Romeo and Juliet, ACT II - Scene I quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Where does Act 2, Scene 1 take place?

   • Inside the hall of the Capulet feast
   • Correct answer: A lane by the wall of Capulet's orchard
   • Outside Friar Laurence's cell at dawn
   • A street before the Montague house

   The scene is set in a lane beside the Capulet orchard wall. Romeo climbs over the wall while Benvolio and Mercutio remain in the lane.

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2. 2

   Question 2. What does Romeo do at the very start of the scene?

   • Calls up to Juliet's window from the street below
   • Turns back toward home with Benvolio and Mercutio
   • Correct answer: Climbs the orchard wall and leaps down inside
   • Waits in the lane for Benvolio and Mercutio to catch up

   Romeo says "Can I go forward when my heart is here?" and then climbs the wall, leaping down into the Capulet orchard.

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3. 3

   Question 3. Whose physical features does Mercutio invoke in his conjuration speech?

   • Venus's
   • The Nurse's
   • Juliet's
   • Correct answer: Rosaline's

   Mercutio still believes Romeo is in love with Rosaline, so he invokes her "bright eyes," "high forehead," "scarlet lip," and other features to try to summon Romeo.

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4. 4

   Question 4. Which mythological figures does Mercutio reference in his speech?

   • Correct answer: Venus and Cupid
   • Apollo and Daphne
   • Juno and Mercury
   • Mars and Diana

   Mercutio asks Romeo to "Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word" and mentions "her purblind son and heir, / Young Adam Cupid."

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5. 5

   Question 5. Why does Benvolio suggest they stop looking for Romeo?

   • He thinks Romeo has gone home to bed
   • Correct answer: He believes Romeo does not wish to be found
   • He finds the night too cold to keep searching
   • He fears that Capulet's men will discover them

   Benvolio says "'Tis in vain / To seek him here that means not to be found," recognizing Romeo's desire for solitude.

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6. 6

   Question 6. What is the primary dramatic irony in this scene?

   • Mercutio secretly knows that Romeo loves Juliet
   • Juliet is listening to them from her balcony
   • Romeo still does not know that Juliet is a Capulet
   • Correct answer: Mercutio and Benvolio think Romeo still loves Rosaline

   The audience knows Romeo has fallen for Juliet at the feast, but his friends still believe he pines for Rosaline, making Mercutio's conjuration by Rosaline's name ironic.

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7. 7

   Question 7. What does Romeo mean by "Turn back, dull earth, and find thy centre out"?

   • Correct answer: His body is lifeless earth and Juliet is its gravitational center
   • He is describing his former love for Rosaline as dull and lifeless
   • He is ordering himself to give up Juliet and turn back toward home
   • He wishes the earth would open up and swallow him in his despair

   Romeo uses a metaphor comparing himself to "dull earth" — his body feels lifeless without Juliet, who is his center of gravity and meaning.

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8. 8

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

   • True or False: Romeo speaks directly to Mercutio and Benvolio during this scene.

     Didn't happen

     Romeo remains completely silent while his friends search for him. He does not respond to any of Mercutio's calls or conjurations.

   • True or False: Mercutio mentions King Cophetua in his conjuration speech.

     Happened

     Mercutio references the legend of "King Cophetua" who "lov'd the beggar maid," using the allusion to mock Romeo's romantic lovesickness.

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9. 9

   Question 9. In this scene, what does "purblind" mean when Mercutio calls Cupid "her purblind son"?

   • Unusually keen-eyed and observant
   • Covered with a blindfold or bandage
   • Correct answer: Nearly blind or partially sighted
   • Pure and innocent like a child

   "Purblind" means partially blind or having poor vision. Mercutio applies it to Cupid, who is traditionally depicted as blindfolded.

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10. 10

    Question 10. What does "demesnes" mean in Mercutio's line "the demesnes that there adjacent lie"?

    • Correct answer: Domains or territories
    • Garments or clothing
    • Emotions or feelings
    • Servants or attendants

    "Demesnes" means domains or lands belonging to an estate. Mercutio uses it as a bawdy double entendre referring to regions of Rosaline's body.

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11. 11

    Question 11. What is a "truckle-bed" that Mercutio mentions at the end of the scene?

    • A portable folding bed used by traveling soldiers
    • A straw mattress spread on a stable floor
    • A canvas hammock used by sailors aboard a ship
    • Correct answer: A low bed on wheels stored under a larger bed

    A truckle-bed (trundle bed) was a low bed on casters stored beneath a main bed, typically used by servants or younger household members.

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