Name: ___________________________
Period: ___________________________
Romeo and Juliet Reading Guide – Act II
Chorus and Scenes I and 2
1. What is Romeo’s “old desire and what happened to it? (Chorus line 1) ________________________
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2. According to the Chorus, what is Romeo’s new problem? (line7, see note on complain)
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3. According to the Chorus, what helps Romeo and Juliet overcome their difficulties together? (line 13)
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4. What did Benvolio see Romeo doe after he(Romeo) left the Capulet party? (Scene 1 line 5)
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5. Mercutio tries to use Rosaline’s name as a magic spell to entice Romeo to join him and Benvolio.
Why is his conjure ineffective? (lines 6-20 –specifically 15-16) _______________________________
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6. Having hear Mercutio’s teasing, Romeo says, “He jests at scars that never felt a wound. (Scene 2 line
1) What does Romeo mean? __________________________________________________________
7. What metaphor does Romeo use to describe Juliet? (line 3) _________________________________
8. As such, what effect does Juliet have on the world according to Romeo? (lines 4,9-22)
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9. Do you consider this to be a hyperbole? Why or why not? __________________________________
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10. What does Juliet wish when it comes to her and Romeo’s identities? (lines 33-36) _______________
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11. What does Juliet conclude about the importance of names? (lines 43-48) ______________________
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12. Romeo says, “With loves light wing did I o’erperch these walls”. (line 66) How does this contrast
with his earlier reaction to being in love? ________________________________________________
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13. Who is Juliet afraid of and why? (lines 65,70,74) __________________________________________
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14. What does Romeo think is a worse fate than being killed by the Capulets? (lines 75-78)
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15. How does Juliet feel about Romeo having overheard her private thoughts about him? (lines 85-87)
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16. What is Juliet worried about in regards to Romeo’s professed love for her? (lines 89-94)
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17. Why is Juliet concerned about being “too quickly won”? (lines 95-106) ________________________
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18. In your opinion, at this stage of their relationship, is Juliet right to be concerned about Romeo’s love
being variable like the phases of the moon. (lines 109-111) Why or why not?
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19. How does Juliet feel about their whirlwind courtship? (lines 116-124) _________________________
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20. Based on her reaction, how do you characterize Juliet? _____________________________________
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21. Who proposes marriage to whom? (lines 143-145) ________________________________________
22. Why do you think Juliet assumes the leadership role in their relationship at this point?
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23. What arrangement do Romeo and Juliet agree to before they finally say goodnight? (lines 153, 169170) ______________________________________________________________________________
24. What is Romeo’s next step? (lines 189-190) ______________________________________________
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Act II Scene 3
25. Where is Friar Laurence and what is he doing? (lines 7-8) ___________________________________
26. What are the Mother Nature’s “children of a diverse kind” he talks about? (lines 9-14)
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27. According to the Friar, what is the danger of herbs that are misused? (lines 22-31)
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28. What two possible reason does Friar Laurence give for Romeo being up and about so early in the
morning? (lines 37-41) _______________________________________________________________
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29. With whom does the Friar think Romeo spent the night? (line 44) ____________________________
30. How does the Friar react to hearing that Romeo doesn’t pine after Rosaline anymore? (lines 45-47)
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31. What is Romeo trying to tell the Friar on lines 48-54? (for clues see lines 57-64)
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32. In your opinion, how does the Friar’s reaction to Romeo’s chaotic love life compare to Romeo’s
friends’ reaction? ___________________________________________________________________
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33. What purpose do you think the contrast between Romeo’s and the Friar’s perceptions of reality
(state of Romeo’s love life) serves? _____________________________________________________
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34. What convinces the Friar the Romeo and Juliet’s love is for real? (lines 85-87)
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35. Besides wanting Romeo to be happy, what other reason does the Friar give for being willing to
perform the marriage? (lines 91-92) ____________________________________________________
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36. What is the Friar’s last piece of advice to Romeo? (line 94) __________________________________
Act II Scene 4
37. After the Capulet party, Tybalt sends a letter to Romeo. While looking for Romeo, Mercutio and
Benvolio discuss the letter. What does Mercutio believe the letter says? (line 8)
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38. When Romeo shows up, he is in high spirits and engages in a contest of puns or word plays with
Mercutio. Give an example of a pun from their dialogue: (lines 48-82)
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39. Unaware of Romeo’s feelings for Juliet, Mercutio and Benvolio treat her messenger, the Nurse, with
contempt and ridicule because she is a member of the Capulet household. Give three examples of
their rudeness in the following table. (See example)
Speaker’s
Name
Mercutio
What is being said
Explain what the speaker means
“God Peter, to hide her face; for her fan’s
the fairer face
Mercutio means the Nurse is ugly and ought to hide
her face behind her fan because the fan is more
beautiful
40. The Nurse, an uneducated woman, misuses words, and Benvolio, in turn, makes fun of her by
imitating her by using a malapropism – a word similar to the right word. Find two malapropisms the
Nurse and Benvolio use and state the below along with the correct word. (lines 120-121)
Malapropism: _____________________________ Correct word: _____________________________
Malapropism: _____________________________ Correct word: _____________________________
41. Before the Nurse will give Romeo the message from Juliet, what does the Nurse want to know about
Romeo and his feelings? (lines 155-160) ________________________________________________
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42. When Romeo is left alone with the Nurse, he gives the Nurse instructions as to what Juliet and the
Nurse should do so the marriage can take place that morning. What are his instructions to them?
(lines 169-172, 176-180)
Juliet: ____________________________________________________________________________
Nurse: ____________________________________________________________________________
Act II Scene 5
43. What should “love’s herald’s” be? Why? (lines 4-6) ________________________________________
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44. How many hours have passed since Juliet sent the Nurse to visit with Romeo? (line 11)
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45. Even if the news the Nurse has for Juliet might be said, how is the Nurse to present this news?
(line 22) ___________________________________________________________________________
46. What does the Nurse do with the good news if she presents it with a “sour face”? (lines 23-24)
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47. What is longer than the “tale thou dost excuse”? (line 34) __________________________________
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48. Describe Romeo according to the Nurse. (nurse 39-44) _____________________________________
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49. What is one criticism the Nurse has of Romeo? (lines 43) ___________________________________
50. Translate this line: “Have you got leave to go to shrift today?” (line 66) ________________________
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Act II Scene 6
51. If Romeo can call Juliet his, he doesn’t care if what happens? (line 7) _________________________
52. Translate these lines: “The sweetest honey is loathesome in his own deliciousness And in the taste
confounds the appetite.” (lines 11-13) __________________________________________________
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53. What are beggars? (2 things – lines 32) __________________________________________________
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54. What happens at the end of Scene 6? ___________________________________________________
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