Romeo and Juliet, ACT I - Scene II quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Why does Lord Capulet hesitate to approve Paris's request to marry Juliet?

   • He has promised Juliet to another suitor
   • He wants Juliet to marry a Montague instead
   • Correct answer: He believes Juliet is too young at not yet fourteen
   • He thinks Paris is not wealthy enough for his only daughter

   Capulet tells Paris that Juliet "hath not seen the change of fourteen years" and suggests waiting two more summers before considering marriage.

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2. 2

   Question 2. What condition does Capulet place on Paris regarding the marriage?

   • Paris must defeat a Montague in combat
   • Correct answer: Paris must win Juliet's consent — her agreement is required
   • Paris must pay a large dowry to the Capulet family
   • Paris must keep the peace with the Montagues until the wedding

   Capulet says "my will to her consent is but a part" and tells Paris to "woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart," insisting Juliet must agree.

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3. 3

   Question 3. Why does the Capulet servant ask Romeo for help on the street?

   • He wants Romeo to deliver a message to Benvolio
   • He recognizes Romeo as a nobleman who might attend the feast
   • He needs directions to the Capulet house
   • Correct answer: He cannot read the guest list Capulet has given him

   The servant is illiterate and laments that he "can never find what names the writing person hath here writ," so he asks Romeo to read the list.

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4. 4

   Question 4. What is Benvolio's advice to Romeo about his love for Rosaline?

   • Correct answer: He should forget her by comparing her to other beautiful women
   • He should challenge Paris to win Rosaline
   • He should win Rosaline's heart at the Capulet feast tonight
   • He should write Rosaline a love letter

   Benvolio says "one fire burns out another's burning" and urges Romeo to attend the feast to compare Rosaline with others, promising "I will make thee think thy swan a crow."

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5. 5

   Question 5. Which of the following names does Romeo read from the Capulet guest list?

   • Prince Escalus and Benvolio
   • Juliet and the Nurse
   • Friar Laurence and the Apothecary
   • Correct answer: Mercutio and Rosaline

   The guest list includes "Mercutio and his brother Valentine" and "my fair niece Rosaline," among other names such as Tybalt.

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6. 6

   Question 6. What metaphor does Capulet use to describe the young women at his feast?

   • Swans gliding among the crows
   • Correct answer: Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light
   • Birds singing in the morning
   • Jewels set in a golden crown

   Capulet tells Paris to "behold this night / Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light," comparing the young women to stars that have come down to earth.

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7. 7

   Question 7. Why does Romeo ultimately agree to go to the Capulet feast?

   • Correct answer: To see Rosaline, who is on the guest list
   • To spy on the Capulet family for his father
   • To challenge Tybalt to a duel
   • To meet Juliet for the first time

   Romeo says "I'll go along, no such sight to be shown, / But to rejoice in splendour of my own" — meaning he will attend only to gaze upon Rosaline.

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8. 8

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

   • The Capulet servant deliberately invites Romeo and Benvolio to the feast knowing they are Montagues.

     Didn't happen

     The servant does not know they are Montagues. He invites them with the caveat "if you be not of the house of Montagues," creating dramatic irony since they are in fact Montagues.

   • Capulet tells Paris that Juliet is his only surviving child.

     Happened

     Capulet says "the earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she; / She is the hopeful lady of my earth," indicating Juliet is his sole surviving child.

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9. 9

   Question 9. In this scene, what does Romeo mean when he says "Your plantain leaf is excellent for that"?

   • He is quoting a line of poetry about nature
   • He is recommending an herbal medicine to Benvolio
   • Correct answer: He is sarcastically dismissing Benvolio's simplistic cure for lovesickness
   • He is sincerely praising Benvolio's sensible advice about forgetting Rosaline

   A plantain leaf was a folk remedy for minor scrapes. Romeo sarcastically suggests that Benvolio's advice to look at other women is as superficial as putting a leaf on a wound.

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10. 10

    Question 10. What does "unattainted" mean when Benvolio tells Romeo to look at women "with unattainted eye"?

    • With a hopeless longing for what cannot be attained
    • Correct answer: With an unprejudiced and unbiased perspective
    • With a romantic and passionate intent
    • With a suspicious and distrustful attitude

    "Unattainted" means unprejudiced or uncorrupted. Benvolio urges Romeo to look at women objectively rather than through his bias toward Rosaline.

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11. 11

    Question 11. When Capulet calls his servant "sirrah," what does this term indicate?

    • A nickname for a close friend
    • A formal greeting for a fellow nobleman
    • A respectful title used when speaking to a superior
    • Correct answer: A term of address used toward a social inferior

    "Sirrah" was used in Elizabethan English to address someone of lower social status, typically a servant. It carries a tone of authority and condescension.

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