english lit R+J

• what effect does the prologue have and why do you think shakespeare included it?

  • prologue provides summary of the whole play (audience expects the story to end tragically)
  • sets the mood for the rest of the play
  • creates impression that R and J cannot escape their fate
• what does romeos use of oxymorons to describe rosaline suggest about his attitude to love?

  Romeos use of oxymorons such as 'feather of lead' , 'cold fire and 'sick health' suggest he thinks love is both a positive and a negative thing. this could be because love makes him happy but also causes him suffering. the oxymorons could also suggest that romeo finds love confusing
• Why doesn't Capulet immediately consent to Paris and Juliets marriage in ACT 1 SCENE 2?


  Capulet thinks that J is too young to marry (he wants paris to wait 'two more summers'). He also wants juliet to consent to the marriage herself.
• How do SCENES 2 and 3 build anticipation for the Capulets party at the end of ACT 1?


  In ACT 1 SCENE 2, the audience discovers that Romeo is planning to go out to the Capulets party to see Rosaline. In the next scene they find out that Juliet will be at the same party, where she is supposed to look out for Paris. This builds anticipation because the audience is expecting R and J to fall in love with each other at the party.
• Why is it significant that Romeo and Juliet's first conversation takes the form of a sonnet?


  As the sonnet form is often associated with love, its used to show R and J are meant to be together. Their lines within the sonnet often rhyme (eg R rhymes 'despair' with J 'prayer') showing they fit with each other perfectly.
• what effect is created by the use of religious imagery in Romeo and Juliet's first meeting (ACT 1 SCENE 5)

  • religion was considered to be very important in the Elizabethan era so the use of religious imagery they are serious about loving each other
  • the imagery could suggest that their love is pure because it is linked to god
  • could suggest their love is sinful as it was seen wrong to worship anyone except god.
• What are the effects of Shakespeare's use of comedy in ACT 1?


  The comic moments in ACT 1 lighten the mood and entertain the audience. For example Romeos and Mercutio's clever wordplay creates comedy - Mercutio uses puns to tease Romeo about his love for Rosaline 'If love be rough with you, be rough with love.

  Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.'
• Has Romeo changed by the end of Act 1?


  Romeo has changed that he no longer loves Rosaline and has fallen in love with Juliet instead. However some aspects of his character such as his immaturity and shallowness is shown by how quickly he falls in and out of love shows he doesn't change.
• In Juliet's balcony speech she repeats the words 'name' 'Montague' and 'Romeo' what is its effect?


  This shows Juliet is preoccupied with their different names and families which empathizes how significant the feud is between the Capulets and the Montagues is. Juliet knows that the fact Romeo is a Montague will cause them many problems as their families hate each other.
• How does Shakespeare create tension in ACT 2 SCENE 2?

  Shakespeare creates tension by having the nurse call Juliet from offstage. This shows how risky their relationship is, because they could be caught at any moment. The fact that Juliet re enters the scene multiple times increases the tension by drawing out her interaction with Romeo for longer, increasing the risk of getting caught even more.
• Is Juliet willing to obey her parents wishes at the start of the play?


  Juliet is willing to consider her parents wishes at the start of the play, although she doesnt immediately agree to them. She agrees to 'look to like' Paris when her mother suggests that she should marry him, even though she says she doesnt want to get married. However she doesn't agree to her parents desire which shows she isn't obedient.
• Is Juliet an immature character?

  In some ways she is an immature character as she gets drawn into a secret marriage and fakes her own death. However Juliet does show maturity in ACT 2 SCENE 2 when she asks Romeo to be straightforward in declaring his love telling him 'swear not by the moon, th'inconstant moon'
• Give an example of when Juliet is afraid

  ACT 4 SCENE 3- before she takes the potion she describes feeling 'a faint cold fear'
• In ACT 3 what sin does Juliet worry she will commit?

  Bigamy (being married to two people at once)
• Does Juliet feel ashamed when Romeo overhears her confessing her love for him?

  Yes as she tells Romeo she has a 'maiden blush' on her 'cheek' because she realizes Romeo heard everything which would be considered improper at the time. However, even though she is ashamed she says she will forget about 'compliment' (good manners) and declare her love again. This suggests her feelings of shame aren't as strong as her desire to know how Romeo feels.
• What adjectives does Montague use to describe Juliet after her death?

  'True and faithful'
• Give an example of some imagery that suggests Juliet is beautiful

  Romeo says the 'brightness' of her 'cheek would shame those stars'. (He suggests she is so radiant that she is more beautiful than the stars)
• what poetic form is the prologue written in?

  sonnet- 14 lines and is written in iambic pentameter
• Who do Sampson and Gregory fight with in ACT 1 SCENE 1?

  Abraham and Balthasar (servants of the Montagues)
• Who is queen mab and which character describes her in ACT 1?

  She is 'the fairies midwife' a fairy who is supposedly brings dreams to people. Mercutio describes her to Romeo
• Juliet says that she'll 'no longer be a Capulet' if Romeo loves her. What does she mean by this?


  She means that she is willing to give up her family name and identity if Romeo loves her.
• Give an example from ACT 2 SCENE 3 that shows Romeos close relationship with the Friar

  The Friar calls Romeo 'young son' and 'my young son' which suggests he acts as a father figure to Romeo
• Why does the Friar agree to marry Romeo and Juliet?

  The Friar hopes that the 'alliance' between Romeo and Juliet will lead to peace between their families by turning their 'households rancor' (hatred) into 'pure love'
• analysis of ''it is the east, and Juliet is the sun' in ACT 2 SCENE 2

  By comparing Juliet to a celestial object like the sun, Romeo implies she is too perfect to be human. It could also suggest that Juliet, like the sun, is a source of light and hope. As the scene is set at night it makes Romeo's words more fitting as he is also suggesting that the light from Juliet's window 'the east' is like the sun rising to break through the darkness of the night.
• analysis of 'my only love sprung from my only hate' in ACT 1 SCENE 5

  Juliet says this quote at the end of the Capulets party when she has just discovered that Romeo is a Montague. The repetition of 'only' emphasises that Juliet has just one 'love' and just one 'hate', which highlights how serious the situation is and how serious her love is to Romeo, even though they have just met. The repetition also reflects Juliet's frustration at her own misfortune.
• analysis of 'Thy love did read by rote and could not spell' in ACT 2 SCENE 3

  The friar says the phrase 'by rote' meaning that Romeo has learnt to recite words about love, but doesn't understand what they mean or what love is. The friar also refers to his past love for Rosaline when he says that she 'knew well' that Romeo was only reading 'by rote' because she knew he wasn't serious about loving her.
• Give examples of when the friar disapproves of Romeos impulsive approach to love.

  • 'Thy love did read by rote and could not spell' A2S3
  • 'Violent delights have violent ends' A2S6
• analysis of 'To turn your households rancour to pure love' in ACT 2 SCENE 3

  This happens when the friar speaks to Romeo as he hopes that Romeos marriage to Juliet will lead to peace between the two families. The juxtaposition of 'rancour' and 'pure love' can imply that love and hate go hand in hand with one another. The friar believes that R's and J's marriage will end the feud , this is ironic as the marriage does end the feud but not in the way the friar had hoped.