Romeo and Juliet Questions and Answers
by William Shakespeare

Recently Answered Questions

• Romeo and Juliet
  What examples of foreshadowing, imagery, similes and metaphors, symbolism, and/or theme can be found in the following excerpt from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet? O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, From off the battlements of yonder tower;...
  In these lines, Juliet is talking to Friar Lawrence, complaining to him very dramatically about how she'd bravely and instantly do anything horrible, creepy, or painful in order to avoid marrying...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, what figurative language is used in Juliet's soliloquy, Act II, Scene 2, Lines 33-49? "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?Deny thy father and refuse thy name;Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,And...
  Alliteration can be seen in the line: "it is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor for face, nor any other part belonging to a man." This is an example of alliteration because the consonant "n" is...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  How does the story of Romeo and Juliet view the ideas of “love at first sight” and “true love never dies”?
  Shakespeare makes it pretty clear through Romeo and Juliet that love at first sight is not true love. First of all, Romeo is hopelessly in love with Rosaline at the beginning of the story, but the...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Why would Friar John be said to be to blame for Romeo and Juliet's deaths?
  Friar John could be blamed for Romeo and Juliet's deaths for the following reason. He was the man charged with carrying Friar Laurence's message to Romeo explaining the plan to reunite the two...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  What items would be put in a time capsule for Romeo and Juliet?
  A time capsule captures significant objects for a work. Here are some that are meaningful to the play. Mask- A mask from the party would be a good thing to include. This is because Romeo and...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Compare and contrast the 1968 movie version of Romeo and Juliet to the actual play.
  Film, with its potential to use rich visual imagery to convey meaning, gives filmmakers advantages Shakespeare did not have. While he had little choice but to rely on words to paint pictures in his...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  What is Shakespeare's theme about young love in Romeo and Juliet?
  Opinions vary concerning what Shakespeare is revealing about young love in Romeo and Juliet. First, you can interpret the play by viewing Romeo and Juliet's passion as leading them quickly into...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  What are examples of familial love in Romeo and Juliet?  
  There are three good examples of familial love in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Lord Montague, the Nurse, and Lord Capulet all show their love to either Romeo or Juliet. In Act I, Scene 1, Lord...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Compare and contrast the 1996 movie version of Romeo and Juliet to the play.
  One of biggest contrasts between the 1996 movie that starred Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo and Claire Danes as Juliet and the play is that the movie is set in modern day in Verona Beach instead of...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  What are examples of parental love in Romeo and Juliet?
  There are good examples of parental love in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. First, Lord Montague and Lady Montague demonstrate their love for Romeo in their concern over Romeo's depression in the...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Who would be a good celebrity to play the role of Tybalt?
  Well, the character is pugnacious and hot-headed, yet loyal to his family name. He would have to have a snide wit and sullenly carry a grudge far enough to challenge someone to a duel, even though...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  What type of figurative language does Lord Capulet use to describe Juliet’s grieving in Romeo and Juliet?
  Capulet compares Juliet’s grief over Tybalt's death to a storm. Figurative language is language that is used descriptively, not literally. Shakespeare uses figurative language often, because in a...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Compare and contrast the 1968 movie version of Romeo and Juliet to the play.
  Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet is a much-loved work, and it has been adapted to film multiple times. It should not come as a surprise that any film version doesn't entirely adhere to the...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  What are the themes of act 5 scene 1, scene 2, and scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet?
  The themes that appear throughout Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and which appear in act 5, include the themes of love versus hate, the relationship of parents and their children, and fate versus...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Analyze which characters are most responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Explain, by referring to the play, the extent to which three of the following characters contribute to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet: Romeo, Juliet, the Nurse,...
  Out of the eight characters listed in the question, one could argue that Tybalt, Lord Capulet, and Friar Laurence are primarily responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Tybalt bears a...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Why are Romeo and Juliet "a case of bad luck" in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare? 
  In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the two young lovers seem to undergo more than their fair share of unfortunate accidents. In the Prologue, Shakespeare describes their fate as follows:...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  What do you think of Friar Lawrence's plan in Romeo and Juliet? What are its strong points and drawbacks?
  Friar Laurence wants to bring Romeo and Juliet together as he believes that it will end the long, drawn-out feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. He's also concerned about Juliet's fragile...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  What literary elements are in this quote from Romeo and Juliet spoken by Paris in act 5, scene 3? "Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew / O woe, thy canopy is dust and stones! / Which with sweet water nightly I will dew, / Or, wanting...
  These words are spoken by Paris at the beginning of Act V, Scene 3. He has come to pay his respects to Juliet by spreading flowers and scented water around Capulet's vault where the girl has been...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Are Romeo and Juliet tragic heroes or victims of fate?
  I'll go with tragic heroes. I don't really believe in fate and I don't think fate is necessary to the play, even if Shakespeare does call the two of them "star-crossed." I think they're tragic...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Discuss character development in act 3 of Romeo and Juliet in point form.
  In act 3 of Romeo and Juliet, the story shifts from comedy to tragedy with the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt. As a result, both Romeo and Juliet are forced into outsider positions in their own...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Discuss character development in act 4 of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
  "These violent delights have violent ends." Act 4 opens with Friar Laurence and Paris. Juliet, even though she is secretly wed to Romeo, has agreed to marry Paris, but of course, she and the Friar...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  What does Romeo and Juliet teach us about identity?
  In Romeo and Juliet, the characters are judged on account of their names. The Montagues hate the Capulets, and vice versa. It doesn't matter what a person is really like, only what their name...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  How does Shakespeare use Elizabethan English in Romeo and Juliet?
  This question has already been answered: http://www.enotes.com/romeo-and-juliet/q-and-a/how-does-shakespeare-use-language-imagery-convey-326001

