Romeo & Juliet Act 2, Scene 2Study Guide Answers

1. Romeo refers to Mercutio & Benvolio who are making fun of the pain of love, even though they have never felt it. It suggests those who have never felt love don’t know what it feels like to be rejected. It also foreshadows scars & wounds that occur during the play and are created by the power of love.

He jests at scars that never felt a wound. (line 1)

2. Romeo’s soliloquy praises Juliet’s beauty.

The brightness of her cheek would shame those starsL19 – Juliet makes the starts seem dullAs daylight doth a lamp..L20 – daylight compared to a lampHer eyes in heavenWould through the airy region stream so bright.L21 – if she looked down from heaven her eyes would light the earth

That birds would sing and think it were not night.L22 – the birds would think it was daySee how she leans her cheek upon her hand.L23 – she leans her cheek on her handO that I were a glove upon that hand.L24 – he wishes he was a glove on her handThat I might touch that cheek!L25 – so he could touch her cheek

3. No, Juliet does not know that Romeo is below her balcony at first.

4. Wherefore = Why? So Juliet is asking why is Romeo a Montague? Why does her love have to be from the enemy’s family?

O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? (line 35)

Deny they father and refuse thy name.Asks Romeo to give up being a Montague.Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love.But if he won’t.And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.She will abandon her family name.

Lines 36-38

5. This is significant because Juliet states love is more important than her family. This shows that love is so powerful it will make people do things they ordinarily wouldn’t.

THEME: LOVE

Line 52 Page 45I take thee at thy word.Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized.Henceforth I never will be Romeo.Line 57By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am.My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,Because it is an enemy to thee.Had I it written I would tear the word.

6. Romeo says his name is hateful to him because it makes him an enemy to Juliet. If he wrote it down he would tear it up. This suggests he would turn his back on his own family to be with Juliet.

7. Juliet is worried for Romeo’s safety but Romeo says he will be safe because:

a) Love made the walls easy to climb.

With love’s light wings did I overperch these walls. (line 70)

b) Juliet’s kinsmen cannot kill him.

Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me. (line 73)

c) He’s more afraid of Juliet not loving him than he is of swords.

Alack, there lies more peril in thine eyeThan twenty of their swords. (line 75 & 76)

8. Night is dark and secretive and therefore it is easy to stay hidden.

I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes (line 80)

9. Juliet asks Romeo if he loves her but realizes he might lie in order to take advantage of her.

Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say “Ay,” And I will take thee at thy word. (lines 94 & 95)

Juliet thinks Romeo may think she can be easily seduced because she is not playing hard to get.I should have been more strange, I must confess,But that thou overheardest me, ere I was ware,My true love passion. Therefore pardon me. (lines 106 – 109)

10. Juliet says the moon changes and Romeo’s love for her shouldn’t change as frequently as the moon. She wants him to speak the truth from his heart.

11. Juliet loves Romeo so much she reveres him as a god.

Swear by thy gracious self,Which is the god of my idolatry. (lines 118 – 119)

I have no joy of this contract tonight.It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden,Too like lightning, which doth cease to beEre one can say “It lightens.” Sweet, good night.This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath,May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.(lines 123 – 128)

12. Juliet states their relationship is moving very quickly.Literary terms used:simile – like lightningmetaphor – summer’s ripening breathimagery – beauteous flower

13. When Juliet goes inside Romeo fears the whole conversation has been a dream.

Being in night, all this is but a dream, (line 146)

14. Juliet returns and says if Romeo’s love is honorable she will marry him, all her fortunes will become his, and she will follow him anywhere.

15. In Greek Mythology Echo is a nymph who is madly in love with Narcissus. Echo pines over this love until she fades away completely and only her voice remains. Juliet feels as strongly about Romeo and says she will say his name over and over until she loses her voice.

Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow,That I shall say good night till it be morrow. (lines 198 & 199)16. She’ll keep drawing out the good-bye until the next day.

17. Romeo decides to see his ghostly father (spiritual leader) for help. Friar Lawrence

Created by M. Riddell

March 2017