Romeo and Juliet Act III

Question 1

Why does Benvolio want to leave the streets at the beginning of Act III?

Answer 1

The weather is hot, which commonly induces people to fight. Benvolio thinks that if they run into any Capulets they will not be able to prevent a fight.

Question 2

What reason does Romeo give to Tybalt when he refuses to fight him?

Answer 2

Romeo loves Tybalt’s name, because now they share it.

Question 3

Why does Mercutio decide to fight Tybalt on Romeo’s behalf?

Answer 3

Romeo was bringing shame and dishonor upon himself, Mercutio, and his family by refusing to fight Tybalt.

Question 4

How is Mercutio killed?

Answer 4

Romeo tries to prevent the fight, but blocks Mercutio’s sight. Tybalt stabbed him through Romeo’s arm.

Question 5

What literary technique is the line, “Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find a grave man”?

Answer 5

It is a pun because grave has double meanings.

Grave as in tomb, and grave as in serious.

Question 6

What does Mercutio say to Romeo and Tybalt when he is wounded by Tybalt?

Answer 6

He says four times, “A plague on both the houses.” This means he cursed both the Montagues and Capulets with death.

Question 7

Who does Romeo blame for making him too weak to fight Tybalt?

Answer 7

Juliet made Romeo a lover not a fighter.

Question 8

Who encourages Romeo to leave the streets and hide?

Answer 8

Benvolio does because the citizens are coming outside. The Nurse sees Romeo kill Tybalt.

Question 9

How many men does Lady Capulet say it took to kill Tybalt and of what does she remind the Prince?

Answer 9

She was exagerating by saying 20 men. She reminds the prince that Romeo should not be allowed to live because of the Prince’s first ruling.

Question 10

When Benvolio recounts the story of the fight with Mercutio and Tybalt to the Prince, what important fact does he omit?

Answer 10

• Mercutio challenged Tybalt
• Benvolio was involved because he encouraged Romeo to hide

Question 11

What is Romeo’s punishment for killing Tybalt?

Answer 11

Romeo will be exiled. The prince decides this because

• Romeo did the work of the law by killing Tybalt whom had already killed Mercutio
• Mercutio was the Prince’s relative

Question 12

To whom was the Prince related?

Answer 12

Mercutio

Question 13

How does Juliet learn of Tybalt’s death and how is this scene ironic?

Answer 13

The Nurse tells Juliet. The scene is ironic because Juliet assumes that the Nurse is talking about Romes when she says that “he” is dead and then thinks that both Romeo and Tybalt are dead when the Nurse says Tybalt died. In reality, Romeo was the one who killed Tybalt.

Question 14

When Juliet learns of Tybalt’s death, how long have she and Romeo been married?

Answer 14

It is the same day of the wedding and has been three hours.

Question 15

What does Juliet give to the Nurse to give to Romeo and what is it the symbol of?

Answer 15

Juliet gives the Nurse a ring to give to Romeo. It is the symbol of how

• Juliet still loves him even though Romeo killed Tybalt
• Juliet forgives Romeo for Tybalt’s death
• Juliet is not tricking him so he will come back to get arrested

Question 16

After Tybalt’s death, where did Romeo go to hide?

Answer 16

Friar Lawrence’s Cell

Question 17

In the Friar’s monologue, what three things does the Friar say Romeo brings shame to by his actions?

Answer 17

• “thy shape” (all men)-Romeo is acting like a baby
• “thy love” (Juliet)-Romeo needs to grow up
• “thy intelligence” (wit)-Romeo is too smart and knows better

Question 18

What six things must happen before Romeo can return to Verona?

Answer 18

1. He must go to Juliet’s bedroom and stay there for the night
2. He must leave Verona before the guards come out in the morning
3. Friar Lawrence and Juliet will have to make the wedding publicly known
4. The Friar and Juliet will reconcile friends
5. The Prince will have to reduce the punishment and pardon Romeo’s banishment
6. They will have to send word to Romeo

Question 19

Why does Count Paris say he cannot “woo” Juliet?

Answer 19

Count Paris believes Juliet to be sad because of Tybalt’s death and he doesn’t think that it is appropriate to flirt with her in this situation.

Question 20

On what day will Juliet and Count Paris be married before it is changed?

Answer 20

Thursday

Question 21

What is Lady Capulet’s plan for revenge on Romeo?

Answer 21

Someone will be sent to Mantua to give Romeo poison.

Question 22

How is Juliet going to make sure that the plan of Romeo being poisoned does not work?

Answer 22

Juliet request to mix the poison and Lady Capulet thinks that Juliet is just being spiteful and vengeful.

Question 23

Who does Juliet say she would rather marry than Count Paris?

Answer 23

The villain, Romeo.

Question 24

If Juliet will not marry Count Paris, what will happen to her?

