Student Name: __________________________________________ Hour: ______ Date:___________________________
William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
vs.
Baz Luhrmann’s William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
ACT II REVIEW
1. List a minimum of four events that occurred during the rising action of the plot.
A.
B.
C.
D.
2. Below, use a minimum of three adjectives that reflect each character’s most notable personality traits. Next,
make a prediction about how each of these characters would react when challenged to a physical confrontation
based on their personality traits.
CHARACTER
Romeo
Juliet
Mercutio
Tybalt
Benvolio
ADJECTIVES
PREDICTION
ACT III, SCENE 1
1. Is Mercutio’s speech at the very beginning of the scene a monologue or a soliloquy? Explain.
HINT: You may view the text on pg. 820.
2. Describe Mercutio’s mood as the scene opens.
3. Read the excerpt from the scene below, which may be found on pg. 821-822 of your textbook.
TYBALT
Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford
No better term than this: thou art a villain.
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER
THAN WORDS…
List three of Tybalt’s actions
used to provoke a fight.
60
1.
ROMEO
Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee
Doth much excuse the appertaining1 rage
To such a greeting. Villain am I none.
Therefore farewell. I see thou knowest me not.
TYBALT
Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries
That thou hast done me. Therefore turn and draw.
2.
65
3.
1
appropriate
understand; imagine
3
value
2
ROMEO
I do protest I never injured thee
But love thee better than thou canst devise2
Till thou shalt know the reason of my love.
And so, good Capulet, which name I tender3
As dearly as mine own, be satisfied.
CLOSE AND CRITICAL
READING:
A. Highlight in _____
words and
phrases that
Tybalt uses to
provoke a fight.
B. Highlight in _____
words and
phrases that
illustrate Romeo’s
determination not
to fight.
70
MERCUTIO
O calm, dishonorable, vile submission!
Alla stoccato4 carries it away. [He draws.]
Tybalt, you ratcatcher, will you walk?
TYBALT
What wouldst thou have with me?
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER
THAN WORDS…
75
List three of Romeo’s
actions used to avoid a
fight.
MERCUTIO
Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives,
that I mean to make bold withal, and, as you shall use me
hereafter, dry-beat5 the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your
sword out of his pilcher6 by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be
about your ears ere it be out.
TYBALT
I am for you. [He draws.]
1.
ROMEO
Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.
2.
80
MERCUTIO
Come, sir, your passado. They fight.
85
ROMEO
Draw, Benvolio, beat down their weapons.
[Romeo draws.]
Gentlemen, for shame forbear this outrage!
Tybalt! Mercutio! The Prince expressly hath
Forbid this bandying in Verona streets.
Hold, Tybalt! Good Mercutio!
3.
[Romeo attempts to beat down their rapiers.]
[Tybalt stabs Mercutio.]
MERCUTIO
I am hurt.
A plague a7 both houses! I am sped.8
Is he gone and hath nothing?
BENVOLIO
What, art thou hurt?
4
at the thrust—an Italian fencing term that Mercutio uses as a nickname for Tybalt
thrash
6
scabbard; holder for a sword or dagger
7
on
8
wounded; done for
5
CONT. CLOSE AND
CRITICAL READING:
C. Circle examples of
prose.
D. Highlight words and
phrases that
demonstrate the
Mercutio’s unfailing
sense of humor.
E. Highlight examples
of puns.
F. Highlight an
example of
foreshadowing.
MERCUTIO
Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch. Marry, ’tis enough.
Where is my page?—Go, villain, fetch a surgeon.
[Page exits.]
90
95
ROMEO
Courage, man, the hurt cannot be much.
MERCUTIO
No, ’tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church
door, but ’tis enough. ’Twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you
shall find me a grave man. I am peppered,9 I warrant, for this
world. A plague a both your houses! Zounds, a dog, a rat, a
mouse, a cat, to scratch a man to death! A braggart, a rogue, a
villain that fights by the book of arithmetic!10 Why the devil came
you between us? I was hurt under your arm.
