Practice+Questions

1. Explore the different ways in which romantic love is presented in the play.

2. Compare the roles of the Nurse and Friar Laurence in influencing the characters and action of the play.

3. "…old folks, many feign as they were dead; / Unwieldy, slow, heavy  and pale as lead." To what extent do the older characters in the play contribute to the tragedy that follows?

4. "Juliet is a woman; Romeo is a boy." Do you agree?

5. How does Shakespeare manage to sustain pace and tension and the attention of the audience in the play?

6. To what extent is Romeo and Juliet a play of polar opposites (e.g.  good and bad, weak and strong etc.) Explore the presentation of two characters who present a more blurred picture.

7. What function does the character of Mercutio serve in the play? Why is his presence important?

8. What evidence do we have of the parenting skills of Lord and Lady Capulet, and how do these compare with the Montagues'?