setting

• What country is Verona located in?

  Italy
• Until what year was Verona an independent city-state?

  1405
• What was Verona part of during Shakespeare's lifetime?

  Venetian Republic
• How is Verona depicted in Romeo and Juliet?

  As an independent city with its own prince
• What time period does the play Romeo and Juliet likely take place in?

  Fourteenth century
• Who are the protagonists of the story associated with Verona?

  Romeo Montecchi and Giulietta Cappelletti
• Who wrote the 1530 story about the Veronese lovers?

  Luigi da Porto
• What was the nature of the story written by Luigi da Porto?

  About lovers caught in a family feud
• In which decade did Arthur Brooke translate da Porto's story into English?

  1560s
• What was the outcome of Brooke's translation of the story?

  It quickly went through several editions
• How was Verona perceived in England by the time Shakespeare adapted the story?

  As a site of tragedy
• What genre did Shakespeare often associate with Italy in his plays?

  Comedies
• How does the play Romeo and Juliet initially seem to present itself?

  As if it might go in the direction of a comedy
• What does the Italian setting of Romeo and Juliet signify?

  It signals that the play is about extreme passions
• What popular belief existed about hot climates in Shakespeare's day?

  They induced passionate behaviors
• What does Benvolio express concern about in Act III, Scene i?

  He worries about encountering the Capulets
• Which character teases Romeo about imitating an Italian poet?

  Mercutio
• Who is the Italian poet famous for love sonnets mentioned in the play?

  Petrarch
• How does Shakespeare portray Italian women in Romeo and Juliet?

  As more sexually passionate than English women
• What is suggested about the lovers' passion in relation to their environment?

  It results from Italian climate and culture
• What overarching theme does the Italian setting reinforce in the play?

  The lovers cannot escape their fate
• What two symbolic worlds do Romeo and Juliet inhabit in Verona?

  The masculine world of the streets and the feminine world of the Capulet house
• What characterizes the masculine world of the streets?

  It is dangerous and reckless
• How does Juliet's world differ from Romeo's in the play?

  Juliet's world is secluded and confined
• What action does Romeo take to meet Juliet?

  He forces entry into the Capulet house
• What is the significance of the church in the lovers' relationship?

  It is a neutral space for their secret wedding
• What does the church's neutrality ultimately fail to do for Romeo and Juliet?

  It cannot protect them from their fates
• Two households, both alike in dignity (In fair Verona, where we lay our scene), From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. (Prologue.1–4) 
• What city is the setting of the play?

  Verona
• How does the prologue describe Verona?

  As beautiful but troubled by violence
• What are the names of the two noble households?

  Montagues and Capulets
• What does the prologue reveal about the relationship between the Montagues and Capulets?

  They are mortal enemies
• Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,  By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets And made Verona’s ancient citizens Cast by their grave-beseeming ornaments To wield old partisans in hands as old, Cankered with peace, to part your cankered hate. If ever you disturb our streets again,  Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. (1.1.79–87) 
• What stereotypes about Italy might Shakespeare's audience associate with Verona?

  Warm climate, passionate people, romantic love
• What tragic consequences are hinted at in the prologue?

  Violence fueled by ancient grudges and love
• How does the prologue contrast the beauty of Verona with its social issues?

  It highlights beauty alongside violence and bloodshed
• What does "civil blood makes civil hands unclean" imply?

  Violence taints the nobility of society
• What literary device is used in the phrase "ancient grudge"?

  Alliteration
• What theme does the prologue introduce regarding love and conflict?

  Love can lead to tragic conflict
• How does the prologue set the tone for the play?

  It establishes a mix of beauty and tragedy