Romeo and Juliet – Comprehension Questions
Name: _______________________________
CR9.6 Read and demonstrate comprehension and interpretation of grade-level appropriate—traditional
and contemporary—texts.
-The following questions evaluate your understanding of the play. Refer to the rubric for assessment
criteria. The quizzes and test will assess your higher order thinking skills (analysis and evaluation).
THE PROLOGUE
1. Explain “Chorus.”
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2. Describe the setting of the play?
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3. Who is involved in the “ancient grudge?
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4. Who and what are “star-crossed” lovers?
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5. What will bring an end to the grudge?
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6. How much time will be required to perform the play?
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ACT I QUESTIONS
SCENE 1
1. List and describe all the characters in this scene:
The Montagues :
The Capulets:
The Others:
2. Who begins the fight in Scene 1? Why?
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3. Who interrupts the fight?
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4. Who causes the fight to resume? Why?
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5. What warning does the Prince of Verona give?
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6. Who talks with Romeo to learn the cause of his melancholy (depression)?
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7. What explanation does Romeo give for his melancholy?
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8. Who is Rosaline?
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9. What advice does Benvolio give Romeo?
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10. What is Romeo’s reply to this advice?
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SCENE 2
1. Who is Paris and what does he want?
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2. What is Lord Capulet’s reply to Paris’s offer?
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3. What list does Lord Capulet give to his servant? What is the servant told to do with the list?
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4. Why does the servant approach Romeo and Benvolio?
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5. Why does Benvolio encourage Romeo to attend the Capulet banquet?
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6. What is Romeo’s reply to Benvolio’s suggestions?
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SCENE 3
1. Who is the Nurse? Who is Lady Capulet? Describe their relationships with Juliet.
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2. What does Juliet mean when she says, “It is an hour I dream not of”?
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3. What does Juliet agree to do with Paris?
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SCENE 4
1. Where are the boys?
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2. Who is Mercutio?
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3. What is Romeo’s attitude toward love?
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4. What is Mercutio’s attitude toward love?
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5. What does Romeo mean when he says “Some consequence, yet hanging on the stars”? What
does he fear?
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6. As the scene ends, where are Romeo and his friends going? Why are they masked? Why does
Romeo decide to go along with his friends?
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SCENE 5
1. Where does Scene 5 take place?
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2. What’s happening there? Who’s directing the events?
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3. When Romeo first sees Juliet, what does he compare her to?
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4. What is the importance of this reaction, given how he felt about Rosaline?
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5. Who recognizes Romeo?
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6. According to Lord Capulet, what is Romeo’s reputation in Verona?
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7. Why does Lord Capulet prevent Tybalt from banishing Romeo from the banquet?
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Act II Questions
Scenes 1 & 2
1. What does Mercutio say about “blind love”?
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2. When Juliet appears on her balcony, what does Romeo compare her to?
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3. How does Juliet “speak, yet…[say] nothing”?
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4. When Juliet leans her cheek on her hand, what does Romeo say?
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5. Unaware of his presence, what does Juliet ask Romeo to say?
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6. In a sentence or two, explain what Juliet says about names.
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7. Juliet asks how Romeo got into her place. The orchard walls are high, and Romeo’s life would be in
danger if her relatives were to find him there. What is Romeo’s response to these questions?
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8. Why is Juliet embarrassed?
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9. Juliet is going to send someone to Romeo on the following day for what purpose?
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Scene 3
1. What has Friar Lawrence been out gathering in his basket?
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2. Explain lines 21-22: “Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, / And vice sometime by action
dignified”?
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3. What comment does Friar Lawrence make about seeing Romeo so early in the morning?
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4. What does Friar Lawrence mean when he says to Romeo, “Young men’s love then lies not truly in
their hearts, but in their eyes”?
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5. Friar Lawrence agrees to perform the marriage ceremony for Romeo and Juliet for what reason?
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Scene 4
1. According to Mercutio, what kind of man is Tybalt?
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2. What is the nurse saying to Romeo?
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3. How will Romeo see Juliet at night? Who will he get to help him?
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Scene 5
1. The nurse is supposed to be gone only a half hour, but she is actually gone for how long?
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2. How is the nurse behaving that is frustrating Juliet?
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Scene 6
1. What does Friar Lawrence mean when he says, “Therefore, love moderately; long love doth so”?
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2. Romeo and Juliet are to be married by Friar Lawrence, do you think the friar did the right thing? Why?