Answer 24

Lord Capulet will disown her. She will nevermore be a Capulet. Juliet will either “hang, beg, or die in the streets.”

Question 25

Who tries to defend Juliet when she refuses to marry Count Paris?

Answer 25

The Nurse does. In this scene, we also learn that Lord Capulet may have been physically abusive to his servants.

Question 26

After Lord Capulet scolds Juliet, what request does Juliet make to her mother about the upcoming marriage to Paris?

Answer 26

She requests to have the wedding postponed for as long as possible.

Question 27

What advice does the Nurse give to Juliet about the marriage to Paris?

Answer 27

Juliet should marry Paris because she will not be able to marry Romeo he is practically dead to her!

Question 28

Where is Juliet going at the end of Act III? Why does the Nurse believe she is going there? What is the true reason Juliet is going there?

Answer 28

Juliet is going to Friar Lawrence’s cell. The Nurse believes that Juliet is going to make confessions. Juliet is actually going to get advice about how to get of marrying Paris, but she does not tell the Nurse because she does not trust her anymore.

Question 29

In Mercutio’s lines, how does Shakespeare connect people to the weather?

Answer 29

Benvolio says that he, Mercutio, and Romeo should not go out because if they see any Capulets they will not be able to avoid a fight because it is hot outside and with hot temperatures comes hot temperates.

Question 30

What does Mercutio say about Benvolio’s character? Is it true or false?

Answer 30

Mercutio says to Benvolio that Benvolio is the type of person who lays his sword down when he walks into a bar and says that he hopes he won’t have to use it. When really Mercutio is identifying more with himself than with Benvolio.

Question 31

What “injuries” have been done to Tybalt?

Answer 31

1. Romeo went to the Capulet feast and was not invited.
2. Romeo did not answer to Tybalt’s fight challenge.

Question 32

What are the two reasons Benvolio gives to Romeo to run and hide after the fight?

Answer 32

1. Romeo will be put to death if they find him because of Prince Escalus’s first ruling.
2. The citizens will see him and report him.

Question 33

Who said, “A plague a’ both houses!” and who was he talking about?

Answer 33

Mercutio said, “A plague a’ both houses!” when he cursed the Montagues and Capulets.

Question 34

Who said, “Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find a grave man.” and what type of figurative language is this?

Answer 34

Mercutio said it and it is a pun.

Question 35

Who said, “Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live.” and to whom was it said?

Answer 35

Lady Capulet said it to Prince Escalus when she wanted revenge for Tybalt’s death.

Question 36

What information about Tybalt’s death does Juliet not know?

Answer 36

Juliet does not know that

• Tybalt killed Mercutio when Mercutio challenged Tybalt
• Tybalt returned and then Romeo challenged him (Romeo did not seek him out to fight)

Question 37

What type of figurative language is the following verse? Who said this?

O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!
Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?
Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical!
Dove-feather’d raven! wolvish-ravening lamb!
Despised substance of divinest show!
Just opposite to what thou justly seem’st,
A damned saint, an honourable villain!
O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell,
When thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend
In moral paradise of such sweet flesh?
Was ever book containing such vile matter
So fairly bound? O that deceit should dwell
In such a gorgeous palace!

Answer 37

Juliet said this. These lines are oxymorons used to describe Romeo because Juliet now believes that he is a fraud.

Question 38

Who said,

“There’s no trust,

No faith, no honesty in men”

Answer 38

The Nurse said this to Juliet talking about Romeo after Tybalt’s death.

Question 39

Who said, “Thou art wedded to calamity” and to whom was the speaker speaking to? Who is this line about? What type of figurative language is this?

Answer 39

Friar Lawrence says this to Romeo about Juliet. This is a metaphor.

Question 40

What is the line, “Shot from the deadly level of a gun?”

Answer 40

It is an anachronism because they did not have guns in the time period of Romeo and Juliet.

Question 41

Who says, “Thou shamest thy shape, thy love, thy wit?” What do each of these things stand for?

Answer 41

The Friar says it to Romeo.

• thy shape-men
• thy love-Juliet
• thy wit-Romeo’s intelligence

Question 42

Who says,

“I think she will be rul’d

In all respects be me”

and to whom is he speaking? Who is he talking about?

Answer 42

Lord Capulet says this to Count Paris talking about Juliet.

Question 43

What four things does Juliet call Romeo as he prepares to leave?

Answer 43

Her

1. friend
2. lover
3. husband
4. lord

Question 44

Who says,

“Methinks I see thee, now thou art so low

As one dead in the bottom of a tomb”

and to whom is the speaker speaking to? What do these lines do?

Answer 44

Juliet says this to Romeo. These lines foreshadow their deaths.

Question 45

Who says, “My fingers itch!” and to whom is he speaking to? What does this mean?

Answer 45

Lord Capulet says this to Juliet. This means that he is very angry.