Student Workbook
Name _______________________
Potts
Spring 2012
Act I
Vocabulary
Fill in the definition for each of the vocabulary words below.
1. pernicious
2. augmenting
3. transgression
4. grievance
5. heretics
Comprehension Questions: Answer the following questions about Act I of the
play. When possible, give specific examples from the play to support your
answer.
1. What is the setting of Act I? Be specific.
2. How does the fight begin?
3. By the time Prince Escalus arrives, who is involved in the fight?
4. With what punishment does the Prince threaten anyone in the Montague or
Capulet parties who break the peace again?
5. What is Romeo doing that worries his father?
6. What does Benvolio discover is bothering Romeo? What advice does Benvolio
give Romeo?
7. Why has Paris come to Capulet?
8. What is Capulet’s answer to Paris? What does he tell Paris to do in the
meantime?
9. How does Romeo find out about the Capulet’s feast?
10. What does Benvolio say Romeo will realize at the feast?
11. How does the Nurse feel about Juliet? How can you tell?
12. How old is Juliet?
13. What does Juliet say about her thoughts of marriage? What do you think
she means?
14. What merits does Paris have, according to Lady Capulet?
15. What does Mercutio suggest Romeo do at the party? How does Romeo
answer?
16. What does Romeo believe as a result of his dream?
17. How does Capulet first react to the presence of the maskers?
18. Who recognize Romeo, and how?
19. What does Capulet suggest Tybalt do? How does Tybalt respond to
Capulet?
20. What literary term describes Tybalt and Capulet at the party?
21. What happens when Romeo and Juliet speak for the first time?
22. How does Romeo learn who Juliet is? What is his response?
23. How does Capulet treat the maskers as they leave?
Act II
Vocabulary
Fill in the definition for each of the vocabulary words below.
1. cunning
2. procure
3. vile
4. predominant
5. intercession
6. sallow
7. waverer
8. lamentable
9. unwieldy
Comprehension Questions: Answer the following questions about Act II of the
play. When possible, give specific examples from the play to support your
answer.
1. When and where does scene 1 take place?
2. Whom does Mercutio praise in an attempt to get Romeo’s attention?
3. What do you know in scene 1 that Mercutio and Benvolio do not?
4. When Romeo does not appear, what does Benvolio conclude?
5. To what does Romeo compare Juliet? How bright does he say Juliet’s eyes
are?
6. What does Juliet say Romeo should do about his name?
7. What does Romeo say is more dangerous than Juliet’s kinsman?
8. Why doesn’t Juliet want Romeo to swear by the moon?
9. Why is Romeo afraid that his meeting with Juliet is a dream?
10. What three reasons does Friar Lawrence think could have caused Romeo to
come so early?
1.
2.
3.
11. Where does Friar Lawrence say young men’s love resides? Why does he
reach this conclusion?
12. According to Romeo, what is the difference between Rosaline and Juliet?
13. What persuades Friar Lawrence to assist Romeo?
14. What are Benvolio and Mercutio doing as scene 4 opens?
15. How does Romeo respond to Mercutio’s jokes and insults?
16. What does the Nurse’s message to Romeo say?
17. What scheme has Romeo devised?
18. According to Juliet, in what way could the Nurse be a better messenger?
19. Why do you think the Nurse puts off answering Juliet’s questions by
making so many excuses?
20. What praise does the Nurse give Romeo? What one complaint does she
make?
21. At the end of scene 5, where is Juliet going?
22. What does Romeo say about death?
23. What warning does Friar Lawrence give in scene 6, lines 9-11?
24. What does Romeo ask Juliet to do upon her arrival? How does she
respond?
Act III
Vocabulary
Fill in the definition for each of the vocabulary words below.
1. gallant
2. fray
3. martial
4. exile
5. eloquence
6. fickle
Comprehension Questions: Answer the following questions about Act III of the
play. When possible, give specific examples from the play to support your
answer.
1. What three reasons does Benvolio give for retiring?
1.
2.
3.
2. What do Mercutio’s answers to Tybalt show about Mercutio’s character?
3. Why doesn’t Romeo rise to Tybalt’s challenge?
4. What is the result of Romeo’s interference in the fight?
5. What is Juliet impatient for?
6. What misunderstanding occurs between Juliet and the Nurse?
7. What does Juliet conclude about Romeo when she first learns that he killed
Tybalt?
8. How long have Romeo and Juliet been married?
9. What event does Juliet say would be preferable to Romeo’s exile?
10. What does the Nurse promise to do?
11. Romeo and Friar Lawrence feel differently about the Prince’s punishment of
Romeo? How does each feel?
12. Why does Friar Lawrence say Romeo should be happy?
13. What is Friar Lawrence’s plan for Romeo?
14. How does Friar Lawrence plan to get messages to Romeo?
15. What plans do Juliet’s parents make for her?
16. What does Friar Lawrence mean by saying Romeo is “wedded to calamity”?
(look up calamity in the dictionary)
17. What does Juliet call Romeo as he leaves?
18. What foreboding (ill feeling) does Juliet have?
19. What choice does Capulet give Juliet?
20. What does Juliet beg of her mother?
21. What advice does the Nurse give Juliet? What is her reasoning?
22. What is Juliet’s reaction to the Nurse’s advice?
ACT IV
Vocabulary
Fill in the definition for each of the vocabulary words below.
1. pensive
2. vial
3. enjoined
4. wayward
5. dismal
6. loathsome
7. pilgrimage
Comprehension Questions: Answer the following questions about Act IV of
the play. When possible, give specific examples from the play to support your
answer.
1. Whom does Juliet meet at Friar Lawrence’s cell?
2. What is he doing there?
3. Describe, in detail, the Friar’s plan.
4. What promise does Juliet make to her father?
5. What request does Juliet make of the Nurse and her mother? What excuses
does she give?
6. Why does Juliet take a dagger to bed with her?
7. What is Juliet’s fear about using the vial?
8. What are Lady Capulet, the Nurse and the servants doing as the scene
opens?
9. In scene 5, why doesn’t the Nurse discover that Juliet is “dead” until line 14?
10. How will the preparations for the wedding feast be changed by Juliet’s
“death”?
11. Why does Peter threaten the musicians?
Act V
Vocabulary
Fill in the definition for each of the vocabulary words below.
1. remnants
2. penury
3. haughty
4. sepulcher
5. ambiguities
6. scourge
Comprehension Questions: Answer the following questions about Act V of the
play. When possible, give specific examples from the play to support your
answer.
1. What did Romeo dream?
2. What does Romeo expect from Verona?
3. What news does he receive?
4. For what kind of poison does Romeo as the apothecary?
5. What was Friar John’s mission?
6. Does he succeed? Why/why not?
7. Why is Paris in the churchyard in scene 3?
8. Does Romeo intend to kill Paris when he sees him in the churchyard?
Explain how you know.
9. How does the Prince react after he has read Romeo’s letter to Montague?
10. What does the Prince mean when he says, “All are punished”?