1. Many of the names in the play lend the reader/viewer some understanding of this plot.

• Mercutio--From Mercury, the messenger god of the classical Romans. Known as swift and the god of communication and speech.
• Benvolio--roughly translates from the Italian as "I want the good".
• Tybalt--mythical king of the cats.
• Escalus--"scales", as in the scales held in the hand of the traditional figure for Lady Justice
• Paris--in Greek mythology, the prince of Troy who started the Trojan war by carrying off and marrying Helen, Queen of the Greeks.

2. Note how the ancient grudge between the two families becomes "mutiny" within the city--that is, civil disobedience and disruption on a citywide scale. Note in 1,1 that the citizens of the town are even angry at the two families.

• What effect does this constant fighting have on the rest of Verona?

3. What is Romeo's problem when we first meet him?

• Who is his object?
• How long does his devotion last?
• What does this tell you about him?
• See 1,1, 203ff. for the rather conventional lover's sentiments that Romeo uses to describe his love
• how does this compare to his descriptions of his feelings for Juliet?
• Note Romeo's reasons for loving Juliet more than Rosalind at 2,3,87.
• Is this reasonable?
• Why does Friar Lawrence help him?

4. Note how even the royal family of Verona has been sucked into the feud--the Prince has one relative who is a friend of Romeo's and one who courts Juliet. Note the parallels between love and violence within this play, especially as we move through Act One.

5. Note how Romeo's scenes of wooing and wedding are often followed immediately by those of Paris doing the same.

• How do the two men compare as lovers?
• Which would you rather have courting your daughter?

6. What is Capulet's stand on Juliet's marriage when Paris first approaches him?

• How does he change?
• Why does he change?
• How old is Juliet?

7. Romeo participates in a masque in Act One. To the English of Shakespeare's time, this form of Italian masquing was highly immoral; young men might invade a party, abduct the young women, and rape them or even return them untouched, reputations destroyed, raped or not. This partly explains why Tybalt becomes so angry when he recognizes Romeo among the masquers and why old Capulet is keeping an eye on them as well.

• Why does Capulet not drive Romeo out?

8. What is Juliet's main concern when she first speaks to Romeo from the balcony?

• Is this reasonable?
• How do Romeo and Juliet compare in terms of emotional and sexual maturity?


9. What is the purpose of Friar Lawrence's long speech in 2,3 on herbs?

• How does this relate to the balcony scene right before it?

10. As in any play of this era, the major themes of the play are concentrated in Act Three. This is both the thematic and "geographical" center of the play, so the big issues are most clear here.

• What are they in this play?

11. Note that Mercutio mistakes the Nurse for a bawd on their first meeting.

• Is he correct in any way?
• How do the motives of the Nurse compare to those of Friar Lawrence?

12. Who dies first?

• What is his relationship to the two families?
• How does he die?
• What would happen if Romeo did not try to avenge his death?
• What are the effects on Verona of banishing the heir to the Montague family?
• What are the effects on the family itself?

13. What is Friar Lawrence's plan after Romeo's banishment?

• What is the Nurse's?
• Why do the plans fail?
• How much can we blame them?

14. In Act Three, Romeo and Paris are again contrasted--this time in how they contract and seal a marriage with Juliet.

• How do you compare their methods?
• How does each man's method affect the larger welfare of his family and his city?

15. Why does Capulet rush Juliet into marriage a day early in Act Four? Note that Paris cooperates.

• Is this a good idea?

16. At the end of the play, the Prince says that some shall be pardoned and some punished.

• Who would be punished legally?
• Who would you like to see punished or pardoned and why?

Thanks to JM Massi, Ph.D. for writing these study questions.