Love, Tragedy, and Drama: An Introduction to Shakespeare — Test
Question 14 • CMS 2025-2026 English I CREDIT RECOVERY
Read the excerpt from Juliet’s soliloquy in Act IV, scene iii of Romeo and Juliet . What if this mixture do not work at all? Shall I be married then to-morrow morning? No, no; this shall forbid it: lie thou there. [ Laying down a dagger .] What if it be a poison, which the friar Subtly hath minister’d to have me dead, Lest in this marriage he should be dishonour’d Because he married me before to Romeo? I fear it is: and yet, methinks, it should not, For he hath still been tried a holy man. I will not entertain so bad a thought. The purpose of this soliloquy is to help the audience understand
Answer
A
Juliet’s shame at disgracing her family and Paris.
B
Juliet’s anger at the friar for marrying her to Romeo.
C
Juliet’s uneasiness about going through with her plan.
D
Juliet’s confusion about whether Romeo loves her.
Explanation
Juliet wonders whether the potion will work and whether it might actually be poison, showing that she is anxious and uncertain about her plan. She then reassures herself that the Friar is trustworthy, but her doubts remain clear. The soliloquy helps the audience understand Juliet’s uneasiness about going through with her plan.
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