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Romeo and Juliet Literary Analysis

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Romeo and Juliet Literary Analysis

Read the extract and context notes, then answer the questions. Support analytical responses with evidence from the extract or the quoted lines. The play is set in Verona, where the Montague and Capulet families are enemies.

Extract: love under pressure

At the Capulet feast, Romeo sees Juliet for the first time. Soon afterwards, he secretly enters the Capulets’ orchard and finds her speaking above him on a balcony. They have only just met, yet both understand that their families’ feud makes their love dangerous. JULIET: O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet. ROMEO: [Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? JULIET: ’Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What’s Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name; And for that name which is no part of thee Take all myself. The lovers’ exchange is tender, but the audience knows that the family conflict and the secrecy surrounding their relationship will have serious consequences. ‘Wherefore’ means ‘why’; Juliet is asking why Romeo must belong to the Montagues, not where he is.

Part A: Read closely

Identify how Shakespeare’s language shapes meaning and audience response.

1.Juliet asks, “wherefore art thou Romeo?” What is she really asking?

Why must Romeo belong to the Montague family?
Where has Romeo gone?
Why has Romeo entered the orchard?
When will Romeo speak to her?

2.In “’Tis but thy name that is my enemy”, what does Juliet suggest is the real source of the conflict?

3.Juliet compares Romeo to a rose that would “smell as sweet” under another name. Explain the comparison and what it reveals about her view of identity.

4.Romeo’s line “[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?” is spoken so the audience can hear it, while Juliet does not. What is the dramatic effect of this aside?

It lets the audience know Romeo is listening and makes the scene feel intimate and suspenseful.
It proves Juliet has heard Romeo and is pretending not to notice.
It pauses the action to explain the history of Verona.
It makes Romeo’s feelings impossible for the audience to understand.

5.The scene combines loving language with the danger of the family feud. Give one detail from the extract or context that conveys love and one detail that conveys danger.

Part B: Build an interpretation

Move from identifying a technique to explaining how it develops an idea and affects the audience.

6.Which statement best captures an idea about love developed in this scene?

Love can challenge the labels and divisions imposed by family.
Love is only possible when families agree.
A person’s family name always reveals their true character.
Secrecy removes all danger from a relationship.

7.Choose one phrase from Juliet’s speech and explain how Shakespeare’s word choice encourages the audience to sympathise with her.

8.True or false: Juliet’s rose comparison suggests that changing Romeo’s name would change his essential character.

TrueFalse

9.Write a short analytical paragraph answering: How does Shakespeare use language and dramatic technique to present the conflict between love and family identity in this scene? Include a clear idea, at least one short quotation, and an explanation of its effect.