Romeo and Juliet Vocabulary | 10 Essential Words | William Shakespeare

Study 10 essential vocabulary words from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, including prologue, dramatic irony, and forbidden, with definitions, book examples, and a practice quiz.

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Essential Vocabulary

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

High School Grades 8-10 10 Key Words Shakespearean Tragedy - 1597

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These 10 words trace the play's shape from its very first lines to its final ones. The prologue announces the tragedy and the fate that supposedly controls it, while impulsive, haste, and forbidden describe the human choices that actually drive Romeo and Juliet toward it. Learning these words in context makes them easier to recall on both a literature exam and the SAT, since terms like dramatic irony and tragedy appear constantly in essay prompts about the play.

Word List

Word	Part of Speech	Definition	Example from the Book
Prologue	noun	An introduction that comes before the main action of a play	"The play's prologue tells the audience in its very first lines that the lovers are fated to die"
Impulsive	adjective	Acting suddenly without thinking through the consequences	"Romeo's impulsive decision to marry Juliet the day after meeting her sets the whole tragedy in motion"
Feud	noun	A long, bitter conflict between two families or groups	"The feud between the Montagues and the Capulets has lasted so long that neither family remembers how it began"
Fate	noun	A power believed to control events beyond human control	"Calling Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers suggests that fate controls their tragic ending before it happens"
Reconciliation	noun	The restoring of friendly relations after a conflict	"Only the deaths of their own children finally bring the two families to reconciliation"
Dramatic Irony	noun phrase	A moment when the audience knows something that the characters do not	"Dramatic irony builds unbearable tension in the tomb scene, since the audience knows Juliet is only asleep"
Tragedy	noun	A serious play in which the main character's downfall ends in death or ruin	"Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare's most famous tragedy, ending with both young lovers dead within days of meeting"
Forbidden	adjective	Not allowed; prohibited by rule or authority	"Their love is forbidden from the start, since their families have sworn to be lifelong enemies"
Haste	noun	Excessive speed or urgency; acting too quickly	"Friar Laurence warns Romeo that haste will ruin his careful plans, but Romeo refuses to slow down"
Sacrifice	noun	Giving up something important, sometimes even one's life, for a greater purpose	"Juliet's willingness to fake her own death is a desperate sacrifice made entirely for love"

Look-Alike Words

Related but Distinct · A Cause vs. A Genre

Fate

A power believed to control events beyond human control.

Tragedy

A serious play in which the main character's downfall ends in death or ruin.

Tip: Fate is what the prologue blames for the lovers' deaths. Tragedy is simply the type of play Shakespeare wrote, whether or not fate is truly to blame.

Commonly Confused · A Trait vs. An Action

Impulsive

Acting suddenly without thinking through the consequences, describing a person.

Haste

Excessive speed or urgency, describing a specific action taken too quickly.

Tip: Romeo is an impulsive person by nature. His haste in buying poison the moment he hears Juliet is dead is one specific example of that trait in action.

Commonly Confused · Where the Story Starts vs. Where It Ends

Feud

A long, bitter conflict between two families or groups.

Reconciliation

The restoring of friendly relations after a conflict.

Tip: The feud between the Montagues and Capulets is the engine of the whole play. Reconciliation only arrives after it is far too late to save Romeo and Juliet.

Vocabulary Video

Watch - Essential Vocabulary from Romeo and Juliet

Practice Quiz

Romeo and Juliet - Vocabulary Quiz

Question 1 of 10

The play's __________ tells the audience in its very first lines that the lovers are doomed to die.

Question 2 of 10

Romeo's __________ decision to marry Juliet just one day after meeting her sets the whole tragedy in motion.

Question 3 of 10

The __________ between the Montagues and the Capulets has lasted so long that neither family remembers how it started.

Question 4 of 10

Calling the lovers star-crossed suggests that __________ controls their ending before the story even begins.

Question 5 of 10

Only the deaths of their own children finally force the two feuding families into __________.

Question 6 of 10

__________ builds unbearable tension in the tomb scene, since the audience knows Juliet is only sleeping, not dead.

Question 7 of 10

Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare's most famous __________, ending with both young lovers dead within days of meeting.

Question 8 of 10

Their romance is __________ from the very beginning, since their families have sworn to be lifelong enemies.

Question 9 of 10

Friar Laurence warns Romeo that __________ will ruin his careful plans, but Romeo refuses to slow down.

Question 10 of 10

Juliet's willingness to fake her own death is a desperate __________ made entirely for love.

out of 10 correct

Full explanations for every question appear below after you check your answers.

Answer Key & Explanations

1Prologue. An introduction spoken before the main action, telling the audience the lovers are doomed, is exactly what a prologue is.

2Impulsive. Marrying someone one day after meeting her, without thinking through the consequences, describes an impulsive decision.

3Feud. A long, bitter conflict between two families that has lasted so long no one remembers how it started is exactly what a feud is.

4Fate. Calling the lovers star-crossed suggests their ending is controlled by a power beyond their own choices, which is fate.

5Reconciliation. Two feuding families being forced back into friendly relations after tragedy is reconciliation, not simply the end of a feud.

6Dramatic Irony. The audience knowing Juliet is only sleeping while Romeo believes she is dead is exactly what dramatic irony means.

7Tragedy. A serious play ending in the deaths of its two young main characters is exactly what makes Romeo and Juliet a tragedy.

8Forbidden. Love that is not allowed because of a family's sworn enmity is forbidden, distinct from love that is simply impulsive or hasty.

9Haste. Acting with excessive speed and urgency, refusing to slow down despite a warning, is exactly what haste describes.

10Sacrifice. Giving up something as important as her own safety, even faking her death, for love is a sacrifice.

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