GCSE Shakespeare | Revision Points in Romeo and Juliet

English Literature Quiz - Romeo and Juliet - Illustrating and Supporting Points (Questions)

This GCSE English Literature quiz takes a look at illustrating and supporting points in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Being able to support your points by referring in detail to evidence in the text is one of the most important skills you practise during your GCSEs. This quiz gives you an opportunity to test those skills. When you wish to make a point about a text, quoting or referring explicitly to a specific part of the text will greatly strengthen your argument. Once you have backed up your point, you will also need to follow up with an explanation, too!

How to use evidence to support a point:

Three primary methods exist with which you may use evidence from a text in support of a point: paraphrasing, quoting single words or short phrases, or quoting longer sections of text.

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Paraphrasing is often neglected, despite being one of the most useful methods. In fact, it is an essential skill for many reasons besides writing English essays. Paraphrasing demonstrates your knowledge of the text and is very often more elegant than quoting multiple words or very long passages.

If you wish to draw attention to a specific language choice, you might quote a single word or a short phrase. Mixing paraphrase and a short quotation in the same sentence is often an efficient way of making a complex point. This is nearly always better than writing long, unwieldy sentences full of multiple short quotations.

The third option is to quote a full sentence or more. This is the best choice when you would like to discuss a longer quotation in close detail or if a shorter quotation just won't make sense.

Remember: you will not normally need to use quotation marks if you are referring to a single word which is not especially significant in itself. For example, it is rather silly to quote “cat” unless the use of the word is unusual or unexpected in some way. When using an exact phrase or sentence from the text, however, do remember to put quotation marks around it.

See how you do with this quiz on the best way to use evidence from Romeo and Juliet. Remember, the purpose of this quiz is to test your ability to quote and to paraphrase, rather than to test your knowledge of the text. One helpful tip is that it might be easier to eliminate the incorrect answers first!

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Read the text from Romeo and Juliet and then choose the answer which best uses evidence in support of a point.

"You have dancing shoes / With nimble soles; I have a soul of lead / So stakes me to the ground I cannot move." - Romeo

[ ]	Romeo describes his heavy mood as having a "soul of lead", meaning he is not in the mood for "dancing", unlike Mercutio, who has "dancing shoes" with "nimble soles"
[ ]	Romeo describes his heavy mood as "having a soul of lead", meaning he is not in the mood for dancing
[ ]	Romeo is not in the mood for dancing; he describes his heavy mood as having a "soul of lead"
[ ]	Romeo is not in the mood for "dancing"; he describes his heavy mood as having a soul of "lead"

"I have no joy in this contract tonight. / It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, / Too like the lightning which doth cease to be." - Juliet

[ ]	Juliet compares the suddenness of her agreement with Romeo to lightning, which is brilliant but short-lived
[ ]	Juliet foretells the brief nature of the love affair, describing her agreement with Romeo as "too rash, too unadvised, too sudden"
[ ]	Juliet compares the suddenness of her agreement with Romeo to lightning, because it is "too rash, too unadvised, too sudden"
[ ]	All of the above

BENVOLIO: But that he tilts
With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast,
Who, all as hot, turns deadly point to point
And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats
Cold death aside.

[ ]	Benvolio makes his account to the Prince of the fatal duel entertaining and tragic, using such vivid language as "piercing", "bold", "hot", "deadly" and "cold"
[ ]	Benvolio makes his account to the Prince of the fatal duel entertaining and tragic, using vivid, active verbs such as tilts, turns and beats
[ ]	Benvolio makes his account to the Prince of the fatal duel entertaining and tragic, using vivid, active verbs such as "tilts, turns and beats"
[ ]	Benvolio makes his account to the Prince of the fatal duel entertaining and tragic, using such vivid language as "piercing" steel, "bold", "hot", "deadly" point and "cold" death

PARIS: Thy face is mine, and thou hast slandered it.
JULIET: It may be so, for it is not mine own. —

[ ]	Paris asserts his ownership over Juliet's face; her response appears to be in agreement, although she means that Romeo possesses her
[ ]	Paris asserts his ownership over Juliet's face; her response, "it is not mine own", appears to be in agreement, although she means that Romeo possesses her
[ ]	Although she appears to agree with Paris, Juliet's response, "it is not mine own", secretly refers to Romeo as the one who possesses her
[ ]	All of the above

"Death lies on her like an untimely frost / Upon the sweetest flower of all the field." - Capulet

[ ]	Capulet mourns his daughter's death at such a young age as an untimely "frost" which kills a "flower"
[ ]	Capulet mourns his daughter's death at such a young age as an "untimely frost" which kills a flower
[ ]	Capulet mourns his daughter's "death" at such a young age as an "untimely frost" which kills a flower
[ ]	Capulet mourns his daughter's "death" at such a young age as an "untimely frost" which kills a "flower"

"The most you sought was her promotion, / For 'twas your heaven she should be advanced." - Friar Laurence

