For Wednesday: Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Acts 2-3

From a 2021 Globe production of Romeo and Juliet: 

 Here are a few questions to consider as you read Acts 2 & 3 for Wednesday's class. And remember, don't worry about catching every joke and understanding every reference. Look for changes in language (prose to poetry--or the reverse, unrhymed language that starts rhyming, etc .), long speeches, and elements of comedy that change to tragedy. And as always, think about how a character's language characterizes who they are and how they come across to the audience.

Answer TWO of the following: 

Q1: Many theorists believe that men and women perceive the world differently, so it follows that their writing has fundamentally male and female characteristics. With this in mind, examine how Romeo and Juliet use poetry in Act 2, scene 2. What distinguishes Romeo’s language from Juliet’s, even though they’re both using love language? Is one more realistic than the other? Is one a better poet than the other? How does Shakespeare characterize them through their use of language in this scene?

Q2: Why does Act 2, scene 4 begin in verse and quickly descend into prose for the rest of the scene? Who starts the “prose-fest”? What does prose capture that iambic pentameter could not—and how might it sound very different in verse?

Q3: Mercutio is sort of the antidote for the poetry and idealism of this play; and yet, Shakespeare kills him relatively early on, in Act 3, scene 1. Are we supposed to read his death as tragic or comic? If you were the actor, how would you play it? What does his language suggest? Is he ultimately here for comic relief, or does his death truly begin the play’s descent into tragedy?

Q4: Note that Juliet dominates this play much more than Romeo, and in Act 3 is given numerous long speeches while Romeo has very few. Why does Juliet seem to interest Shakespeare more than Romeo? What does he say through her that might not make sense through Romeo? Also, why might a young, inexperienced girl see things clearer than a more worldly, love-infatuated teenage boy?