Romeo and Juliet, ACT I - Prologue quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Where is Romeo and Juliet set, according to the Prologue?

   • Venice
   • Correct answer: Verona
   • Florence
   • Rome

   The Chorus states "In fair Verona, where we lay our scene," establishing the city as the setting for the play.

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2. 2

   Question 2. What poetic form is the Prologue written in?

   • Blank verse
   • A ballad
   • A Petrarchan sonnet
   • Correct answer: A Shakespearean sonnet

   The Prologue is a 14-line Shakespearean sonnet with an ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter.

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3. 3

   Question 3. What does the phrase "star-cross’d lovers" mean?

   • Lovers who are cross with each other
   • Lovers who meet under the stars
   • Correct answer: Lovers who are fated for tragedy
   • Lovers from different countries

   "Star-cross’d" means opposed or thwarted by the stars—ill-fated by cosmic forces beyond human control.

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4. 4

   Question 4. According to the Prologue, what ends the feud between the two families?

   • Correct answer: The deaths of Romeo and Juliet
   • A royal decree
   • The marriage of Romeo and Juliet
   • A peace treaty

   The Chorus says the lovers’ death "bury their parents’ strife"—only the children’s sacrifice can end the conflict.

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5. 5

   Question 5. What is the primary literary device used in the Prologue?

   • Personification
   • Simile
   • Correct answer: Foreshadowing
   • Hyperbole

   The Prologue reveals the lovers’ deaths before the play begins, creating foreshadowing and dramatic irony throughout.

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6. 6

   Question 6. What double meaning does the word "civil" carry in "civil blood makes civil hands unclean"?

   • Correct answer: Civic (relating to citizens) and civilized
   • Religious and secular
   • Noble (of high birth) and common
   • Military (relating to soldiers) and political

   Shakespeare uses "civil" to mean both relating to citizens and civilized, creating a paradox where supposedly dignified people are corrupted by violence.

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7. 7

   Question 7. How long does the Chorus say the play will last?

   • Three hours
   • Four hours
   • One hour
   • Correct answer: Two hours

   The Chorus refers to "the two hours’ traffic of our stage," giving the approximate duration of the performance.

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8. 8

   Question 8. Which of these events actually happened in this chapter?

   • The Prologue reveals that Romeo and Juliet will die.

     Happened

     The Chorus explicitly states that "A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life," revealing the tragic ending before the play begins.

   • The Prologue names Romeo and Juliet by name.

     Didn't happen

     The Prologue never mentions Romeo or Juliet by name. It refers to them only as "A pair of star-cross’d lovers" from "two households."

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9. 9

   Question 9. What does "mutiny" mean in the context of the Prologue?

   • Rebellion against a captain
   • Correct answer: A civil disturbance or riot
   • A formal complaint
   • A military strategy

   In Elizabethan English, "mutiny" had a broader meaning than today, referring to any public outbreak of violence or civil disorder.

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10. 10

    Question 10. What does "traffic" mean in "two hours’ traffic of our stage"?

    • Congestion or crowding
    • Correct answer: Business or proceedings
    • Illegal buying and selling
    • Movement of vehicles

    "Traffic" here means the business, dealings, or events that will take place on stage during the performance.

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11. 11

    Question 11. What does "death-mark’d" mean in "their death-mark’d love"?

    • Correct answer: Marked or branded for death from the start
    • Described in a death notice
    • Honored after death
    • Celebrated by death

    "Death-mark’d" means stamped or branded by death, suggesting the love between Romeo and Juliet carries a fatal seal from its very inception.

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