romeo & juliet act 2, scene 4

Romeo & JulietAct II, Scene IVStudy Guide Answers

1. Allusions are suggestions designed to call something else to mind without mentioning it directly.

Petrarch was a classical Italian scholar known for his odes to Laura, his idealized love.

Dido was a goddess who became the Queen of Carthage and fell in love with Aeneas.

Cleopatra was an ancient Egytpian queen who loved Mark Anthony.

Helen of Troy was considered very beautiful and was fought over by several men in Ancient Greece.

Thisbe and Pyramus were ill-fated lovers in Babylon.

2. Romeo minus “ro” leaves “meo” a pun on “mio” meaning my. Romeo is not himself since Rosaline. Also, roe means fish eggs so, a double entendre.

Without his roe, like a dry herring: O flesh, flesh, how are thou fishified?Line 37& 38

3. Mercutio notices Romeo is his old self, sociable, and making jokes. He is not miserable.

Line 81 – 83 Why is this not better now than groaning for love? Now thou art sociable, now thou art Romeo.

4. Romeo says he will grow old waiting for Nurse to get to the point.

5. A malapropism is substituting one word for another. The Nurse uses “confidence” instead of “conference” showing she will confide in Romeo about Juliet.

Line 18 If you be he sir, I desire some confidence with you.

6. Romeo tells the Nurse that Mercutio loves to hear himself talk.

7. The Nurse worries that Romeo is leading Juliet into a “fool’s paradise” and trying to take advantage of her. Romeo says no that his feelings are genuine.

Lines 150-166

8. Romeo’s message is that Juliet needs to pretend to come for confession so that they can be married.

Lines 167-170

9. Romeo’s man is bringing a rope ladder to hang from Juliet’s balcony.

Created by M. Riddell

March 2017