Romeo and Juliet Final Exam Study Guide (Sutton 2014)
I. Chronological Order: You will need to know the order of events; in other words, how does the plot unfold?
Examples:
When we first meet Romeo, who is he pining for? What does Tybalt want to do, upon spying Romeo in Lord Capulet’s house? When do the lovers meet? What does Paris want? What do the families do after the lovers’ death? When does Romeo find out Juliet is dead? (Who brings him the news?) Who kills Mercutio? What is Romeo’s response to Mercutio’s death? Where do the lovers marry? Who marries them? What does the Nurse recommend Juliet to do, now that Romeo has been banished? What does Juliet do, instead? Who helps Juliet make her plans? Why does Juliet’s father have a fit and say cruel things to his beloved daughter?
II. Character knowledge: you need to know who is who, who is related to whom and what their desires/motivations are.
Examples:
Who wrote this play, Romeo & Juliet? Without this queen, the theatres in Shakespeare’s time would not have had the money or the reputation they needed to secure Shakespeare’s place in history. Who is only thirteen? Who is funny and coarse and simple-minded, but adores her Juliet? Who is the fiery Capulet cousin, nicknamed, “King of Cats?” Who is fairly selfish and distanced from her child, wanting only a “good marriage” to increase the family’s wealth and reputation? Who hosts the ball in Act 1 and prevents Tybalt from fighting Romeo? Who is the cold girl we never meet, who first caused Romeo heartbreak? Who is Romeo’s friend, not clever and smart, but loyal and practical? Who is Romeo’s friend, not practical, and not humble, but loves to hear himself speak, and makes jokes even as he is dying? Who loves Romeo like a father, and wants to help end the feud between the two houses? Who are the parents of Romeo? Who is the “governor” of the city and decrees that Romeo is banished, and later, that both families are published by the deaths of their children? Who is Romeo’s servant, unable to deliver the message about Juliet? III. True/False: You need to know what characteristics belong to each character. Examples:
The nurse is elegant and concise, a cool customer. Friar Laurence has a soft spot for young love, and that’s the real reason he married R&J. The Capulets and Montagues end their feud. Romeo is a player; he is torn between Rosaline, Juliet, and the next girl he meets. Both families know the lovers are married; they are just ignoring it so the arranged marriage can go forward. The Prince ends the street brawl between the two families in Act I by threatening death to the next men who duel. Juliet agrees with her Nurse, that she should just give up Romeo and marry the decent guy in the wings, Paris. Benvolio is hot-tempered and kills Tybalt. Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt at first because he is secretly his cousin, now that he has married Juliet. Lord Capulet doesn’t want Tybalt to fight Romeo at the party because Lord C thinks Romeo could be a good match for his daughter. Paris is a passionate lover of Juliet who wants to duel with Romeo… if he can find him.
III. Multiple Choice: You will need to use your knowledge of character, as well as plot, to make inferences about who said what.
Examples:
Act 1: “What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word/As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. “
Act 1.iii: (responding to Lady Capulet, who says, “She’s not fourteen,” this character says, “I’ll lay fourteen of my teeth-- and yet, to my teen it be spoken, I have but four -- She’s not fourteen.”
Act 1.iv: “If love be rough with you, be rough with love./Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.”
Act I.v: “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!/It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night/Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear --/Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!”
IV. Character Identification: You will need to fill in a family tree for both houses. Include all main characters, as well as Benvolio and Balthazar, Nurse, Friar, etc.
VI. Quotes: Identify who said each of the following to whom, and write a brief summary of each in the space below. Note: You will be given a few quotes from the play as a whole, but mostly quotes from YOUR OWN scenes.
Example: O, my love; my wife! Romeo is saying this to Juliet. Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, Act #: 5 Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty, Romeo is saying that Juliet is still Thou art not conquered. beautiful, even though she’s “dead.”