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Quizzes > Books & Literature

Romeo and Juliet prologue quiz: test your Act I knowledge

Quick, free prologue and act 1 quiz. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Sabrina De CarvalhoUpdated Aug 28, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art book scroll heart and quill on dark blue background promoting Romeo Juliet Prologue and Act I quiz.

This quiz helps you review the Romeo and Juliet Prologue and Act I, including Benvolio's advice for Romeo's heartache and the opening feud. Afterward, try the Romeo Juliet act 2 quiz to keep the story going, or review with a Romeo and Juliet quiz for broader practice. Want a tougher challenge on themes and clashes? Take the Romeo and Juliet conflict quiz next.

What poetic form does the Prologue of Romeo & Juliet take?
Free verse
Couplet
Sonnet
Blank verse
The Prologue of Romeo & Juliet is written as a Shakespearean sonnet, with 14 lines of iambic pentameter and an ABABCDCDEFEFGG rhyme scheme. This structured form sets the tone and foreshadows the themes of love and fate in the play. The sonnet opens and closes with couplets that reinforce the doomed nature of the lovers.
Who delivers the Prologue at the start of the play?
Friar Laurence
The Chorus
Juliet
Romeo
The Prologue is spoken by the Chorus, a single figure who provides background information and frames the impending tragedy of the play. This device was commonly used in Elizabethan drama to guide the audience's understanding. Throughout the play, the Chorus returns only in the Prologue and Epilogue, emphasizing its framing role.
Which two families are feuding in Romeo & Juliet?
Capulets and Friar Laurence
Montagues and Capulets
Montagues and Escalus
Capulets and Escalus
The central conflict in Romeo & Juliet arises from the long-standing feud between the Montague and Capulet families. This enmity permeates Verona's society and leads to multiple brawls in Act I. The hostility between these houses is the backdrop for Romeo and Juliet's forbidden love.
Whom does Romeo believe he loves at the start of the play?
Juliet's cousin
Juliet
Rosaline
Lady Montague
At the play's beginning, Romeo is infatuated with Rosaline, who has sworn to remain chaste. His melancholic love for her drives his sorrowful state in Act I. Romeo's pining over Rosaline sets up Benvolio's advice to compare her with other women.
What advice does Benvolio give to help Romeo's heartache?
Join the Capulet feast
Become a priest
Forget Rosaline and look at other beauties
Duel with Paris
In Act I, Scene 2, Benvolio counsels Romeo to examine other women at a Capulet feast so that Rosaline's beauty will seem less dazzling in comparison. This strategy is intended to cure Romeo's lovesickness by offering new romantic prospects. Benvolio's pragmatic advice contrasts with Romeo's idealistic view of love.
Where does Romeo first see Juliet?
At the Capulet feast
At the marketplace
In the Capulet orchard
In Friar Laurence's cell
Romeo first lays eyes on Juliet at the Capulet feast in Act I, Scene 5, unaware of her identity. This is the moment their love story begins, highlighted by Shakespeare's use of sonnet form in their shared dialogue. The festive setting also heightens the dramatic tension, given the families' feud.
What causes the brawl in Act I, Scene 1?
Rosaline's rejection
Juliet's wedding
The Prince's decree
The servants insulting each other
In the opening scene, servants from the Montague and Capulet houses provoke each other with insults until Benvolio and Tybalt escalate the confrontation. Their quarrel draws in other citizens and results in a public brawl. This fight demonstrates the intensity of the family feud.
How does Romeo describe his love for Rosaline in Act I?
A conflicting mix of pain and pleasure
A tempest of joy
A joyous passion
A constant flame
Romeo uses oxymorons and contradictory images to convey the emotional turmoil caused by his unrequited love for Rosaline. He describes love as a 'brawling love' and 'loving hate,' emphasizing its paradoxical nature. This language highlights his deep confusion and sorrow.
What figure of speech is used in Romeo's line, "Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs"?
Personification
Simile
Hyperbole
Metaphor
Romeo's description of love as 'a smoke raised with the fume of sighs' is a metaphor, comparing intangible emotion to visible smoke. This figure of speech deepens the sensory experience of love's pain. Shakespeare frequently uses metaphors to convey complex feelings.
In the Prologue, what does the phrase "star-crossed lovers" imply?
They cross paths randomly
Their love is guided by the stars
Their destiny is thwarted by fate
They are astrologers
The term 'star-crossed lovers' suggests that Romeo and Juliet's relationship is doomed by adverse fate controlled by the stars, a common Elizabethan belief. This foreshadows the tragic outcome of their love story. Shakespeare uses this phrase to evoke a sense of unavoidable destiny.
Which character tries to keep the peace and stops a fight in Act I, Scene 1?
Benvolio
Lord Capulet
Tybalt
Mercutio
Benvolio, Romeo's cousin, intervenes in the servants' quarrel and attempts to break up the fight at the beginning of the play. His name literally means 'good will,' reflecting his role as a peacemaker. This contrasts sharply with Tybalt's fiery aggression.
How does Juliet react when she first learns Romeo's identity?
With shock and dismay
With anger and resentment
With indifference
With immediate joy
Upon discovering that Romeo is a Montague, Juliet expresses shock and dismay, lamenting that her only love sprung from her only hate. This moment highlights the tragic irony of their situation. Her reaction mixes love with the pain of their families' feud.
What is significant about the shared sonnet Romeo and Juliet speak in Act I, Scene 5?
It breaks from traditional rhyme schemes
It is written in prose, not verse
They share lines to form a perfect sonnet
It uses tetrameter instead of pentameter
When Romeo and Juliet meet, their dialogue combines alternating lines to complete a full Shakespearean sonnet. This structural blending symbolizes their instant connection and equality in love. It also showcases Shakespeare's artistry in uniting two voices into one poetic form.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Analyze the Prologue's themes -

