'Romeo and Juliet': exploring Juliet's agency in Act 5, Scene 3 | English

Starter quiz

The prologue of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' refers to Romeo and Juliet as "______-crossed lovers".

'star' ✓
In Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Romeo and Juliet are fated to do which of the following?

live happily ever after

fall out of love with each other

take their own lives ✓
Starting with the first, put the events of Act 5, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' in chronological order.

1

⇔

Romeo and Paris fight and Paris is killed.

2

⇔

Romeo takes the poison at Juliet’s side and dies.

3

⇔

Friar Lawrence offers to take Juliet to a nunnery.

4

⇔

Juliet kills herself.

5

⇔

Friar Lawrence explains Romeo and Juliet's love and marriage to their families.

6

⇔

The feud between the Montagues and Capulets ends.
An imperative word is which of the following?

a question

a statement

a command ✓
To undermine something means which of the following?

make it stronger

have no effect

make it weaker ✓
'The capacity of an individual to act independently from others and to make their own free choices' is the definition of which word beginning with 'a'?

'agency' ✓

'The development of events outside a person's control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power' is the definition of which word beginning with 'f'?

'fate' ✓
In Act 5, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Friar Lawrence offers to do which of the following for Juliet?

bring her more poison

hide her in the tomb

take her to a nunnery ✓
Arguably, fate and agency are __________ concepts.

complementary

contradictory ✓

corresponding
Complete the quotation from Act 5, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet': “I will ray her statue in pure ______”.

'gold' ✓
'Happening or continuing after one's death' is the definition of which word beginning with 'p'?

'posthumous' ✓
Complete the quotation from Act 5, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet': “O, happy dagger, / This is thy sheath. There rust, and ______ me die.”

'let' ✓

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Potentially, we might see Friar Lawrence’s offer of a nunnery as representing how limited women’s choices were.
Arguably, Juliet asking permission to die undermines her agency in the scene.
We might see Juliet’s death as fulfilling her destiny which could contradict her agency.
Arguably, Juliet’s posthumous presentation is decided by men.
This might reveal how ultimately women’s agency is undermined by men.

That everyone believes we all have control over our life and decisions.

If you believe in fate, then you believe that our life is predetermined and our decisions ultimately don't matter.

Agency - the capacity of an individual to act independently from others and to make their own free choices
Fate - the development of events outside a person's control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power
Posthumous - happening or continuing after one's death