Two households, both alike in dignity | 2 houses that are alike in the levels of social class; both very wealthy |
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene | setting/place is Verona, Italy |
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny | Past/old arguments form into new arguments |
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean | where civilian murder makes civilians guilty |
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes | children of these enemies family’s |
A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life | 2 people from opposite households kill themselves |
Whose misadventure’d piteous overthrows | whose bad choices in parental disobedience |
Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife | causes their deaths, their parent’s rival/arguments comes to an end |
The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love | their relationship that caused their deaths |
And the continuance of their parents’ rage | the continued anger of their parents |
Which but their children’s end naught could remove | which only the children’s deaths could stop |
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage | it is now the subject of the play that takes place on the stage |
The which, if you with patient ears attend, | the subject, if you will pay attention |
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend | we shall perform and demonstrate for you |
Romeo and Juliet Prologue Meaning
July 5, 2019