| In Act V, Scene i, what news causes Romeo to exclaim, “Then I defy you, stars”? | He learns that Juliet is dead. Here, Romeo is challenging fate, asserting that nothing can keep him from Juliet- not even death. |
| How are Romeo’s words consistent with what you know of his character. | This is consistent with his rash impulsive, dramatic character. |
| Identify at least three events that cause the Friar’s scheme to fail. | The events include: Friar John does not deliver the plan to Romeo; the Capulets push up the date for Juliet’s wedding; Romeo arrives at the tomb before the Friar; Juliet wakes up too late. |
| Why is it not surprising that the scheme fails? | The Friar’s plan relies too much on perfect communication and timing. |
| How do Romeo and Juliet die? | Believing Juliet dead, Romeo takes poison, Juliet, finding Romeo dead, stabs herself with his dagger. |
| How is chance to blame for the lovers’ death? | There are unlucky encounters, missed messages, misunderstandings and a too-late awakening. |
| How are Romeo and Juliet’s parents to blame for the lovers’ death? | They are stubborn and unforgiving. |
| How are Romeo and Juliet to blame for their own deaths? | They are rash and impulsive. |
| How would events would have turned out if the apothecary had refused to sell the poison to Romeo? | If the apothecary had not sold the poison to Romeo, he probably would have found another way to kill himself. |
| What other unique actions in the chain of events, if avoided, could have changed the play’s outcome? | Friar John’s failure to deliver the plan, Paris’s visit to the tomb, Friar Lawrence left Juliet alone in the tomb. |
| How does the relationship of the feuding families change at the end of the play? | The fathers shake hands and each promises to build a monument in memory of the other man’s child. |
| Were Romeo and Juliet’s deaths necessary for the feud to end? | Many people think the deaths of the children were the only thing meaningful enough to stop such a long-standing feud. |
| In what ways does Shakespeare’s play provide a valuable lesson about the destructive effects of hatred? | The play show that hate can lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary violence. |
| What is a tragedy? | A drama in which a central character of noble rank meets with disaster or overwhelming misfortune. |
| What is a character’s motive? | The reason an individual thinks and acts in a certain way. |
| What theme or message does Shakespeare attempt to convey through the tragic events in the plays? | Shakespeare appears to be making a statement about the loyalty of the lovers in contrast to the ill-advised feud between their families. He is saying that old anger can destroy new love. |
| What is the Friar’s motive for helping Romeo and Juliet? | The Friar wants to end the feud between the two families. |
| What positive message about the human spirit does Shakespeare convey through the play? | Young and true love can spring from old hate. Youth has the hope optimism to make good things grow from a bad past. |
| Why does the Friar’s plan fail? | It is too elaborate and time-sensitive. |
| What is the Nurse’s motive for defying the wishes of the Capulets? | She is moved by Juliet’s grief; she is also fickle and impulsive in nature. |
| What are the fathers’motives for building monuments to their children at the end of the play? | The fathers want people to know that Romeo and Juliet were true and faithful to each other, and that they honor that love by calling a truce. |
Romeo and Juliet Act 5 questions
December 13, 2019