| prologue | is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ties into the main one, and other miscellaneous information. |
| Who delivers the “prologue”? | The chorus |
| What is the purpose of the prologue in Romeo and Juliet? | it tells us about the place and characters (Verona, Romeo and Juliet), but more importantly it tells us what is going to happen to them (they will die) |
| What does “star-crossed lovers” mean? | against the stars, two people in love |
| Back in the time of Shakespeare (even some people today), what did people believe about the stars in the sky (astronomy)? | it was thought to control people’s destinies (what will happen in one’s life) |
| What does the prologue create for the audience watching the play? | a sense (a feeling) of fate, that Romeo and Juliet cannot escape death and the play will fulfill it’s promise set out in the prologue. |
| Define Shakespearean “Tragedy”? | is a play written by William Shakespeare that tells the story of a seemingly heroic figure whose major character flaw causes the story to end with his tragic downfall. |
| Shakespeare’s “tragic-romance”, Romeo and Juliet, is about what? | two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. |
Romeo and Juliet (prologue)
September 9, 2019