Romeo and Juliet

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/romeo-and-juliet

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who wrote Romeo and Juliet?William Shakespeare
2. What is the approximate year of first performance?1595
3. What is the original setting?Verona, Italy
4. What is Romeo and Juliet about?It is a play about two kids from feuding families who fall in love. The story takes place in Verona, Italy, where their families, the Montagues and Capulets, hate each other.
5. Why are Romeo and Juliet called "star‑crossed lovers"?The Chorus says they are star‑crossed, meaning fate plays a big role in their love. Their love is doomed by circumstances beyond their control.

Dramatic Irony: When the audience knows something important that a character in the play does not.
Foil Characters: Characters who contrast with each other to highlight their differences.
Catharsis: The purging of strong emotions, such as pity and fear, experienced by the audience at the end of a tragedy.