genre

• What genre is Romeo and Juliet officially classified as?

  Tragedy
• How does Romeo and Juliet deviate from other Shakespearean tragedies?

  It focuses on ordinary teenagers' love
• Which Shakespearean tragedies are mentioned as comparisons to Romeo and Juliet?

  Macbeth, King Lear, Julius Caesar
• What is the nature of Romeo's action in killing Tybalt?

  It is impulsive and externally motivated
• What does the feud in Verona represent in Romeo's actions?

  An ancient grudge
• In all of Shakespeare’s tragedies, protagonists who commit murder end up dead as a result of their actions, and Romeo is no exception. Shakespearean tragedies usually end with the death of the protagonist, which restores harmony to the community. In Romeo and Juliet, the two protagonists’ deaths – what Capulet calls the “poor sacrifices for our enmities” (5.3.) – provide the catalyst for the warring families to set aside their feud and repair the community.
• How do the first two acts of Romeo and Juliet compare to Shakespeare's comedies?

  • Structured like a comedy
  • Lovers kept apart by authority figures
  • Features suggestive wordplay
  • Includes disguises, like Romeo's mask
• How does Juliet's suicide relate to her character?

  It is a response to desperate circumstances
• What type of jokes do Gregory and Sampson make in the opening scene?

  Bawdy jokes about erections and virginity
• What prevents the audience from assuming a comedic ending in Romeo and Juliet?

  The prologue warns of death
• What happens after Romeo kills Tybalt in Act Three?

  The mood shifts to tragedy
• How does Tybalt's murder affect the feud between the Montagues and Capulets?

  It raises the stakes of the feud
• What does Romeo's murder of Tybalt signify for his story?

  His story cannot end happily
• What is the nature of Romeo's error after killing Tybalt?

  It is an error of judgment
• Who does Romeo kill outside of Juliet's tomb?

  Paris