ROMEO
I thought all for the best.
100
MERCUTIO
Help me into some house, Benvolio,
Or I shall faint. A plague o’ both your houses!11
They have made worms’ meat of me. I have it,12
and soundly, too. Your houses!
CONT. CLOSE AND
[All but Romeo exit.]
CRITICAL READING:
105
ROMEO
This gentleman, the Prince’s near ally,13
My very friend, hath got this mortal hurt
In my behalf. My reputation stained
With Tybalt’s slander—Tybalt, that an hour
Hath been my cousin! O sweet Juliet,
Thy beauty hath made me effeminate14
And in my temper softened valor’s steel.
G. Circle the aside.
H. Highlight words and
phrases that suggest
Romeo feels guilty
and ashamed.
I. Highlight an
example of
foreshadowing.
9
finished off
by formal rules
11
families
12
I’ve got my deathblow.
13
relative
14
feminine; womanly
10
4. What ultimately motivates Mercutio to fight? Explain.
5. How does Mercutio’s final scene in the play enhance his character’s personality traits to the audience? Explain.
6. What motivates Romeo to fight Tybalt? List a minimum of three specific reasons. HINT: If you need help, go back
and review lines 103-109.
A.
B.
C.
7. At the beginning of Act III, Scene 1, Romeo is determined not to fight Tybalt, but kills him at the end. What can
the reader infer about Romeo’s character? Explain.
8. Is Benvolio’s speech at the end of the scene a monologue or a soliloquy? Explain.
9. Does Benvolio give an accurate account of everything that occurred? What can the reader infer about his
character? Explain.
10. What does Lady Capulet ask of the Prince?
11. What does Montague ask of the Prince?
12. What does the Prince ultimately decree?
ACT III, SCENES 2-4
NOTE: The director took extreme creative license with the original scenes in the play. He actually begins with
Scene 3, then moves to Scene 4, then back to Scene 2, then back to Scene 4. Several of the original lines from
these scenes were omitted.
1. How does Romeo react to the Prince’s decree?
2. How does Juliet react to the Prince’s decree?
3. Friar Lawrence scolds Romeo and reminds him that he has three reasons to be happy. What are they? Be
specific.
A.
B.
C.
4. Briefly describe Friar Lawrence’s plan to reunite Romeo and Juliet and bring peace to Verona.
ACT III, SCENE 5
1. Why does Capulet decide to allow Paris to marry Juliet so soon?
2. Fill in the blanks.
While Juliet’s father makes the wedding arrangements with Paris and Lady Capulet, Juliet and Romeo
are saying their final farewells. ____________________ is confident that they will be reunited while
_______________ senses that their love is doomed.
3. As Romeo make his hasty departure, Lady Capulet announces to Juliet that she will be married on
___________________ at _____________________________.
4. Describe Juliet’s reaction.
5. Based on Juliet’s personality, do you think her parents were expecting this reaction?
6. What does Capulet say will happen if Juliet refuses to marry Paris?
Be specific.
7. Juliet appeals to her mother for understanding, how does Lady Capulet
respond? Be specific.
8. What advice does Nurse give Juliet? Be specific.
9. Is Juliet’s speech at the end of the scene a monologue or a soliloquy? Explain why.
10. In Juliet’s final lines of the scene, she reveals to the audience what has resolved to do. Paraphrase these lines
below. If you need extra help, review the footnotes on pg. 841 for lines 237-244.
ORIGINAL TEXT
PARAPHRASED TEXT
Ancient damnation! O most wicked fiend!
Is it more sin to wish me thus forsworn,
Or to dispraise my lord with that same tongue
Which she hath praised him with above compare
So many thousand times? Go, counsellor;
Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain.
I'll to the friar, to know his remedy:
If all else fail, myself have power to die.
11. Re-read the final line of Juliet’s speech. Is this a hyperbole or is she being more literal? Explain.