Key Phrases

• What is catharsis in the context of a play?

  The emotional experience released by the audience
• When does catharsis occur in "Romeo and Juliet"?

  At the end when Romeo and Juliet die
• What does the feud between the Montagues and Capulets represent?

  A long-standing family conflict
• What is anagnorisis?

  A moment of realization or discovery
• In which scene does Juliet experience anagnorisis?

  When she discovers Romeo is dead
• What is peripeteia?

  A sudden reversal of fortune
• What triggers the peripeteia in "Romeo and Juliet"?

  Romeo believes Juliet is dead
• How does Romeo's belief about Juliet's death lead to his downfall?

  It causes him to kill himself
• What is hamartia?

  A character's flaw or mistake
• How does Romeo's impulsive nature contribute to his hamartia?

  It leads to quick, tragic decisions
• What does Romeo mean by "I am fortune's fool!"?

  He feels controlled by fate
• What impulsive action does Romeo take after killing Tybalt?


  He expresses regret and despair
• How do impulsive actions lead to tragic events in "Romeo and Juliet"?

  They create misunderstandings and conflicts
• ‘a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life’ -chorus, prologue

  prologue is a sonnet- used for love but tells a tragedy

  star-crossed - doomed by fate, elizabethans believes stars controlled their destiny
• What does Romeo say in Act 5 regarding fate?

  "I defy you stars"
• What does the verb "defy" suggest about Romeo's feelings?

  It suggests his anger towards fate
• What do the "stars" symbolize in the context of the play?

  They symbolize fate and destiny
• How did people in the Elizabethan era view their lives?

  They believed their lives were controlled by the heavens
• Why does Romeo see fate as cruel and unjust?

  Because he learns Juliet is dead
• What literary device is used when "stars" symbolize death?

  Metaphor
• What does foreshadowing indicate in the context of Romeo's tragic death?

  It hints at the inevitability of his demise
• In which act and scene does Romeo say "I defy you stars"?

  Act 5, Scene 1