Romeo and Juliet - Dialogue

Dialog conveys meaning not only through its content, but also through specific details such as language choice, use of dialect and even interruptions and pauses.

As you read Romeo and Juliet or any other work of fiction, ask yourself the following questions: How do different characters speak? Do different characters have different vocabularies with which to express themselves? Does the way in which a character speaks change in different situations, or over time? Do any characters speak differently to different people? When reading Shakespeare, you might even like to compare dialog that is written in poetry with dialog that is written in prose. What are the differences between the characters who speak in one but not the other? Do any characters switch between poetry and prose depending on whom they are addressing?

Dialog conveys the individual beliefs, intentions and preferences of any character, to be sure, but it also communicates much more. Dialog gives practical information, perhaps informing the audience about the events which lead to the point at which the play began or about the way in which characters are related and have engaged with one another in the past. In Romeo and Juliet it is valuable to pay close attention to the word play and other verbal games with which characters engage one another. How much do their words reveal or conceal their meaning?

Memorizing Shakespearean dialog is not only a good way to impress your teacher, but also a useful method of preparing to write about the play. Create a list of the most significant examples of dialog for each character, especially noting those that illustrate their characteristics or occur at a turning point in the text.

The quiz below asks you to recognize who is speaking each of these lines. As you answer the questions, think carefully about the significance of the quoted dialog. What can the lines tell you about the character to whom they are assigned? Could any other character have spoken the same lines? If not, why not? Also consider the information being conveyed about the person being addressed, and consider whether the dialog foreshadows or explains any later events.