GCSE: Shakespeare “Romeo and Juliet ”
Act 1 Scene 5
How does Shakespeare use language and structure to present the
meeting of Romeo and Juliet?
1. Why do you think the scene begins with servants? What mood/atmosphere do you
think Shakespeare is trying to create?
To create a sense of comedy as it contrasts with the serious aspects of the play, so they
create a hectic and chaotic atmosphere.
2. What is Lord Capulet like as a host? Quote evidence.
Capulet is very inviting and enthusiastic as he says "Welcome gentlemen!" and he
repeats this a few times this shows that he is a very welcoming host and the exclamation
portrays the enthusiasm.
3. What is a soliloquy? What makes it an effective dramatic technique in a play?
A soliloquy is a monologue which allows the audience to understand and know the
characters feelings and emotion when they are alone and how they feel and what they
say to themselves instead of
4. What makes Romeo’s soliloquy effective? How will the audience react to Romeo’s words?
What makes Romeo's soliloquy effective is that it expresses his true feelings and he emphasizes
his thoughts and feelings and speaks his heart and the audience react in a confused way with the
soliloquy in act 1 scene 5 as before Romeo to Benvolio was expressing his feelings for Rosaline
and how there are no other beauties like her but his love was an unrequited love and in an instant
Romeo has fallen for another girl and has completely forgotten about his love for Rosaline and is
now saying that this is the most perfect women in his life and no one can compare to her and it
makes the audience react in a confused yet annoyed way but want Romeo to be in love.
ROMEO What makes this soliloquy effective?
Find examples of the following language devices:
O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! ● rhyming couplets
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night ● emotive language-’O’ as an interjection.
● Alliteration- Burn Bright
As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear -
● Personification- Torches cannot be taught
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear: ● Simile- Compares Juliet to a rich Jewel and
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, stands out.
● Antithesis- he made physical contact and formed
As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows. a real relationship- her hand is pure and good and
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, his is rough hyperbole.
● rhetorical question- Did my heart love till now?-
And touching hers, make blessed my rude hand. Asking himself in confession did he love someone
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! before and he did, Rosaline and now he is saying
how it was such a sad love and now his eyes have
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night. been opened.
● Exclamation- Burn Bright!- For effect
, GCSE: Shakespeare “Romeo and Juliet ”
Can you suggest why Shakespeare uses
language in this way? What effect will it have on
the audience?
It shows that the love he feels for Juliet is first hand
physical attraction and that what he feels for Juliet is
real compared to what he felt for Rosaline. It also
shows that his love for Juliet is dangerous and that it
will lead to his death.He also compares her to the
most beautiful things and is stunned about her
beauty.He also says that she opened his eyes when
he was blinded by his unrequited love for Rosaline.
5. Is Romeo now in love? How does Shakespeare show it to be different to his ‘love’
for Rosaline?
Romeo is now in love with what he says the most beautiful person ever.Shakespeare
shows that his love for Rosaline is different now as before his love for Rosaline was
"blind" and that this beauty before him has opened his eye and he says " a rich jewel in
an Ethiopians ear" this shows that she stands out from everyone else and he never really
spoke much about the uniqueness of Rosaline it was more him talking about love in
general and how that love between Rosaline was unrequited.Also him saying "Did my
heart love till now" which implies that he is questioning how this love has been the only
thing he felt and has totally forgotten about Rosaline.
6. How does Shakespeare remind the audience that the play is still a tragedy?
Shakespeare reminds the audience that the play is a tragedy due to an interruption of a
reminder of the feud when Tybalt interrupts the meeting of Romeo and Juliet as he is
angry that Romeo a Montague is in the house of the Capulets and this reminder of the
feud foreshadows that there will be a tragedy as said in the Prologue as well as Tybalt
saying that if he can't fight Romeo now as he was stopped by Capulet he will fight him
later and this foreshadows that someone will die.
7. How is Tybalt depicted in this scene? Find evidence in the text.
Tybalt is depicted as extremely feisty and enjoys the conflict between the Montagues and
his family. He is strong-willed, argumentative, passionate and loyal as he knows that his
family is in a feud with the Montagues and whenever he gets his chance he would never
give up a chance to fight them.In this scene he was commanded by Capulet not to fight
Romeo and this caused anger within Tybalt.He straight away when he saw Romeo said
“Fetch me my rapier, boy.” this portrays that Tybalt is ready to fight and wants to fight and kill
Romeo as he says “To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.” and this shows that he is ready to kill
Romeo no matter the consequences and sees it as him being allowed to do it religiously.
