EnglishFreePrintable

Romeo and Juliet Literary Analysis

A free english worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.

Download now

Name:Date:

Romeo and Juliet Literary Analysis

Analyse how Shakespeare uses language and contrast in Romeo and Juliet. Read the original extract and context below, then use evidence from the extract in your answers. PETAL means Point, Evidence, Technique, Analysis, Link.

Extract: Juliet’s Balcony Scene

In Act 2, Scene 2, Romeo watches Juliet appear at a window. He speaks as if she cannot hear him. ROMEO: But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou her maid art far more fair than she. Context: Romeo and Juliet belong to families who are sworn enemies. Romeo is hiding in the Capulet orchard after a party. In this speech, he compares Juliet’s brightness and beauty with the sun and moon.

Read closely

Use the extract and its context as evidence. When explaining an effect, say what the technique suggests and how it shapes the audience’s response.

1.In “It is the east, and Juliet is the sun”, which technique is most clearly used, and what two things are being compared?

2.“What light through yonder window breaks?” is a question Romeo asks aloud. Explain why it can also be called a rhetorical question.

3.Which contrast is created by describing the moon as “sick and pale” while Juliet is the sun?

Juliet’s brightness and vitality are set against the moon’s weakness and paleness.
Romeo is contrasted with Juliet’s family.
The orchard is contrasted with the Capulet house.
The sun and moon are presented as equally powerful.

4.Identify one piece of visual imagery in the extract. Then explain the picture it creates in the audience’s mind.

5.In “Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon”, what does the moon most likely represent in Romeo’s imagined comparison?

6.True or false? The line “Who is already sick and pale with grief” gives the moon human feelings and physical qualities.

TrueFalse

7.Match each PETAL letter to its purpose in an analytical paragraph.

P — Point
E — Evidence
T — Technique
A — Analysis
L — Link

Include a relevant quotation or detail.
Name the language or structural choice.
Explain meaning and effect on the audience.
Connect back to the question or overall idea.
State the main idea about the writer’s choices.

8.Write a PETAL paragraph answering: How does Shakespeare use sun and moon imagery to present Romeo’s feelings about Juliet? Use a quotation and explain its effect.

9.The extract is spoken while Romeo is hiding in the Capulet orchard. Explain how the family feud makes this moment feel more tense, even though Romeo’s words are admiring.