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3. Why do you think Romeo and Juliet decided to marry? Do you think it is a wise decision?
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Act III Questions
Scene 1
1. What does Benvolio say about the weather?
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2. Tybalt and other Capulets enter. Is Benvolio’s fear realized?
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3. Romeo enters; does Tybalt deliberately insult Romeo? Explain.
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4. Why is Tybalt so angry with Romeo?
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5. How does Romeo react?
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6. How does Mercutio respond when Romeo tries to soothe Tybalt?
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7. What does Romeo do when the two men fight?
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8. How does Mercutio take the fatal wound?
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9. In his soliloquy, what opinion does Romeo express about the events that have taken place?
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10. When Tybalt returns, what happens?
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11. What warning does Benvolio give Romeo?
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12. Who begs for revenge?
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What does Lord Montague say?
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13. What sentence does the Prince cast upon Romeo?
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Scene 2
1. What does Juliet long for? Why?
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2. Who tells Juliet of Tybalt’s death?
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Scene 3
1. How does Romeo respond to his sentence of banishment?
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2. How does Romeo respond when he receives Juliet’s ring?
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3. What plan does the Friar have for Romeo?
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Scene 4
1. What arrangement does Lord Capulet make for Juliet?
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2. What day is it now?
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Scene 5
1. What does Juliet foresee?
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2. What “joyful news” does Lady Capulet bring Juliet?
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3. Why does Juliet refuse to marry Paris?
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4. How does Lord Capulet respond to her refusal?
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5. How does Lord Capulet sum up his disgust and anger toward Juliet’s decision not to marry Paris?
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6. How does Lady Capulet reply to Juliet’s plea to delay the marriage?
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7. Why does Juliet confide in the Nurse? What is her advice?
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8. What does Juliet decide to do?
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Act IV Questions
Scene 1
1. Where does the opening scene take place?
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2. Juliet and Paris meet by coincidence. What is the reason for their meeting?
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3. What character traits does Juliet reveal about herself in her conversation with Paris?
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4. After Paris leaves, what does Juliet reveal about her thoughts and feelings?
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5. If the Friar cannot help Juliet, what does she intend to do?
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6. What does the Friar offer Juliet?
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7. Does Juliet agree? Why?
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8. What is Friar Lawrence’s plan?
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9. How does Juliet receive this plan?
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10. What immediate action does the Friar take?
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Scene 2
1. When Juliet appears, how does she act?
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2. Why does she promise obedience to her father?
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Scene 3
1. In Juliet’s soliloquy, what does she reveal about her thoughts and feelings, hopes and fears?
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Scene 4
1. What’s happening in this scene?
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Scene 5
1. What is Juliet’s condition when the nurse attempts to awaken her?
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2. Describe the major conflict of this scene. (Consider what has been planned.)
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3. How is the Friar acting? What does he say? Why?
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4. What final advice does the Friar give?
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Act V Questions
Scene 1
1. What is the setting of this scene?
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2. What is the dramatic purpose of Romeo’s dream?
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3. What news does Balthasar bring from Verona?
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4. How is Romeo affected by Balthasar’s news?
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Scene 2
1. What character makes his entry?
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2. What has Friar John been asked to do?
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3. How does Friar Lawrence respond to Friar John’s report?
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4. What does Friar Lawrence instruct Friar John to do?
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5. Whose safety is Friar Lawrence most concerned for?
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6. What does Friar Lawrence reveal about his plan in his soliloquy?
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Scene 3
1. What does Paris order his page to do?
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2. Who arrives at Juliet’s tomb?
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3. What does Romeo send to his father?
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4. What does Paris say to Romeo?
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5. What is Romeo’s reply?
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6. What is the dramatic purpose of the dual between Romeo and Paris?
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7. Does Romeo still think he is the victim of fate? Explain.
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8. Who enters the churchyard?
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9. Whom does the Friar find in the tomb?
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10. Whom does Juliet see upon awakening?
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11. What urgent request does the Friar make of Juliet?
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12. Does Juliet agree? What does she say about her dead husband?
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13. What does Lord Montague say caused the death of his wife?
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14. What final words does the Prince share with Lord Capulet and Lord Montague?
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15. Does the Prince take any of the blame for what happened? Explain.
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16. What do Lord Capulet and Lord Montague decide to do, besides being friends?
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