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Who is the ruler of Verona in the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare?
  This question has already been answered. Here is a link for you: http://www.enotes.com/romeo-and-juliet/q-and-a/whose-ruler-verona-who-wantd-marry-jul-wat-theatr-24809

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Which character's philosophies of love do these quotes represent? "Therefore love moderately; long love doth so..." "Love's heralds should be thoughts..." "If love be rough with you, be rough with love." "Love goes toward love as schoolboys from...
  The first on is Friar Lawrence, telling Romeo to calm down and stop being hasty. The second one is Juliet. She is wishing that her Nurse would hurry up and get back from seeing Romeo. The third...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Interpret and list literary devices for "Love goes toward love, as schoolboys from their books, but love from love, toward school with heavy looks." Romeo says this after Juliet exits in Act 2 Scene 2.
  Rhyme (books/looks) Repetition Parallel constructions (love to love, love from love, etc.) to create balance Rhythm (the number of accented syllables) Personification (love doesn't do these things,...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  At the end of Act 2 scene 2 what does the F. Lawrence mean by, "...for this alliance may so happy prove, to turn you households' rancour to pure love"?
  Friar Lawrence is speaking about the marriage (this alliance) between Romeo and Juliet. The friar hopes that the lovers' marriage will end the feud between the Montague's and the Capulet's, turning...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Why is "O I am fortune's fool" important in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet?
  This question has been previously asked and answered. Please see the links below, and thank you for using eNotes!...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  When is Juliet's birthday?
  During Act I, the Nurse reminiscences about her daughter Susan who would have been that same age as Juliet. During a conversation amongst Juliet and Lady Capulet, the Nurse says, “Come Lammas-eve...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  What is Lady Capulet¨s behavior in Romeo an Juliet, especially towards Paris? Especially when she tells Juliet she has to marry Paris.
  Although Lady Capulet is Juliet's mother, it ends there. She is only her mother in name. She is not the caring, nurturing, supportive mother that one expects. Remember, the setting of this play was...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  How did Lord Capulet force the young ladies to dance with him?
  He threatens to lie about them. Okay, it's not much of a lie, but that's how he does it; he says he'll tell everyone they have corns on their feet if they turn him down. So, a threat and a joke at...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  How does Juliet’s refusal to bow to the pressure of her parents and the nurse reinforce that tragedy is the only outcome that can be expected?
  Juliet's refusal to obey her elders while knowing that the consequences would be great shows how headstrong she is. It also shows how deeply in love she is, as well. Both Juliet's and Romeo's...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Interpret and list literary devices for "“Goodnight, goodnight! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.”
  Interpretation: "Good night! Good night! Leaving is so sad, that I wish I could say "goodnight" until tomorrow, so I wouldn't have to leave you." Literary Devices: Rhyming couplet: sorrow/morrow...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Can someone point me in a direction in writing a thesis proposal for Romeo and Juliet for the motif of dark vs light? I don't have much experience with writting thesis', but I need to write a proposal for Romeo and Juliet for the theme Dark vs...
  This question has already been dealt with here on eNotes. Here is a link for you: http://www.enotes.com/romeo-and-juliet/light-dark-romeo-juliet

