Romeo and Juliet Test: Honors 9

Short Answer: On a separate page, respond to the following items with complete answers.

"O serpent heart hid with a flow'ring face!
Did ever a dragon keep so fair a cave?
Beautiful tyrant! Fiend angelical!
Dove-feathered raven! Wolfish-ravening lamb!
Despised substance of divinest show!"

1. What is the term for these contradictory images Juliet uses? Who is she describing? Why?

2. Much of Romeo and Juliet is written in iambic pentameter. What does that mean?

3. Copy this section of Mercutio's Queen Mab speech and mark the stressed and unstressed syllables:

"O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you.
She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate stone
On the forefinger of an alderman,
Drawn by a team of little atomies
Over men's noses as they lie asleep..."

4. Mercutio is a named derived from Mercury, the Roman messenger of the gods. Why is this a fitting name for such a character?

5. Describe and give an example from the play that shows how each of these pairs are dramatic foils to one another:

a) Romeo--Benvolio, b) Romeo--Friar Lawrence, c) Romeo--Juliet, d) Benvolio--Mercutio,
e) Benvolio--Tybalt, f) Nurse--Lady Capulet, g) Nurse--Juliet

6. Based on the following speech, what is Friar Lawrence's opinion of human nature? Explain his metaphor.

"Within the infant rind of this weak flower
Poison hath residence and medicine power;
For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part;
Being tasted, stays all senses with the heart.
Two such opposed kings encamp them still
In man as well as herbs--grace and rude will;
And where the worser is predominant,
Full soon the canker death eats up the plant."

7. Name the term for Juliet's speech (on page 341) that begins "Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, / Towards Phoebus' lodging!..."

8. Name the term for the Friar's speech (on page 348) that begins "Hold thy desperate hand...."

9. What is an aside? What is the purpose of this aside by Juliet?

Lady Capulet: That same villain Romeo.
Juliet: (Aside) Villain and he be many miles asunder.--

10. How is Juliet's meeting with Paris at Friar Lawrence's cell an example of dramatic irony?

11. How is Capulet's preparing for Juliet's wedding feast an example of dramatic irony?

Metaphorical language: Translate these metaphors into simple, modern English:

12. "My bosom's lord sits lightly in his throne..." (Romeo)

13. "There is thy gold--worse poison to men's souls..." (Romeo to the Apothecary)

14. "Thou detestable maw,.../Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth..." (Romeo opening Juliet's tomb)

15. Using direct quotations from the play, write a paragraph that illustrates how the character of Capulet changes throughout Romeo and Juliet. (Be sure to have a clear topic sentence.)

Essay Prompt: Respond to the following with a 500-1000 word essay, in final draft form, which contains a clear thesis statement, plenty of specific details, and no unsupported generalizations. All your supporting paragraphs should contain clear topic sentences, as well. Your writing should reflect not only that you have read the play, but also that you have considered the themes and implications of it. Here's the prompt:

Romeo and Juliet is full of violence and death. At the end of the play, Mercutio, Tybalt, Paris, Romeo, and Juliet are among the dead. The issue of who is to blame for these tragic deaths is complicated. Prince Escalus states:

"Capulet! Montague!
See what a scourge is laid upon your hate,
That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love!
And I, for winking at your discords, too,
Have lost a brace of kinsmen. All are punished."

Some might agree that the Prince is partially to blame; others might point out that the Montagues and Capulets, by continuing their feud, caused the deaths. A case can also be made, however, that Romeo and Juliet themselves, by defying their parents, were responsible for the tragedies. The Nurse and Friar Lawrence certainly contributed to the tragedy by giving their suggestions and support to the young lovers. Still, some might point to the stars--fate--as the guilty party.

Assign blame for the tragedies. Depending on how you approach this essay, it may be organized in several ways. You could devote a paragraph to each of several guilty parties, or you could discuss, in several paragraphs, why one cause is primarily to blame. Be sure to include an introductory and concluding paragraph, and quote from the play to support your arguments.

Here are some issues you may wish to address in your essay: What are the "tragic flaws" of each character in the play? What part does fate play in Romeo and Juliet? Are there instances in the play where some or all of the characters are powerless to prevent bad things from happening? What is the central theme of the play? Does this theme suggest who or what is at fault?

"For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

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