Romeo & Juliet

Question 1

Exposition
“O she doth teach the torches to burn bright!”
-Romeo
Act 1 Scene 5

Answer 1

AO1: This moment establishes him as driven by beauty and he is easily led into romantic feelings.
AO2: Overwhelmed interjection “O” he is awestruck by her beauty and presence
alliterative plosives “teach/torches” and “burn/bright” adds to his excited tone and heightened emotional state.
AO3: Context
women weren’t supposed to shine or be a bright presence perhaps this foreshadows Juliet’s atypical charisma and boldness

Question 2

Pepper
“It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden”
-Juliet
Act 2 Scene 2

Answer 2

Triplet of pejorative (disapproving) adjectives
shows her initial caution in contrast to Romeo’s whirlwind of strong emotions.

Question 3

Mid-Point
“Juliet/ Thy beauty hath made me effeminate/ And in my temper softened valour’s steel”
-Romeo
Act 3 Scene 1

Answer 3

AO1: He thinks Juliet’s ‘beauty’ has distracted and weakened him making him more feminine.
AO2: derogatory adjective “effeminate” implies he is childish and has no qualms belittling his love with Juliet to nothing more than her beauty as a troublesome distraction.
The jellifying verb “softened”- suggests he blames Juliet for making him less of a man showing he cannot take responsibility and is immature in his views of love.
AO3: He feels pressure to fulfil the Renaissance masculine ideal and modern readers may sympathise with him as he dismisses the gender roles of the time.

Question 4

Denouement
“I defy you, stars!”
-Romeo
Act 5 Scene 1

Answer 4

AO1: Romeo wants to go against the stars as he blames fate for Juliet’s death.
AO2: The argumentative verb “defy” - suggests he cannot accept Juliet’s death may be remotely his fault and instead blames fate, showing his conceited view of life.
astronomical noun “stars”- links back to the prologue where the narrator describes R&J as “star-crossed lovers” and the theme of fate is linked to again even at the end of the play as Romeo curses the stars for his misfortunes.
AO3: Elizabethans believed that the stars controlled thier fate much like modern readers may believe zodiac signs predict their personality.

Question 5

Pepper
“Here’s to my love!”[drinks]
-Romeo
Act 5 Scene 3

Answer 5

AO1: Romeo’s last ditch effort to join Juliet even if it means joining her in death.
AO2: devoted tone he marginally redeems himself and changes his previous self-obsessed views. This shows a small amount of character development as he demonstrates his “love” for Juliet in a permanent way.
persevering verb “[drinks]” shows his determination to change his typical characteristics and take responsibility. His hamartia of ‘doing before thinking’ seals the play’s end in tragedy and solidifies his death.
AO3: Shakespeare may want to portray the chaotic whirlwind of emotions that grief can cause and a modern audience may sympathize with the Romeo, knowing the cycle of grief.