Romeo & Juliet Information Your test Cheat Sheet

Romeo The son and heir of Montague and Lady Montague. In his late teens. He is handsome, intelligent, and sensitive His only interest is love. At the beginning of the play he is madly in love with a woman named Rosaline, but the instant he lays eyes on Juliet, he falls in love with her and forgets Rosaline. He secretly marries Juliet, the daughter of his father’s worst enemy; he happily takes abuse from Tybalt; and he would rather die than live without his beloved. Romeo is also an affectionate and devoted friend to his relative Benvolio, Mercutio, and Friar Lawrence.

Juliet The daughter of Capulet and Lady Capulet. A beautiful thirteen-year-old girl She grows up quickly upon falling in love with Romeo, the son of her family’s great enemy. Juliet’s closest friend and confidant is her nurse, though she’s willing to shut the Nurse out of her life the moment the Nurse turns against Romeo.

Friar Lawrence friend to both Romeo and Juliet. Kind, civic-minded, a proponent of moderation, and always ready with a plan He secretly marries the impassioned lovers in hopes that the union might eventually bring peace to Verona. also an expert in the use of seemingly mystical potions and herbs.

Lord Capulet The patriarch of the Capulet family Father of Juliet husband of Lady Capulet enemy, for unexplained reasons, of Montague. He truly loves his daughter, though he is not well acquainted with Juliet’s thoughts or feelings, and seems to think that what is best for her is a “good” match with Paris.

Lord Montague Romeo’s father bitter enemy of Capulet At the beginning of the play, he is chiefly concerned about Romeo’s melancholy

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. He loathes Montagues.

Prince Escalus The Prince of Verona. kinsman of Mercutio and Paris. As the seat of political power in Verona, he is concerned about maintaining the public peace at all costs.

Mercutio A kinsman to the Prince, and Romeo’s close friend. overflows with imagination, wit, and, at times, a strange, biting satire and brooding fervor. He can be quite hotheaded, and hates people who are affected, pretentious, or obsessed with the latest fashions. He finds Romeo’s romanticized ideas about love tiresome,

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.

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 her, acting as if they are already married.

Balthazar Romeo’s dedicated servant, who brings Romeo the news of Juliet’s death, unaware that her death is a lie.

Nurse Juliet’s nurse, the woman who has cared for Juliet her entire life. A vulgar, long-winded, and sentimental character provides comic relief with her frequently inappropriate remarks and speeches the Nurse is Juliet’s faithful confidante and loyal intermediary in Juliet’s affair with Romeo The Nurse believes in love and wants Juliet to have a nice-looking husband, but the idea that Juliet would want to sacrifice herself for love is incomprehensible to her.

Rosaline The girl Romeo thinks he is in love with at the beginning of the play He goes to the Capulet party to see her, but sees Juliet and falls in love with her instead

Drama Terms Aside- a brief remark made to the audience, unheard by the other characters Monologue- a lengthy speech. Unlike a soliloquy, however, a monologue is addressed to other characters. Soliloquy- a lengthy speech in which a character; alone on stage, expresses his or her thoughts to the audience. Couplet- a pair of successive lines of verse, especially a pair that rhyme and are of the same length

Drama Terms, cont. Dramatic Irony- When the audience knows something that the actors don’t. (Ex: when everyone thinks Juliet is dead, but we know she took a sleeping potion) Iambic Pentameter- a pattern of unstressed, stressed syllables. Shakespeare uses this pattern of syllables to write Romeo and Juliet. Dramatic Foil- a character who contrasts another character in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character

The Shakespearean Stage Who would play characters like Juliet and the Nurse? Why? Young boys What was the name of the place where Shakespeare’s plays would be performed? The Globe Theatre When would Shakespeare’s plays be performed? Why? During the day, in order to have natural light Who ruled England at the time of Shakespeare? Queen Elizabeth I Approximately how much would it cost to see one of Shakespeare’s plays? $1.66

Quotes to Consider “That we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet!” “O that I were a glove upon that hand that I might touch her that cheek!” “Never there was a story of more woe than that of Juliet and her Romeo,”

Ideas to Ponder… What does it mean that Romeo and Juliet are “star cross’d lovers,” as seen in the prologue? They are fated to meet an unhappy end; fate is against them. Who do you think is ultimately responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s death? Think about the play as a whole and decide what events and actions lead to the tragic ending of the work. In what city does the play take place? Verona, Italy Who are the two feuding families? The Montagues & The Capulets

It’s all about the order! The servants pick a fight in the town square. Romeo speaks to Juliet at her balcony, and they decide to marry. Romeo marries Juliet. Mercutio is killed. Tybalt is killed. Romeo is banished. Juliet takes a sleeping potion. Romeo kills himself. Juliet kills herself.