[ ]	Friar Laurence accuses Capulet of selfishly promoting Juliet in order to achieve "your heaven"
[ ]	Friar Laurence accuses Capulet of selfishly promoting Juliet in order to achieve his own idea of "heaven"
[ ]	Friar Laurence accuses Capulet of selfishly "promoting" Juliet in order to achieve his own idea of heaven
[ ]	Friar Laurence accuses Capulet of selfishly "promoting Juliet" in order to achieve his own idea of "heaven"

"The time and my intents are savage-wild, / More fierce and more inexorable far / Than empty tigers or the roaring sea." - Romeo

[ ]	Romeo sees himself as savage-wild, comparing his uncontrollable rage to "empty tigers" and the "roaring sea"
[ ]	Romeo sees himself as "savage-wild", comparing his uncontrollable rage to empty "tigers" and the "roaring" sea
[ ]	Romeo sees himself as "savage-wild", comparing his uncontrollable rage to "empty tigers" and the "roaring sea"
[ ]	Romeo sees himself as "savage" and "wild", comparing his uncontrollable "rage" to "empty tigers" and the "roaring sea"

"I will kiss thy lips. / Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, / To make me die with a restorative." - Juliet

[ ]	Juliet hopes the poison will be a restorative which will kill her alongside her beloved, rather than "restoring" her to physical health
[ ]	Juliet hopes the poison will be a "restorative" which will "kill" her alongside her beloved, rather than "restoring" her to physical health
[ ]	Juliet hopes the "poison" will be a "restorative" which will kill her alongside her beloved, rather than "restoring" her to physical health
[ ]	Juliet hopes the poison will be a "restorative" which will kill her alongside her beloved, rather than restoring her to physical health

"This dagger has mista'en, for lo, his house / Is empty on the back of Montague, / And it is mis-sheathèd in my daughter's bosom." - Capulet

[ ]	Capulet, in his grief, describes Juliet's body as a scabbard in which Romeo's "dagger" is "mis-sheathèd"
[ ]	Capulet, in his grief, describes Juliet's body as a scabbard in which Romeo's dagger is "mis-sheathèd"
[ ]	Capulet, in his grief, describes Juliet's body as a scabbard in which "Romeo's dagger" is "mis-sheathèd"
[ ]	All of the above

10.

"We still have known thee for a holy man." - Prince

[ ]	Although he is apparently reassuring Friar Laurence, the Prince introduces some doubt that he truly is a "holy" man
[ ]	The Prince implies that the people might have been mistaken in thinking they "know" the Friar for a holy man
[ ]	The "Prince" implies that the people of Verona were mistaken in viewing the Friar as a holy "man"
[ ]	Although he is apparently reassuring Friar Laurence, the Prince introduces some doubt in "knowing" him as a "holy man"

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Romeo and Juliet

English Literature Quiz - Romeo and Juliet - Illustrating and Supporting Points (Answers)

"You have dancing shoes / With nimble soles; I have a soul of lead / So stakes me to the ground I cannot move." - Romeo

[ ]	Romeo describes his heavy mood as having a "soul of lead", meaning he is not in the mood for "dancing", unlike Mercutio, who has "dancing shoes" with "nimble soles"
[ ]	Romeo describes his heavy mood as "having a soul of lead", meaning he is not in the mood for dancing
[x]	Romeo is not in the mood for dancing; he describes his heavy mood as having a "soul of lead"
[ ]	Romeo is not in the mood for "dancing"; he describes his heavy mood as having a soul of "lead"

Avoid inelegant sentences with multiple quotations such as the first answer. Did you notice the play on the homophones "sole" and "soul"? Can you think of a sentence making a point about this play on words?

"I have no joy in this contract tonight. / It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, / Too like the lightning which doth cease to be." - Juliet

[ ]	Juliet compares the suddenness of her agreement with Romeo to lightning, which is brilliant but short-lived
[ ]	Juliet foretells the brief nature of the love affair, describing her agreement with Romeo as "too rash, too unadvised, too sudden"
[ ]	Juliet compares the suddenness of her agreement with Romeo to lightning, because it is "too rash, too unadvised, too sudden"
[x]	All of the above

Always remember that there are many different correct ways to use evidence and to quote text in support of points

BENVOLIO: But that he tilts
With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast,
Who, all as hot, turns deadly point to point
And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats
Cold death aside.

