
(must be school appropriate). The messages left by the characters should be about how he/she feels about your
character’s death.

__________________ __________________
__________________ __________________
__________________ __________________

_______________

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________
WHAT TO WATCH FOR...
Questions and themes to consider
Generational Differences
How are the adults of the play set apart from the young people? Pay attention to the opening scene, when Capulet and
Montague confront each other. How is their behavior different from the rage of Tybalt, or the servants? In Act II, Juliet says that
“old folks” are “unwieldy, slow, heavy, and pale as lead”. Where do you see evidence for this in the play?

Family Feud
How does this particular production depict the Capulet/Montague feud? Are the two families distinguished from one
another, and if so, how? Where and when might this version of Verona be situated? Do you think that these directo-
rial decisions are effective?

Humor in the Play

Many scholars have commented that Romeo and Juliet seems like it could be a comedy up until Act III Scene 1,
when Mercutio is killed. It is certainly true that the first half of this play has many opportunities for humor. Which scene
or character did you find the funniest, and why? Why do you think that Shakespeare included funny moments in his
tragedy?

Fate and Death

Were Romeo and Juliet really “star-crossed” and fated to die, or could their deaths have been prevented? Do you
think that their loss will be a wake up call to their families, and end the violence, or did they die entirely in vain?

Trusted Adults
What do you think of the actions of Friar Laurence and the Nurse, Romeo and Juliet’s closest advisors? Were they
more hurtful, or more helpful to the young couple? What could they have done differently to help? Do they deserve
any blame for what happened?

Love and Poetry

Listen closely to the play’s love scenes: when Romeo and Juliet meet at the ball, declare their love on the balcony,
and part at daybreak. Is their love for one another reflected in the way they use language? Can you tell that they are
attracted to one another by how they speak?
 WORD SEARCH - Romeo and Juliet

All words in this list are associated with Romeo and Juliet. The words are placed backwards,
forward, diagonally, up and down. The included words are listed below the word searches.

L T L T H X J X K K T N F K N T P C F G M R D D
D P S T L X X T D S N Q O D L S Y J R S E F P X
V D A N D P C Z B P K H S S N D C B S T C O R X
T E L U P A C Y D A L A D Y M O N T A G U E F Y
D F R L G A G Y Z M L A K E Q A Y F J L N C N T
F Y R O Y M R G K Q E T G R S J S X F O T Y H E
O P R I N C E I E V P R H U T O M B D R O M E O
Q R N Z A A H L S R D X C A E B R N L P B K N K
W X C U G R S N B G B K L U S J U F N G C T Z Z
J G M H R B L H K G F E D Q T A T P Q W G Y J N
M U N W A S F A A B H L N N F I R O S A L I N E
S B L Z L R E R U K K L F V D G O F C Z V T B P
S S V I X R D S M R E B H S O M Y V S R L V W Q
C O F V E G Y F J W E S D C L L P P Z W W O W L
A D R N B T Y P V Q B N P C X K I L H G D D D B
P V J R X V J S H X N O C E Q S N O Z N N V P B
U L L J O Z N F P T I P G E A W X S I G P M F K
L H B N T W W B Z S N L F R J R Z W J Y L L Y V
E R Y R F X H F O Q J B H W X P E F H F J K H B
T Y W C M N W N N W S T J F N W H T K D V G B X

ACT FRIAR LAURENCE PLAGUE SORROW

BALTHASAR JULIET POISON TOMB
BENVOLIO LADY CAPULET PRINCE TYBALT
CAPULET LADY MONTAGUE ROMEO UNDONE
DAGGER MERCUTIO ROSALINE VERONA
DEATH NURSE ROSE WINDOW
FATE ORCHARD SAMSON
FOE PARIS SCENE
SHAKESPEARE
 MATCHING WORKSHEET - Romeo and Juliet

1. ROSE A. He kills himself when he thinks Juliet is dead

2. WINDOW B. Romeo kills him to avenge his friend's death

3. TYBALT C. He agrees to marry Romeo & Juliet

4. FRIAR LAURENCE D. A ____ o'both your houses

5. MONTAGUE E. Predestined future

6. SAMSON F. Me thinks I see thee .... as one dead in the bottom of a

________
7. NURSE G. Servant of the Capulets

8. TOMB H. That which we call a ____________ By any other name would

smell as sweet
9. ACT I. Parting is such sweet ______.

10. SORROW J. Both Paris and Romeo want to marry her

11. VERONA K. What light through yonder ________ breaks

12. PLAGUE L. Juliet kills herself with Romeo's

13. LADY CAPULET M. She dies grieving for her son, Romeo

14. LADY MONTAGUE N. Play division

15. ROMEO O. Paris is a nobleman from this place

16. FATE P. He gives a feast to introduce Juliet bachelors

17. DAGGER Q. Romeo's father

18. JULIET R. She refused Romeo's love and caused his depression

19. CAPULET S. Juliet's servant and mentor

20. ROSALINE T. She wants the Prince to execute Romeo

 FILL IN THE BLANKS - Romeo and Juliet

_______________ 1. Juliet's servant and mentor

_______________ 2. Play division
_______________ 3. Parting is such sweet ___
_______________ 4. A ___ o'both your houses
_______________ 5. We are __, lady, we are >>>
_______________ 6. Romeo climbs over the wall surrounding Capulet's ___
_______________ 7. She refused Romeo's love and caused his depression
_______________ 8. A ___, a ___! Why call you for your sword!
_______________ 9. Romeo's father
_______________10. Paris is a nobleman from this place
_______________11. Author; playwright
_______________12. ___ is my son-in-law, ___ is my heir.
_______________13. Sends Romeo into exile
_______________14. Me thinks I see thee...as one dead in the bottom of a ___
_______________15. He is slain by Tybalt
_______________16. He explains the circumstances of Tybalt's death
_______________17. Capulet's favored suitor for Juliet
_______________18. Servant of the Capulets
_______________19. He gives a feast to introduce Juliet to bachelors
_______________20. That which we call a __ By any other name would smell as sweet
_______________21. What light through yonder ___ breaks
_______________22. Predestined future
_______________23. Act division
_______________24. Romeo drinks it and dies
_______________25. Romeo kills him to avenge his friend's death
 MAGIC SQUARES - Romeo and Juliet

Match the definition with the vocabulary word. Put your answers in the magic squares below.
When your answers are correct, all columns and rows will add to the same number.

A. ORCHARD H. BENVOLIO O. WINDOW V. LAURENCE

B. SHAKESPEARE I. DEATH P. NURSE W. ROMEO
C. BALTHASAR J. FATE Q. SAMSON X. MONTAGUE
D. SORROW K. MERCUTIO R. PARIS Y. TOMB
E. PLAGUE L. DAGGER S. ROSALINE
F. POISON M. VERONA T. CRUTCH
G. LADY N. TYBALT U. ACT

1.He explains the circumstances of 13.Paris is a nobleman from this place

Tybalt's death 14.Juliet's servant and mentor
2.Romeo climbs over the wall 15.Author; playwright
surrounding Capulet's ___ 16.A ___, a ___! Why call you for
3.He agrees to marry Romeo & Juliet; your sword!
Friar ___ 17.Servant to Romeo
4.She refused Romeo's love and 18.Play division
caused his depression 19.Juliet kills herself with Romeo's
5.What light through yonder ___ break 20.___ is my son-in-law, ___ is mys
6.Servant of the Capulets heir.
7.Romeo kills him to avenge his 21.He is slain by Tybalt
friend's death 22.She wants the Prince to execute
8.A ___ o'both your houses Romeo; ___ Capulet
9.He kills himself when he thinks 23.Parting is such sweet ___
Juliet is dead 24.Me thinks I see thee...as one dead
10.Romeo drinks it and dies in the bottom of a ___
11.Romeo's father 25.Capulet's favored suitor for Juliet
12.Predestined future

