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Week 4: Romeo and Juliet
Session #1
Act 4, Scene 4:
Questions:
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How many times does Capulet tell the servants to "make haste"? What does this tell you about Capulet's state of mind?
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Are there any humorous or light-hearted moments in this scene? What sort of atmosphere is Shakespeare looking to create?
Act 4, Scene 5:
Questions:
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What does Juliet's nurse think that Juliet is doing at the beginning of the scene?
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Which of the characters do you feel the most sympathy for? Why (Explain your answer).
Act 5, Scene 1:
Waking up, Romeo tells of his dream of Juliet. Balthasar enters with news of Juliet's death. Romeo decides to go back to Mantua and die beside Juliet. While Balthasar gets horses for their trip to Verona, Romeo buys drugs from the apothocary.
Questions:
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How does Romeo feel at the start of the scene? (Provide evidence as proof.)
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How does this make us feel, considering what we know in the prologue?
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Why doesn't the apothacary want to sell Romeo the poison?
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A "cordial" is a sweet healthy drink. Why would Romeo feel poison was something "sweet"?
Session #2
Act 5, Scene 2:
Friar John informs Friar Lawrence that he was unable to deliver the message to Romeo because of the plague rampant in the countryside. A worried Friar writes again to Romeo. He goes to Juliet's tomb to see her when she wakes.
Questions:
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What is the message Friar Lawrence needs to get to Romeo?
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What does Friar Lawrence plan to do to avoid disaster?
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Find and explain the oxymoron that Friar Lawrence uses at the end of the scene.
Act 5, Scene 3:
Paris goes to lay flowers at Juliet's grave and overhears Romeo arriving. Paris tries to arrest Romeo. Romeo kills Paris. Romeo sees Juliet, says his farewell and kills himself with poison. Friar Lawrence arrives to find Juliet as she wakes. He tries to convince Juliet to leave, as he hears the watch coming to the graveyard. The friar runs off and Juliet kills herself. The Prince arrives, the Friar and Balthazar tell the story of what happened. The Prince condemns the two families...Capulet and Montegue. Montegu and Capulet vow to live in peace.