| Romeo | The son and heir of Montague and Lady Montague. |
| Juliet | The daughter of Capulet and Lady Capulet. |
| Friar Laurence | He secretly marries the impassioned lovers in hopes that the union might eventually bring peace to Verona. |
| Nurse | Juliet’s faithful confidante and loyal intermediary in Juliet’s affair with Romeo. |
| Mercutio | A kinsman to the Prince, and Romeo’s close friend. |
| Tybalt | A Capulet, Juliet’s cousin on her mother’s side. Vain, fashionable, supremely aware of courtesy and the lack of it, he becomes aggressive, violent, and quick to draw his sword when he feels his pride has been injured. Once drawn, his sword is something to be feared. He loathes Montagues. |
| Lord Montague | Romeo’s father, the patriarch of the Montague clan and bitter enemy of Capulet. At the beginning of the play, he is chiefly concerned about Romeo’s melancholy. |
| Lady Montague | Romeo’s mother, Montague’s wife. She dies of grief after Romeo is exiled from Verona. |
| Lord Capulet | The patriarch of the Capulet family, father of Juliet, husband of Lady Capulet, and enemy, for unexplained reasons, of Montague. |
| Lady Capulet | Juliet’s mother, Capulet’s wife. A woman who herself married young (by her own estimation she gave birth to Juliet at close to the age of fourteen), she is eager to see her daughter marry Paris. She is an ineffectual mother, relying on the Nurse for moral and pragmatic support. |
| Paris | A kinsman of the Prince, and the suitor of Juliet most preferred by Capulet. Once Capulet has promised him he can marry Juliet, he behaves very presumptuous toward, acting as if they are already married. |
| Benvolio | Montague’s nephew, Romeo’s cousin and thoughtful friend, he makes a genuine effort to defuse violent scenes in public places, though Mercutio accuses him of having a nasty temper in private. He spends most of the play trying to help Romeo get his mind off Rosaline, even after Romeo has fallen in love with Juliet. |
| Prince Escalus | The Prince of Verona. A kinsman of Mercutio and Paris. As the seat of political power in Verona, he is concerned about maintaining the public peace at all costs. |
| Friar John | A Franciscan friar charged by Friar Lawrence with taking the news of Juliet’s false death to Romeo in Mantua. Friar John is held up in a quarantined house, and the message never reaches Romeo. |
| Balthasar | Romeo’s dedicated servant, who brings Romeo the news of Juliet’s death, unaware that her death is a ruse. |
| Sampson & Gregory | Two servants of the house of Capulet, who, like their master, hate the Montagues. At the outset of the play, they successfully provoke some Montague men into a fight. |
| Abram | Montague’s servant, who fights with Sampson and Gregory in the first scene of the play. |
| The Apothecary | An apothecary in Mantua. Had he been wealthier, he might have been able to afford to value his morals more than money, and refused to sell poison to Romeo. |
| Peter | A Capulet servant who invites guests to Capulet’s feast and escorts the Nurse to meet with Romeo. |
| Rosaline | The woman with whom Romeo is infatuated at the beginning of the play. Rosaline never appears onstage, but it is said by other characters that she is very beautiful and has sworn to live a life of chastity. |
| Where does Scene 1 take place? | Mantua |
| What was Romeo’s dream? | Juliet finds him dead and brings him back to life as an emperor with her kiss. |
| Who brings Romeo the news that Juliet is dead? | Balthasar |
| Why does Romeo go to the Apothecary? | to buy poison. |
| How much does Romeo pay for the poison? | 40 ducats |
| Why does the Apothecary hesitate in selling Romeo the poison? | it is against the law |
| What persuades the Apothecary to go ahead and sell Romeo the poison? | he is poor |
| Who does Friar Laurence entrust with the important letter to Romeo? | Friar John |
| Why is the letter not delivered to Romeo? | Friar John is quarantined while visiting the sick. |
| How long will it be before Juliet wakes up? | three hours. |
| Why is Paris at Juliet’s tomb? | to bring flowers and weep. |
| What is Paris’ last request? | to lie beside Juliet. |
| Why does Paris think Romeo has come to the Capulet tomb? | to damage to the bodies of Tybalt and Juliet. |
| Who kills Paris? | Romeo |
| If Romeo had not been so hasty in drinking the poison, what would he have noticed about Juliet? | Juliet’s lips and cheeks were crimson. She was beginning to wake up |
| Name the people who have died in this scene. | Paris, Lady Montague, Romeo, and Juliet |
| Where does Friar Laurence want to take Juliet? | a “sisterhood of holy nuns” |
| How does Juliet kill herself? | with Romeo’s dagger. |
| Who is suspected the most as a murderer and why? | he is carrying a shovel |
| What four accounts does the Prince hear? | Friar Laurence, Balthasar, the Page, and the letter in Balthasar’s possession |
| When and does Lady Montegue die? | The night before, out of grief over her son’s banishment |
| Does The Friar tell the truth about what happened? | Yes |
| How do they plan on commemorating the two? | With a golden statue of Juliet |
| What does Lord Capulet admit was wrong in his part? | He kept the family feud going |
| Why is Paris at Friar Laurence’s cell? | to arrange his wedding |
| What reason does Paris give the Friar for the hasty marriage? | to stop Juliet’s tears |
| How long will the sleeping potion take effect? | 42 hours. |
| Where will Juliet be put after her family believes that she is dead? | in the Capulet vault |
| Who will be waiting in the tomb when Juliet awakens from the sleeping potion? | Romeo |
| Who is supervising the preparations for the wedding? | Lord Capulet |
| What change does Lord Capulet make in the wedding plans? | moves the wedding from Thursday to Wednesday. |
