Scribd
Upload
37 views2 pages

Romeo and Juliet Prologue Analysis

The prologue introduces the feuding families of Montague and Capulet in Verona, Italy. It explains that the feud began with an ancient grudge and led to a new outbreak of fighting. From these two enemy families, two young star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, fall in love but their love is doomed and they take their own lives. Their deaths finally bring an end to the long-standing feud between their families.

Uploaded by

api-263744910
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
37 views2 pages

Romeo and Juliet Prologue Analysis

The prologue introduces the feuding families of Montague and Capulet in Verona, Italy. It explains that the feud began with an ancient grudge and led to a new outbreak of fighting. From these two enemy families, two young star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, fall in love but their love is doomed and they take their own lives. Their deaths finally bring an end to the long-standing feud between their families.

Uploaded by

api-263744910
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

ROMEO AND JULIET ACT I, PROLOGUE

CLOSE READING CLASS NOTES

LOIN – AREA OF THE BODY THAT HOUSES THE SEXUAL ORGANS


NOUGHT – NOTHING
TOIL – HARD WORK
MUTINY – TO OVERTHROW
STRIFE – FIGHT; ARGUMENT
PITEOUS – PATHETIC; DESERVING PITY
CIVIC - PUBLIC

The Prologue is spoken by the Chorus – A single character who, as developed in Greek drama, functions as a
narrator offering commentary on the play’s plot and themes.

1. Two households, both alike in dignity, A TWO FAMILIES, SIMILAR IN STATUS


2. In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, B THE PLAY TAKES PLACE IN VERONA, ITALY
3. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, A AN OLD ARGUMENT (feud) LED TO A NEW FIGHT
4. Where civil (public) blood makes civil (public) hands unclean. B CITIZENS ARE FIGHTING, HURTING
EACH OTHER

5. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes C THE TWO ENEMY FAMILIES HAD CHILDREN
6. A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; D THE CHILDREN (destined to meet) FALL IN LOVE, BUT
COMMIT SUICIDE
7. Whose misadventured piteous overthrows C THEIR LOVE ADVENTURE WENT WRONG/ATTEMPT TO GO
AGAINST THE HATRED
8. Do with their death bury their parents' strife. D THE CHILDREN’S DEATHS ENDS THE FIGHT BETWEEN
THE PARENTS

9. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, E THE STORY OF THEIR LOVE (STAINED WITH DEATH)
10. And the continuance of their parents' rage, F AND THE CONTINUING HATE BETWEEN THE TWO
FAMILIES
11. Which, but their children's end, nought (nothing) could remove, E THE DEATH OF THEIR CHILDREN IS
THE ONLY THING TO END THE FIGHTING
12. Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; F IS WHAT WE WILL SHOW YOU IN THE NEXT TWO HOURS ON
THE STAGE (WE WIL PERFORM IT.)

13. The which if you with patient ears attend, G IF YOU LISTEN CAREFULLY
14. What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. G WHAT YOU MISSED IN THE PROLOGUE WE WILL
WORK HARD TO TELL YOU AGAIN AS WE ACT IT OUT ON STAGE

The prologue is a sonnet


 14 line poem
 ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme
 written in iambic pentameter (10 syllables per line, unstressed – stressed syllable pattern
 a poem about love conflict

The structure of the prologue has symbolic significance because this is a play about love in conflict.

You might also like