Act 1 Scene 5
How does Shakespeare use language and structure to present the
meeting of Romeo and Juliet?
1. Why do you think the scene begins with servants? What mood/atmosphere do you
think Shakespeare is trying to create?
To create a sense of comedy as it contrasts with the serious aspects of the play, so they
create a hectic and chaotic atmosphere.
2. What is Lord Capulet like as a host? Quote evidence.
Capulet is very inviting and enthusiastic as he says "Welcome gentlemen!" and he
repeats this a few times this shows that he is a very welcoming host and the exclamation
portrays the enthusiasm.
3. What is a soliloquy? What makes it an effective dramatic technique in a play?
A soliloquy is a monologue which allows the audience to understand and know the
characters feelings and emotion when they are alone and how they feel and what they
say to themselves instead of
4. What makes Romeo’s soliloquy effective? How will the audience react to Romeo’s words?
What makes Romeo's soliloquy effective is that it expresses his true feelings and he emphasizes
his thoughts and feelings and speaks his heart and the audience react in a confused way with the
soliloquy in act 1 scene 5 as before Romeo to Benvolio was expressing his feelings for Rosaline
and how there are no other beauties like her but his love was an unrequited love and in an instant
Romeo has fallen for another girl and has completely forgotten about his love for Rosaline and is
now saying that this is the most perfect women in his life and no one can compare to her and it
makes the audience react in a confused yet annoyed way but want Romeo to be in love.
ROMEO What makes this soliloquy effective?
Find examples of the following language devices:
O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! ● rhyming couplets
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night ● emotive language-’O’ as an interjection.
● Alliteration- Burn Bright
As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear -
● Personification- Torches cannot be taught
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear: ● Simile- Compares Juliet to a rich Jewel and
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, stands out.
● Antithesis- he made physical contact and formed
As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows. a real relationship- her hand is pure and good and
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, his is rough hyperbole.
● rhetorical question- Did my heart love till now?-
And touching hers, make blessed my rude hand. Asking himself in confession did he love someone
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! before and he did, Rosaline and now he is saying
how it was such a sad love and now his eyes have
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night. been opened.
● Exclamation- Burn Bright!- For effect
, GCSE: Shakespeare “Romeo and Juliet ”
Can you suggest why Shakespeare uses
language in this way? What effect will it have on
the audience?
It shows that the love he feels for Juliet is first hand
physical attraction and that what he feels for Juliet is
real compared to what he felt for Rosaline. It also
shows that his love for Juliet is dangerous and that it
will lead to his death.He also compares her to the
most beautiful things and is stunned about her
beauty.He also says that she opened his eyes when
he was blinded by his unrequited love for Rosaline.
5. Is Romeo now in love? How does Shakespeare show it to be different to his ‘love’
for Rosaline?
Romeo is now in love with what he says the most beautiful person ever.Shakespeare
shows that his love for Rosaline is different now as before his love for Rosaline was
"blind" and that this beauty before him has opened his eye and he says " a rich jewel in
an Ethiopians ear" this shows that she stands out from everyone else and he never really
spoke much about the uniqueness of Rosaline it was more him talking about love in
general and how that love between Rosaline was unrequited.Also him saying "Did my
heart love till now" which implies that he is questioning how this love has been the only
thing he felt and has totally forgotten about Rosaline.
6. How does Shakespeare remind the audience that the play is still a tragedy?
Shakespeare reminds the audience that the play is a tragedy due to an interruption of a
reminder of the feud when Tybalt interrupts the meeting of Romeo and Juliet as he is
angry that Romeo a Montague is in the house of the Capulets and this reminder of the
feud foreshadows that there will be a tragedy as said in the Prologue as well as Tybalt
saying that if he can't fight Romeo now as he was stopped by Capulet he will fight him
later and this foreshadows that someone will die.
7. How is Tybalt depicted in this scene? Find evidence in the text.
Tybalt is depicted as extremely feisty and enjoys the conflict between the Montagues and
his family. He is strong-willed, argumentative, passionate and loyal as he knows that his
family is in a feud with the Montagues and whenever he gets his chance he would never
give up a chance to fight them.In this scene he was commanded by Capulet not to fight
Romeo and this caused anger within Tybalt.He straight away when he saw Romeo said
“Fetch me my rapier, boy.” this portrays that Tybalt is ready to fight and wants to fight and kill
Romeo as he says “To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.” and this shows that he is ready to kill
Romeo no matter the consequences and sees it as him being allowed to do it religiously.
