Romeo and Juliet, ACT I - Scene III quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Why does Lady Capulet summon Juliet in Act I, Scene 3?

   • To prepare her for the upcoming ball
   • To warn her about the Montagues before the feast tonight
   • To scold her for disobeying
   • Correct answer: To discuss the possibility of marrying Count Paris

   Lady Capulet's purpose in the scene is to tell Juliet that Count Paris has expressed interest in marrying her and to encourage Juliet to consider him at the feast.

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2. 2

   Question 2. How old is Juliet at the time of this scene?

   • Correct answer: Thirteen, nearly fourteen
   • Fourteen
   • Fourteen, nearly fifteen
   • Twelve, nearly thirteen

   The Nurse and Lady Capulet establish that Juliet is not yet fourteen and will reach that age on Lammas Eve, which is "a fortnight and odd days" away.

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3. 3

   Question 3. What does the Nurse mean when she calls Paris "a man of wax"?

   • He is pale and sickly
   • Correct answer: He is as perfectly formed as a wax figure
   • He is artificial and untrustworthy
   • He is as soft and easily molded as warm wax

   In Elizabethan usage, "a man of wax" was a compliment meaning someone as perfectly formed and handsome as a wax sculpture — a model of physical perfection.

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4. 4

   Question 4. What literary device does Lady Capulet primarily use to describe Paris to Juliet?

   • Hyperbole about his wealth
   • Personification
   • Correct answer: An extended metaphor comparing him to a book
   • Rhetorical questions about his good character

   Lady Capulet uses an extended metaphor comparing Paris to a beautiful book, calling his face a "volume" with "delight writ there with beauty's pen" and suggesting Juliet would be the "cover" to complete him.

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5. 5

   Question 5. What event does the Nurse use to mark the time when she weaned Juliet?

   • Correct answer: An earthquake
   • A plague outbreak
   • A great flood
   • The death of her husband

   The Nurse remembers that the earthquake occurred eleven years ago, on the same day she weaned Juliet by applying wormwood to her breast.

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6. 6

   Question 6. Who was Susan, mentioned by the Nurse?

   • Another child the Nurse cared for
   • Juliet's sister
   • Correct answer: The Nurse's own daughter who died young
   • A maid who served Lady Capulet in Mantua

   Susan was the Nurse's own daughter who was the same age as Juliet. She has since died ("Susan is with God"), which explains why the Nurse transferred her maternal love to Juliet.

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7. 7

   Question 7. What does Juliet mean by "I'll look to like, if looking liking move"?

   • She will pretend to like Paris to please her mother, though she has already decided against him
   • She has already fallen in love with Paris and cannot wait to see him at the feast
   • She refuses to consider Paris as a husband
   • Correct answer: She will observe Paris and try to find him attractive if his appearance naturally moves her

   Juliet tells her mother she will look at Paris at the feast and attempt to like him if his appearance naturally inspires that feeling, but she will not let her interest go beyond what her mother permits.

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8. 8

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

   • True or False: Lady Capulet tells Juliet that she herself was already a mother at Juliet's age.

     Happened

     Lady Capulet says "By my count, I was your mother much upon these years / That you are now a maid," pressuring Juliet by revealing she gave birth at roughly the same age.

   • True or False: Juliet refuses outright to consider marrying Paris in this scene.

     Didn't happen

     Juliet does not refuse. She gives a cautious, measured response: she will observe Paris at the feast and try to like him, but will not pursue feelings beyond her mother's approval.

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9. 9

   Question 9. In the Nurse's speech, what does "wormwood" refer to?

   • Wood that has been eaten through by worms
   • Correct answer: A bitter plant applied to the breast to wean a child
   • A medicinal herb for fever
   • An insult meaning something worthless

   Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is an extremely bitter plant. The Nurse applied it to her breast to make nursing unpleasant for young Juliet, encouraging her to stop breastfeeding.

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10. 10

    Question 10. What does "margent" mean in Lady Capulet's book metaphor about Paris?

    • A border or edge of a painting
    • A type of flower
    • A type of jewel
    • Correct answer: Margin of a page

    Margent is an archaic/poetic form of "margin." Lady Capulet tells Juliet to find meaning "written in the margent of his eyes," extending her metaphor of Paris as a book whose margins contain additional commentary.

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11. 11

    Question 11. When the Nurse says Juliet "stinted," she means Juliet:

    • Started crying louder
    • Correct answer: Stopped crying
    • Fell asleep
    • Began laughing

    "Stinted" means stopped or ceased. The Nurse recalls that baby Juliet stopped crying and said "Ay" in response to her husband's joke about falling backward.

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