Romeo and Juliet
1. What reason does Paris give for Lord Capulet’s decision to move up the wedding?
2. At first, what does Juliet believe is the only solution to her problem?
3. What plan does Friar Laurence devise for Juliet, and what reservations does Juliet have about his plan?
4. Review the events you read in Act Four, and think about how the character’s interactions drive the plot.
5. Do you feel sympathy for the Capulets, the nurse, and Paris when they express grief over Juliet’s death? Why or why not?
6. Dramatic irony exists when the reader or viewer knows something that one or more of the characters do not. Find three examples of dramatic irony in Act Four and record them in a chart. Then explain how these ironic moments contribute to the building tension in the play.
7. If Romeo and Juliet are the protagonists of this play, who or what is the antagonist? Keep in mind that an antagonist can be a character, a group of characters, a set of circumstances, or even society as a whole. Use details from the play to support your answer.
8. The humorous exchange between Peter and the musicians at the end of At Four is an example of comic relief. It lightens the mood after the grief-filled speeches that follow the discovery of Juliet’s body. If you were producing a stage or film version of Romeo Juliet, would you cut this passage, or do you think it serves an important purpose? Explain.
9. How might older and younger audiences differ in their assessment of Romeo’s and Juliet’s actions? Explain your opinion, citing specific actions and interactions in the
2. At first, what does Juliet believe is the only solution to her problem?
3. What plan does Friar Laurence devise for Juliet, and what reservations does Juliet have about his plan?
4. Review the events you read in Act Four, and think about how the character’s interactions drive the plot.
5. Do you feel sympathy for the Capulets, the nurse, and Paris when they express grief over Juliet’s death? Why or why not?
6. Dramatic irony exists when the reader or viewer knows something that one or more of the characters do not. Find three examples of dramatic irony in Act Four and record them in a chart. Then explain how these ironic moments contribute to the building tension in the play.
7. If Romeo and Juliet are the protagonists of this play, who or what is the antagonist? Keep in mind that an antagonist can be a character, a group of characters, a set of circumstances, or even society as a whole. Use details from the play to support your answer.
8. The humorous exchange between Peter and the musicians at the end of At Four is an example of comic relief. It lightens the mood after the grief-filled speeches that follow the discovery of Juliet’s body. If you were producing a stage or film version of Romeo Juliet, would you cut this passage, or do you think it serves an important purpose? Explain.
9. How might older and younger audiences differ in their assessment of Romeo’s and Juliet’s actions? Explain your opinion, citing specific actions and interactions in the