Romeo and Juliet book club questions

The reading plan

Meeting 1: Prologue to Act 2, Scene 2

1. Can a threat of death stop a feud, or does it risk making the hatred worse?
2. Is Benvolio's advice to compare Rosaline with other women helpful, or does it dismiss Romeo's feelings?
3. How much freedom does Juliet's agreement to consider Paris seem to give her?
4. When Mercutio mocks romantic sorrow, does he seem like a helpful friend or an unsympathetic one?
5. How does discovering the family conflict after their kiss change the way you judge Romeo and Juliet's attraction?

Meeting 2: Act 2, Scene 3 to Act 3, Scene 4

6. Is ending the families' hatred a good reason for Friar Lawrence to support Romeo's request for an immediate wedding?
7. What does arranging marriage through the Nurse suggest about the strengths and risks of Romeo's plan?
8. Does Friar Lawrence's warning against fierce passion fit comfortably with his decision to lead the lovers toward their wedding?
9. Is Juliet's choice of loyalty to Romeo over anger a strength, a danger, or both?
10. What do you expect from a hurried marriage plan made during recent mourning?

Meeting 3: Act 3, Scene 5 to Act 5, Scene 3

11. How much responsibility do Juliet's family and the Nurse bear for her decision to seek help elsewhere?
12. How does Capulet's decision to advance the wedding affect your reading of Juliet's apology?
13. Does Juliet's decision to face the potion alone seem more like independence or isolation?
14. What effect does Peter's quarrel with the musicians have beside the household's mourning?
15. How do you judge Romeo's decision to buy poison after hearing news of Juliet's burial?

Themes to talk about

Tips for the host

1. Open each meeting with one question everyone can answer, then go deeper.
2. Anyone who fell behind can catch up with the 15-minute summary.