Shakespearean Drama

Shakespearean Drama The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

Exam: Review Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet • The multiple choice test breaks down this way: • 20 multiple choice questions relate to Act 5 • 3 multiple choice questions ask you to identify the speakers and meanings of quotes • 12 multiple choice questions address figurative language, writing techniques, and imagery: You have to identify oxymorons, soliloquies, asides, metaphors, similes, personification, and images of light and dark or day and night. • 5 multiple choice questions will ask you to recall details of Shakespeare’s life or biography • 3 multiple choice questions are related to the review article about the film version • 7 multiple choice questions pertain to a scene from the play, and ask about setting, imagery, and figurative language (metaphors, similes, etc.)

Romeo and Juliet • Use your character charts, but also review the play, which means use the textbook. • Know the general timing of the plot. Example: Before he proposes to her, Romeo has known Juliet for: (how long?) • Know each character, their characteristics, and their loyalties Examples: Who is the hot-tempered nephew of Lady Capulet?

Romeo and Juliet Friar Laurence would be considered loyal to which family, the Montagues or Capulets? Or is he neutral? Benvolio’s personality could generally be described as? Who talks of the dream fairy?

Romeo and Juliet Be familiar with key passages and their meanings: Example: Prologue, Act 1: The narrator explains the play is about a feud between two families that will end in tragedy.

Romeo and Juliet • “A plague o’ both your houses” • Who said it? • Mercutio • What does it mean? • Mercutioblames his impending death on the feud between the two families. His words could also serve as a prophecy of what is to come for the Capulets and Montagues: Both families experience terrible tragedy with the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

Romeo and Juliet • “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” • Who said it? • Juliet • What does it mean? What is its importance? • Juliet laments the fact that Romeo is a Montague. This is an important concern because she knows the relationship will be difficult: She has fallen in love with the son of her family’s enemy. Juliet goes on to say, however, that “Romeo” and “Montague” are just names: They have nothing to do with the young man she has fallen in love with – her justification for proceeding with the relationship. This decision has tragic consequences for the young lovers.

Romeo and Juliet • “Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.” • Who said it? • Friar Laurence • Whatdoes it mean? What is its importance? • Friar Laurence is scolding Romeo for so quickly moving on from Rosaline – whom Romeo has been crying over for weeks – to Juliet, whom Romeo apparently fell for the second he saw her at the party. Friar Laurence is already concerned about Romeo’s tendency to act without thinking: an impulsiveness that could be considered Romeo’s tragic flaw, which leads to death and tragedy for several characters.

Romeo and Juliet • The best study strategy is to know definitions of terms and then review the play for examples: So once you know the meaning of an aside, for example, go back through the play to find an instance when a character speaks an aside. • Also, think of the general context of a spoken passage to determine which character is most likely speaking: For example, if the passage is very romantic, it most likely is said by Romeo or Juliet; if the words are spoken in anger, a good character to start with would be Tybalt. If the speaker is pleading for peace, then it is likely Benvolio, and so on. • That process may not always give you the specific answer right away, but at least you can narrow your choices.

Romeo and Juliet Be familiar with literary terms and be able to recognize examples of: Myth (definitions and characteristics; from Pyramus and Thisbe activity) Soliloquy Aside Metaphor, simile, personification Oxymoron, foreshadowing Sonnets (including their appearance in the play)

Romeo and Juliet • Review notes on the importance of night and day comparisons in the play. • Know the important facts of Shakespeare’s biography (birth, marriage, family) and his writing. • Read “Great Movies: Romeo and Juliet” article.

Romeo and Juliet • In reviewing the play, read the introductory information before each act and scene, and information in the margins. This provides context to the plot of the play, as well as defines unfamiliar words or passages.

Shakespearean Drama