Sort it out, Romeo!

Romeo and Juliet Crunched

Look at Romeo’s language in Act 2 Scene 2 and create as many categories as you
need to sort these words into groups. You can label the groups as you wish, but an
example has been suggested for you.
Night words
Twinkle
Night

adventure afeard air airy angel attempt baptized birds blessed bold bosom bright
brightness cheek cloak clouds dares daylight death dream enemy enmity envious
eye fair fairest faithful fruit-tree gaze glorious glove grief hand hate hateful head
heaven hide kill lamp life light look love moon mortals night pale peril sails saint
sea shame shore sick sight silver soul stars stream sun swords tear thrive twinkle
vestal vow white-upturned winged wings wondering wound

 What mood or moods are created by these words?

 Which group or groups of words are most powerful in conveying Romeo’s
emotions in this speech?
 Circle the words that you think would be most effective in persuading Juliet
of his feelings.

© 2008 www.teachit.co.uk Cruncher: GCSE Page 1 of 2

Sort it out, Romeo! Romeo and Juliet Crunched

Look at Juliet’s language in Act 2 Scene 2 and create as many categories as you
need to sort these words into groups. You can label the group as you wish, but an
example has been suggested for you.
Nature words
Flower
Rose

arm belonging bepaint bescreen’d beseech blush boundless breast breath bud cease
changes cheek circled confess cunning dark death ears enemy face fair faithfully false
farewell flower foot fortunes god grief hand hear heard heart honourable idolatry
impute inconstant infinite jove joy laughs light lightens lightning love lovers maiden
marriage mask montague moon murder name night overheard’st passion perjuries
procure prove quickly rash refuse repose rest ripening rose saw sea smell sound
speak spoke stumblest sudden summer’s swear swear’st sweet sworn to-morrow to-
night tongue true trust truth unadvised utterance variable walls woo yielding
 Are there any similarities or connections between these categories? What’s
the effect?
 Identify any groups of nouns, verbs or adjectives. Does this tell us anything?
 In pairs, choose the group of words you find most interesting, or powerful.
What does Shakespeare’s choice of language tell you about Juliet’s character
or emotions in this speech?

© 2008 www.teachit.co.uk Cruncher: GCSE Page 2 of 2