    Examine how Shakespeare introduces the feud and star-crossed lovers in the opening lines.

  2. Recall Benvolio's cure for Romeo's heartache -

    Identify the key quote where Benvolio explains what will heal Romeo's emotional wounds.

  3. Differentiate key events in Act I Scene I and II -

    Spot the pivotal moments and character interactions that drive the plot forward.

  4. Understand character motivations -

    Analyze why Romeo, Benvolio, and other figures act as they do in the early scenes.

  5. Interpret Shakespeare's language -

    Decode imagery, metaphors, and other dramatic devices used throughout the Prologue and Act I.

  6. Apply textual evidence -

    Use direct passages to support your answers and deepen your literary analysis.

Cheat Sheet

  1. The Role of the Prologue -

    Shakespeare opens Romeo and Juliet with a 14-line sonnet that foreshadows the "star-cross'd lovers" and the Montague”Capulet feud. A romeo and juliet prologue quiz will prompt you to identify its iambic pentameter and rhyming couplet, reinforcing your grasp of sonnet structure. Knowing this helps you see how Shakespeare primes the audience for tragedy.

  2. Key Themes in Act I, Scene I -

    Act I, Scene I introduces the street brawl and Romeo's melancholy over unrequited love, setting the stage for social conflict. A romeo and juliet act 1 scene i quiz often asks you to contrast Benvolio's calm interventions with Tybalt's fiery aggression. Remember: Montagues vs. Capulets and the motif of public violence versus private sorrow.

  3. Benvolio's Remedy for Heartache -

    According to Benvolio what will cure Romeo's heartache is a fresh perspective on love - he urges Romeo to "compare her face with some that I shall show." This benvolio curing romeo's heartache quote highlights the idea that time and new company can heal a lovesick heart. Use the mnemonic "NEW LOVE" (Notice, Evaluate, Watch, Let Go, Observe, Venture, Engage) to recall his advice.

  4. Invitation and Intrigue in Act I, Scene II -

    In Act I, Scene II, Capulet invites Paris to woo Juliet at his feast, while Romeo learns of the party and decides to attend. A romeo and juliet act 1 scene ii quiz will test your knowledge of the guest list, the "read o'er the volume" line, and Romeo's sudden optimism. Focus on how Shakespeare uses dramatic irony: the audience knows Romeo is uninvited but excited to see Rosaline (and soon Juliet).

  5. Mnemonic for Major Quotes -

    Memorize key lines with a simple trick: group quotes by character - "Chorus," "Benvolio," "Romeo," "Juliet." For example, link the benvolio curing romeo's heartache quote with "think thy swan a crow" using a visual of a white swan turning dark. This tactic boosts recall for both the romeo and juliet prologue quiz and acts I - II.

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