| If the potion does not work, what does Juliet plan to do? | she plans to kill herself |
| What vision makes her have the strength to go ahead and drink the potion? | Tybalt coming after Romeo |
| How will Romeo know about the plans? | Friar Laurence is sending him a letter |
| Scene 4 takes place at what time in the morning? | three A.M. |
| Scene 4 takes place on what day? | early Wednesday morning. |
| How do the Capulets know that Paris is approaching? | they can hear the |
| Who is sent to wake up Juliet? | The Nurse |
| What does the Nurse find? | The Nurse finds Juliet dead |
| Who tries to console the Capulets by saying that Juliet is better off in heaven? | Friar Lawrence |
| Why does the Friar scold the Capulets? | He scolds them because when she was alive all they cared about was marrying her off |
| How do the wedding preparations change after they find Juliet? | it become a funeral |
| How does the County Paris react to the death of Juliet? | he is devastated |
| How does Lord Capulet know that she is dead? | her body is cold to the touch and her joints are stiff. |
| How does the act end? | a comic discussion between the musicians and Peter. |
| Who begs Mercutio to leave the streets of Verona because the Capulets might also be out on this extremely hot day? | Benvolio |
| Who comes to the public square looking for a fight with Romeo? | Tybalt |
| What does Mercutio call Tybalt? | Good King of Cats |
| How does Tybalt insult Romeo and try to get him to fight him? | by calling him a villain |
| Why won’t Romeo fight Tybalt? | because now they are related by marriage. |
| Why does Mercutio fight Tybalt? | he is angry that Tybalt is insulting Romeo, his friend. |
| Why does Romeo kill Tybalt? | to revenge his friend’s death |
| Who tells the prince about the murders? | Benvolio |
| What is Romeo’s punishment? | to be banished from Verona |
| What day is it in Scene 3? | late on Monday night. |
| Where did Romeo run to hide after the murder of Tybalt? | in Friar Laurence’s cell. |
| Who tells him that the Prince has banished him? | The Friar |
| The Friar gives three reasons that Romeo should be happy. What were they? | Juliet is alive; he is alive, and he is only banished not killed. |
| What does the Nurse give to Romeo? | Juliet’s ring |
| Where is Romeo to go before daybreak? | Mantua. |
| On what day does Lord Capulet plan for Juliet to be married to Paris? | Thursday. |
| Who is to tell Juliet the “good news” concerning her future marriage to Paris? | Lady Capulet |
| On what day does Scene 5 take place? | Tuesday morning. |
| What vision does Juliet have as Romeo is leaving? | Romeo dead in the bottom of a tomb. |
| Who comes to visit with Juliet early that morning? | Lady Capulet |
| What news does Lady Capulet give to Juliet? | that her father has consented for her to marry Paris on Thursday. |
| What is Juliet’s reaction to the news that Lady Capulet gives her? | .Juliet is upset and says that she will not marry Paris. |
| Who does Juliet turn to for help when her parents leave? | the Nurse |
| What advice does the Nurse give Juliet? | to forget Romeo and marry Paris. |
| Why does Juliet tell the Nurse that she is going to see Friar Laurence? | to confess her sins |
| If the Friar cannot furnish a solution for Juliet, what does she have the power to do? | to commit suicide |
| Instead of returning home, where does Romeo go after the ball? | into the Capulet orchard. |
| By whose name does Mercutio call for Romeo? | Rosalines name. |
| What does Romeo say helped him climb over the high walls of the Capulet orchard and find Juliet’s window? | Love, which gave him wings |
| What do Romeo and Juliet exchange? | vows of love. |
| What do Romeo and Juliet plan to do the next day? | to be married the next day. |
| Who keeps interrupting the balcony scene? | The Nurse |
| What is Friar Laurence’s special skill or area of knowledge? | making medicines and potions from herbs. |
| With what does Friar Laurence compare the beneficial and poisonous parts of the plant? | the good and evil within a man. |
| About what does the Friar caution Romeo? | Not to marry so fast |
| Why does the Friar agree to marry Romeo and Juliet? | to end the feud |
| Who has sent Romeo a challenge for a duel? | Tybalt |
| Where are Romeo and Juliet to be married? | Friar Laurence’s cell. |
| Who teases Romeo about Rosaline and his love-sickness? | Mercutio |
| Who teases the Nurse and causes her to become crass? | Mercutio |
| How does Romeo plan to get into Juliet’s window? | a rope ladder |
| At what time did Juliet send the Nurse to see Romeo and find out the wedding plans? | nine o’clock |
| How long has Juliet been waiting for the Nurse to return with the news from Romeo? | three hours |
| How does the Nurse react when she finally returns? | to be tired |
| How many people know of the marriage? | romeo juliet friar lawrence and the nurse |
| What is another name for the Friar? | the ghostly confessor. |
| What is the setting for the play? | Verona, Italy. |
| Which character tries to stop the fighting among the servants? | Benvolio |
| Which character is aggressive and eager to fight? | Tybalt |
| What warning does the Prince give to anyone who breaks the peace again? | death |
| Who has asked for Juliet’s hand in marriage? | Paris |
| How old is Juliet? | 13 |
| In what state of mind is Romeo when we first see him in the play? | lovesick |
| Who is Susan? | the Nurses daughter |
| When is Juliet’s birthday? | Lamma’s Eve August 1st |
| Which character loves to talk? | Mercutio |
| What premonition does Romeo have? | he will die young |
| Who recognizes Romeo’s voice at the feast and becomes furious because he is allowed to stay? | Tybalt |
| Who first tells Romeo and Juliet who the other is? | The Nurse |
Romeo and Juliet Plot Questions
October 19, 2019