A= B= C= D= E=

F= G= H= I= J=

K= L= M= N= O=

P= Q= R= S= T=

U= V= W= X= Y=
 CROSSWORD PUZZLE - Romeo and Juliet

1 2 3 4

6 7

10 11 12

13

14 15

16

17 18 19

20 21

22 23

24 25

26

27
 CROSSWORD CLUES - Romeo and Juliet

ACROSS DOWN
1. My life is my ____’s debt 1. Predestined future
2. A ___both your houses 3. He agrees to marry Romeo & Juliet; Friar
6. Romeo’s father ___
7. Juliet kills herself with Romeo’s 4. Act division
8. Juliet’s servant and mentor 5. He explains the circumstances of Tybalt’s
10. A ___, a ___! Why call you for your sword? death
13. We are ___, lady, we are ___ 6. He is slain by Tybalt
14. Capulet’s favored suitor for Juliet 7. __ is my son-in-law; ___ is my heir
17. Servant to Romeo 9. Both Paris and Romeo want to marry her
20. Author; playwright 11. He gives a feast to introduce Juliet to
23. Romeo kills him to avenge his friend’s death bachelors
24. He kills himself when he thinks Juliet is dead 12. Romeo drinks it and dies
25. What light through yonder ___ breaks 14. Sends Romeo into exile
26. She refused Romeo’s love and caused his 15. That which we call a ___ By any other name
depression would smell as sweet
27. Play division 16. Romeo climbs over the wall surrounding
Capulet’s ___
18. She wants the Prince to execute Romeo; ___
Capulet
19. Parting is such sweet ____
21. Servant of the Capulets
22. Paris is a nobleman from this place
23. Me thins I see thee...as one dead in the
bottom of a ____
QUIZ: WHO ARE YOU IN
ROMEO & JULIET
1) THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE WOULD DESCRIBE YOU AS: 5. If yOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR
LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
A. Sweet and thoughtful.
B. The center of attention, and a little crazy. A. It would be nice if your parents would let you make
C. Reserved and quiet, but deeply passionate within. your own decisions.
D. A worrier, always fretting about something. B. You’d make sure your group of friends stayed together,
E. Someone not to mess with. no matter what.
C. All you want in the world is to be with the person you
2. IT’S FRIDAY NIGHT. YOU CAN BE FOUND: love!
D. You’re pretty content, actually. Doesn’t take too much
A. Stuck in your room. Your parents keep you on a tight to make you happy.
leash. E. You’d want to see all of your enemies destroyed, one
B. Cruising around town with a group of friends. Anyone by one.
know a good party to crash?
C. In a quiet place, alone with your thoughts. You’ve 6. HOW DO YOU REACT WHEN YOU’RE IN A
been thinking about your crush a lot lately, and your DIFFICULT SITUATION OR FIGHT WITH SOMEONE?
friends don’t understand how you feel.
D. Reading, gardening, and working on other private A. Appeal to their compassion, and beg them to see
projects. things your way - but if that doesn’t work, you might
E. Settling a score with an enemy...nothing like a little resort to desperate measures.
revenge and intimidation to kick off the weekend. B. Taunt them; mess with their head; get under their skin.
C. You avoid conflict at all costs, but when you’re really
3. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR BEST QUALITY? worked up, you tend to act without considering the
consequences.
A. Your imagination. D. You offer them a few wise words.
B. Your sense of humor. E. You never back down. Fighting is what you do best.
C. Your capacity for love.
D. Your compassion. 7. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPERHUMAN POWER
E. Your fearlessness. OR ABILITY, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

4. A FRIEND CALLS YOU UP, ASKING FOR A HUGE A. Telekinesis. It would be amazing to be able to
FAVOR. IF YOU HELP THEM, YOU’LL BE PUTTING communicate without words.
YOURSELF IN HARM’s WAY. YOU: B. The ability to fly! Your friends would be so jealous...
C. Invisibility. Imagine being able to go wherever you
A. Are surprised. Still, you agree to help - you can be wanted without anyone else knowing!
pretty brave if you have to be. D. Precognition - being able to foresee the future.
B. Tease them for a while, but agree to help them out. E. You know how Darth Vader can choke people from a
C. Reluctantly agree. You care about your friends, but you distance? That.
don’t want to get into trouble.
D. Create an elaborate plan to help your friend, complete
IF YOU ANSWERED MOSTLY:
with disguises and lies.
E. Sharpen your set of knives. Nobody messes with your A. You are JULIET
friends. B. You are MERCUTIO
C. You are ROMEO
D. You are FRIAR LAURENCE
E. You are TYBALT
 Scholars generally believe that
Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet has inspired several film
in 1595–96, about the same time he
adaptations and interpretations. George Cukor’s
wrote A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
1936 film was Hollywood’s first feature-length
The play was first published in 1597.
adaptation of a Shakespearean tragedy and
starred 35-year-old Norma Shearer as Juliet and
43-year-old Leslie Howard as Romeo.

Shakespeare most likely borrowed from

several sources for the story of Romeo
and Juliet, including Arthur Brooke’s The
Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet,
printed in England in 1562.
In 2010, the Royal Shakespeare
Company presented a real-time
version of the Romeo and Juliet
story on Twitter.

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and

Juliet, directed by Baz Luhrmann and
starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Claire
Danes, mixed Shakespeare’s original
language with a modern setting in Pop singer Taylor Swift refers to
“Verona Beach.” Romeo and Juliet in her chart-
topping hit, “Love Story.”

Did you know? Learn more at

www.folger.edu/shakespeare.

Tourists in Verona, Italy leave love Rock n‘ Roll singer/songwriter Mark Knoffler
letters and messages at a house of Dire Straits wrote a song titled “Romeo
that once belonged to the Cappello and Juliet” that contains the lines “I can’t do
family, who some believe inspired everything but I’d do anything for you / Can’t do
the Capulets in Shakespeare’s anything except be in love with you.”
play. The spot is so popular that
the notes have to be periodically
removed to preserve the building.
Famous Lines and Phrases
from Ro m e o a n d J u l i e t
Did you know you’re quoting
Shakespeare when you say…

A pair of star-crossed lovers…

Chorus—Pro. 6
…sad hours seem long.
Romeo—1.1.166
If love be rough with you, be rough with love.
Mercutio—1.4.27
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear.
Romeo—1.5.51–53
You kiss by th’ book…
Juliet—1.5.122
But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
Romeo—2.2.2
O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Juliet—2.2.36
That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.
Juliet—2.2.46–47

Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow

That I shall say “Good night” till it be morrow.
Juliet—2.2.199–201
A plague o’ both your houses!
Mercutio—3.1.111
Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath,
Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.
Romeo—5.3.92–93
…never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
Prince—5.3.320–21

Alexandre Bida. “Balcony Scene.” Watercolor drawing, c. 19th century.

Folger Shakespeare Library.