Romeo and Juliet The Prologue

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Romeo and Juliet Presented By Jennifer Theakston
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Romeo and Juliet

• What is a Prologue?
• In this case, a prologue is a general overview
  of the story to come.
• Interesting Fact
• The prologue is written in Iambic Pentameter, a
  popular form of poetry in Shakespeare's time.

http//www.theatrehistory.com/british/romeoandjuli
et.jpg
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Basic Romeo and Juliet Information
http//smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/education/shakespe
are/images/detail_IV_V.jpg
http//www.bojan.net/img/citta/verona.gif
http//www.michrenfest.com/weekends.htm

• Themes in the text
• Enduring Love
• Fueding Familys
• Defying Parents
• Predetermined Fate

Main Characters Romeo Montegue Juliet Capulet
Location Verona, Italy
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Why Bother With A Prologue?

• Modern taste prefers not to be told right at the
  beginning of a play how it will end but many in
  Shakespeare's audience already knew the story and
  were looking to enjoy how well it was told, not
  seeking to be surprised by original plot turns.

http//www.romeo-juliet.newmail.ru/art.files/nupti
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Prologue So What Does It Mean?
Classwork
Shakespearean Text
Modern Translation

• Two households, both alike in dignity,
• In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
• From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
• Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
• From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
• A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life
• Whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows
• Doth with their death bury their parents' strife.
• The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
• And the continuance of their parents' rage,
• Which but their children's end naught could
  remove,
• Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage
• The which, if you with patient ears attend,
• What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to
  mend.

• Two families, the same in almost every respect,
• In the town of Verona, Italy, where this play is
  set,
• Continue an old feud with new breakouts of
  violence,
• Involving and killing citizens outside the
  families.
• The son of one family and the daughter of the
  other,
• Having become lovers, commit suicide,
• Following a series of events that keep them
  apart.
• Their deaths cause the families to end the feud.
• The events that lead to their suicide,
• As well as the continuing feud between the
  families,
• (which nothing but their childrens death could
  end),
• Will now be performed on this stage for two
  hours.
• If you listen to the play attentively, any
  details you
• Missed in this introduction, will be explained as
  you
• watch the play.
• Translation and original text from enotes.com