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Who are these quotes talking about?   "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!" "...he's the courageous captain of compliments." "She'll not be hit/With Cupid's arrow...From Love's weak childish bow she lives unharmed."
  The first of these quotes is spoken by Romeo about Juliet. It is talking about how beautiful and radiant she is. This comes from the scene where he first meets her (Act I, Scene 5) -- in fact,...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  In "Romeo and Juliet", whom does Mercutio praise in an attempt to attract Romeo's attention?  
  Mercutio gives his famous "Queen Mab" speech to distract the gloomy Romeo from romantic problems. Romeo is sad because Rosaline doesn't return his love. Queen Mab is the fairy queen, and Mercutio's...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  To what extent are Romeo and Juliet merely innocent victims of their parent's feud provide evidence and both side of argument
  This question has already been answered. Here is a link for you: http://www.enotes.com/romeo-and-juliet/q-and-a/what-extent-romeo-juliet-merely-innocent-victims-312441

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• Romeo and Juliet
  In Act 1.5 of Romeo and Juliet, what does Romeo mean when he says "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright."?
  He has been so devastated by Rosaline's rejection that he is depressed. When he first sees Juliet, he sees her as the "light." Rosaline becomes "darkness" and Juliet becomes the light. What he...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  What do these lines from "Romeo and Juliet" mean? "As glorious to this night, being o'er my head /As is a winged messenger of heaven"?   
  In this line, Romeo is referring to Juliet. He is using a simile (a comparison using 'like' or 'as') to compare Juliet to an angel.An angel, a "winged messenger of heaven", is as glorious...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  lady capulet goes to tell juliet about the plans for the marriage between juliet and paris. what is juliet's reaction?
  This question has already been answered here on eNotes. Here is a link for you: http://www.enotes.com/romeo-and-juliet/q-and-a/what-was-juliets-reaction-her-parents-decision-135699

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Creating Family Crests for Romeo and Juliet I have to make 2 family crests for the Montagues and the Capulets and it needs an italian motto describing the family. Can anyone help?
  I believe that a family crest in that time might have either Latin or Italian. There are many great mottos in Latin, here are some ideas: Audax at fidelis - Bold but faithful. Fac fortia et...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  To prevent Romeo from committing suicide, what does Friar Laurence use as an argument to prevent this from happening(in Act 3, Scene 3)? Also, in scene 4 of this act, what does capulet tell his wife to say to Juliet?
  I believe that your first question has already been asked once this evening -- about what Friar Laurence says when Romeo says he'll kill himself. As for your second question, in that scene Lord and...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  For the following quote, give an interpretation and list any literary devices utilized: "He jests at scars that never felt a wound."
  My individual interpretation of this quote is that Mecutio is "picking" at Romeo's relationship with Rosaline. The failure of that relationship hurt Romeo and may have left an "impact," but it...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  How does the use of light and dark in romeo and juliet change the mood and atmosphere of the characters?
  This question has already been dealt with here on eNotes. Here is a link for you: http://www.enotes.com/romeo-and-juliet/light-dark-romeo-juliet

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Please explain the relationship between Juliet and the nurse.
  This question has already been answered on eNotes. Here is a link for you: http://www.enotes.com/romeo-and-juliet/q-and-a/juliet-223495

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Give literary devices and interpret "More light and light, more dark and dark our woes." Romeo said this in Act 3 Scene 5.
  *All quotes are taken from the Norton Shakespeare, based on the Oxford Edition. Interpretation: In the previous line, Juliet comments on how the light is growing (the day is progressing). Romeo...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  If Juliet and Jem were to make a time capsule then what are 2 things that each of them would put in it Jem Finch and Juliet Capulet are friends, but they are talking about their lives in each work. 
  This is a rather bizarre combination of characters, to say the least, with one from fourteenth century Verona, Italy, and the other from twentieth-century America. Perhaps, Jem locates an artifact...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Who is the author of Romeo & Juliet? And do libraries in the community have copies available?
  Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare. Any respectable library will have copies of this play. You can even get copies of the play free online. I've provided a link below to the etext...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  Show me a picture of the family crest for Romeo and Juliet. I really need it tonight for my nephews project. If you can tell me the web site to find it I would greatly appreciate it.
  Well, this is a tough one to answer for three reasons. First, they are fictional, and so would not necessarily match the crests in the real world. Second, they got together without family...

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• Romeo and Juliet
  In act 1, scene 1, who encourages the fighting between the servants from the Montague and Capulet families in Romeo and Juliet?
  Though several characters could be charged with encouraging the fight that takes place in act 1, scene 1, of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, there are three who stand out as contributing...

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