[x]	Benvolio makes his account to the Prince of the fatal duel entertaining and tragic, using such vivid language as "piercing", "bold", "hot", "deadly" and "cold"
[ ]	Benvolio makes his account to the Prince of the fatal duel entertaining and tragic, using vivid, active verbs such as tilts, turns and beats
[ ]	Benvolio makes his account to the Prince of the fatal duel entertaining and tragic, using vivid, active verbs such as "tilts, turns and beats"
[ ]	Benvolio makes his account to the Prince of the fatal duel entertaining and tragic, using such vivid language as "piercing" steel, "bold", "hot", "deadly" point and "cold" death

Remember to quote accurately. The final answer is incorrect because of the inconsistent use of quotation marks

PARIS: Thy face is mine, and thou hast slandered it.
JULIET: It may be so, for it is not mine own. —

[ ]	Paris asserts his ownership over Juliet's face; her response appears to be in agreement, although she means that Romeo possesses her
[ ]	Paris asserts his ownership over Juliet's face; her response, "it is not mine own", appears to be in agreement, although she means that Romeo possesses her
[ ]	Although she appears to agree with Paris, Juliet's response, "it is not mine own", secretly refers to Romeo as the one who possesses her
[x]	All of the above

Pay attention to the different ways this point has been made above. It is useful to practise using evidence from texts, rearranging sentences to see what works best. Don't forget to practise paraphrasing!

"Death lies on her like an untimely frost / Upon the sweetest flower of all the field." - Capulet

[ ]	Capulet mourns his daughter's death at such a young age as an untimely "frost" which kills a "flower"
[x]	Capulet mourns his daughter's death at such a young age as an "untimely frost" which kills a flower
[ ]	Capulet mourns his daughter's "death" at such a young age as an "untimely frost" which kills a flower
[ ]	Capulet mourns his daughter's "death" at such a young age as an "untimely frost" which kills a "flower"

"Death" should not be in quotation marks because it is an ordinary word and the point being made here relates to the untimeliness of Juliet's death

"The most you sought was her promotion, / For 'twas your heaven she should be advanced." - Friar Laurence

[ ]	Friar Laurence accuses Capulet of selfishly promoting Juliet in order to achieve "your heaven"
[x]	Friar Laurence accuses Capulet of selfishly promoting Juliet in order to achieve his own idea of "heaven"
[ ]	Friar Laurence accuses Capulet of selfishly "promoting" Juliet in order to achieve his own idea of heaven
[ ]	Friar Laurence accuses Capulet of selfishly "promoting Juliet" in order to achieve his own idea of "heaven"

Remember that quotations need to fit grammatically with the rest of the sentence. If discussing Capulet in the third-person, it becomes ungrammatical to quote the second person "your heaven"

"The time and my intents are savage-wild, / More fierce and more inexorable far / Than empty tigers or the roaring sea." - Romeo

[ ]	Romeo sees himself as savage-wild, comparing his uncontrollable rage to "empty tigers" and the "roaring sea"
[ ]	Romeo sees himself as "savage-wild", comparing his uncontrollable rage to empty "tigers" and the "roaring" sea
[x]	Romeo sees himself as "savage-wild", comparing his uncontrollable rage to "empty tigers" and the "roaring sea"
[ ]	Romeo sees himself as "savage" and "wild", comparing his uncontrollable "rage" to "empty tigers" and the "roaring sea"

Be careful not to drop multiple quotations into a sentence as evidence that you have read the text. Only use multiple quotations when it is necessary and does not distract from the sentence

"I will kiss thy lips. / Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, / To make me die with a restorative." - Juliet

[ ]	Juliet hopes the poison will be a restorative which will kill her alongside her beloved, rather than "restoring" her to physical health
[ ]	Juliet hopes the poison will be a "restorative" which will "kill" her alongside her beloved, rather than "restoring" her to physical health
[ ]	Juliet hopes the "poison" will be a "restorative" which will kill her alongside her beloved, rather than "restoring" her to physical health
[x]	Juliet hopes the poison will be a "restorative" which will kill her alongside her beloved, rather than restoring her to physical health

Quoting a single word can be very effective, if used well to make a specific point

"This dagger has mista'en, for lo, his house / Is empty on the back of Montague, / And it is mis-sheathèd in my daughter's bosom." - Capulet

[ ]	Capulet, in his grief, describes Juliet's body as a scabbard in which Romeo's "dagger" is "mis-sheathèd"
[x]	Capulet, in his grief, describes Juliet's body as a scabbard in which Romeo's dagger is "mis-sheathèd"
[ ]	Capulet, in his grief, describes Juliet's body as a scabbard in which "Romeo's dagger" is "mis-sheathèd"
[ ]	All of the above

Remember not to use quotation marks for ordinary words (such as "dagger") unless that word is significant in itself

10.

"We still have known thee for a holy man." - Prince

[x]	Although he is apparently reassuring Friar Laurence, the Prince introduces some doubt that he truly is a "holy" man
[ ]	The Prince implies that the people might have been mistaken in thinking they "know" the Friar for a holy man
[ ]	The "Prince" implies that the people of Verona were mistaken in viewing the Friar as a holy "man"
[ ]	Although he is apparently reassuring Friar Laurence, the Prince introduces some doubt in "knowing" him as a "holy man"

Using quotation marks around the word "holy" rather than the phrase "holy man" better emphasises the point

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English Literature Quiz - Romeo and Juliet - Illustrating and Supporting Points (Questions)

How to use evidence to support a point: