Romeo and Juliet: Act 2

What metaphor does Romeo use for Juliet? “Juliet is the sun.”Romeo compares Juliet to the sun:she’s hot, the world revolves around her.
What is Juliet’s attitude toward the family feud? Give a quote as proof of your response. Juliet does not think the families should be feuding. She thinks that names are unimportant, “That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.”
Juliet realizes that Romeo has overheard her intimate thoughts about him. How does she react to this? What is she worried about? She is embarrassed that Romeo heard her confessing her love for him. She is worried that that she will appear easy or at least easily won over.
Based on their exchanges at the party and here at the balcony, Juliet questions Romeo’s intentions. To prove his honor and sincerity, what will he do tomorrow? He will marry Juliet.
Friar Laurence is introduced in a lengthy soliloquy in which he philosophies about nature and about mankind. What is the Friar’s passion (other than religion)? He is interested in herbology: medicines and poisons derived from plants. FORESHADOWING!
Why does Friar Laurence agree to marry Romeo and Juliet? He hopes that the marriage will help to end the family feud.
What does Mercutio mean when he says, “Alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead.”? Mercutio thinks that Romeo is not going to do well in the fight, partially because he is already shot with an arrow by Cupid and partly because Tybalt is known as the best sword fighter.
Explain the Nurse’s quote, “…To lead into a fool’s paradise.” What does the Nurse want to know of Romeo? The Nurse wants to know if Romeo is leading Juliet on or does he truly have feelings for her.
What warning does Benvolio give at the beginning of the scene? How does this support Benvolio’s characterization? What literary device does this display? “The day is hot, the Capels are abroad, And if we meet we shall not ‘scape a brawl.” He says it’s hot and if we see the Capulets we will end up fighting. This shows that Benvolio is the peacekeeper – trying to avoid a fight. This is also foreshadowing a fight.
After Tybalt insults Romeo, Romeo responds with the following quote. Paraphrase Romeo’s lines. What is the “reason” Romeo has for ignoring the insult? The audience knows that Romeo is related to Tybalt and therefore has reason to love him. Plus he doesn’t like to fight and the prince has threatened death for anyone who does fight
Explain the sequence of events. How does Mercutio get stabbed? Mercutio and Tybalt start to fight. Romeo gets between them to break up the fight. Romeo appeals to his friend Mercutio to stop fighting. While Mercutio is distracted, Tybalt takes the opportunity to stab Mercutio.
Even when he is dying, Mercutio continues to joke and to make puns. Explain the pun he makes. The word grave implies two meanings: 1. He is very serious. 2. He will be in a grave, dead.
What curse does Mercutio repeat three times during his lllllloooooonnnnnng death. Explain what he means. “A plague o’ both your houses.” He curses both families with misfortune.
Taking everything into consideration, what is the Prince’s decree concerning Romeo? He decides to banish Romeo form Verona.
Define catalyst. Explain how Mercutio’s death is a catalyst event. A catalyst is a person or thing that begins a chain reaction of events to follow. Mercutio’s death is the climax and the catalyst event. Mercutio’s death leads to Tybalt’s death leads to Romeo’s banishment leads to…
Romeo is temporarily hiding with Friar Laurence. What is Romeo’s reaction when he learns that he has been banished? Explain line 13. “Ha, banishment? Be merciful, say’ death'”. Romeo would rather be dead than alive without from Juliet.
When Romeo threatens to commit suicide, Friar Laurence tells Romeo to count his blessings. Explain what they are in your own words. Friar Laurence points out that 1) Juliet still loves Romeo, 2) Romeo killed Tybalt against the odds, and 3) Romeo is banished rather than to be executed.
What is Lord Capulet’s response to Juliet’s refusal to marry Paris? Lord Capulet gets very angry. He threatens to disown Juliet; kick her out with no money or family support.
What does the Nurse advise Juliet to do? What are her two different reasons? The Nurse advises Juliet to marry Paris. She says that he is a better man than Romeo and that Romeo might as well be dead, since she cannot see him.
Friar Lawrence These violent delights have violent ends… Therefore love moderately. Long love doth so. Too swift arrives as tardy too slow.
Romeo It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!/Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Friar to Romeo ‘Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.’
Romeo “Love goes toward love, as schoolboys from their books,/But love from love, toward school with heavy looks.”
Juliet “Good Night, Good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.”
September 7, 2019