Prologue Close Reading Activity Answer Key Romeo and Juliet

Jule Romans is the author of "Take Advice from Shakespeare" and other books. She has over thirty years of feel in the field of teaching.

A line past line analysis of the prologue to Romeo and Juliet

Jule Romans

If you are struggling to make sense of the prologue to Romeo and Juliet, attempt this handy line-by-line assay. Nosotros showtime first with the prologue in its entirety and a quick summary of the facts. So, we move on to a translation and caption of each line individually.

The Prologue to Romeo and Juliet

Two households, both alike in nobility
(In fair Verona, where we lay our scene),
From ancient grudge pause to new mutiny,
Where civil claret makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers accept their life,
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-marked beloved
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, only their children's end, zilch could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our phase—
The which, if you with patient ears nourish,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

Summary of the Romeo and Juliet Prologue

• The prologue to Romeo and Juliet is a sonnet with 14 lines of iambic pentameter in an ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme.
• It sets the scene for the play by hinting at near of the action to come.
• the first stanza describes the setting and basic disharmonize of the play.
• The second stanza describes the young lovers and their dilemma.
• The third stanza tells how the family unit feud volition finally end in tragedy, and explains the focus of the play.
• The last two lines remind the audience that at that place is more than to come when the play is acted onstage.

Romeo and Juliet Prologue Analysis: First Stanza

Rhyme Scheme and Iambic Pentameter

The rhyme scheme, as you lot may note, is ABAB, and all lines are in iambic pentameter. Note how the lines have been broken upwardly to show the meter:

[1] Ii house / holds, both / alike / in dig / nity (A)

[2] (In fair / Vero / na, where / nosotros lay / our scene), (B)

[3] From an /cient grudge / break to / new mu / tiny, (A)

[4] Where ci / vil blood / makes ci / vil hands / unmake clean. (B)

Review Iambic pentameter and Romeo and Juliet sonnets.

Ii high-class families have been fighting for years in the metropolis of Verona, Italian republic. They are soon to go embroiled in violence again. Their one-time grudges volition erupt in bloodshed and stain their easily.

Two households, both alike in dignity

Two families, both as respected

Note the perfect iambic pentameter of this line: Two HOUSE/ holds BOTH / a Like / in DIG /ni TY. The ii households referred to here are the Capulets and Montagues.

This line "Two households..." has its own in-depth interpretation that can help you ameliorate understand Romeo and Juliet.

The Montagues and The Capulets

Both families are equally loftier in rank within the city of Verona. Call back that in the fourth dimension menstruation of the play, a "household" might include extended family unit, friends, and servants. And then, the two households could make up a large function of the population of a smaller town.

(In fair Verona, where nosotros lay our scene),

In the pleasant metropolis of Verona, where this play will take place

Verona is in northern Italy. The play is intended to take place in the 14th or 15th century. That would be about 100 years in the past, to Shakespeare's audition.

This line simply makes clear that the setting of the play will exist in Italy, non England.

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From ancient grudge intermission to new mutiny,

An former grudge and simmering resentment between the 2 families volition burst into new violence.

The Capulets and Montagues have a long-standing feud that affects everyone in town. Fifty-fifty their servants detest each other. Though this feud has not erupted in violence for awhile, information technology will soon practice so.

The very starting time scene of the play (the one that follows this prologue) is a brawl that starts because of some harsh words between the servants of both families.

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

The violence of the fighting betwixt these families puts claret on the hands of civilians.

The Montagues and Capulets go blood on their easily, when they should actually be avoiding this kind of low-class brawl.

A Double Pregnant

Consider the play on words here with the two uses of the give-and-take "civil." Even though they are supposed to be "civil" or seemly, decent, and well-behaved families, not soldiers, they still shed blood and are guilty of violence.

Also remember of the image created past hands being unclean and stained with blood. These ii things are examples of the poetic employ of language in this prologue.

Romeo and Juliet Prologue Assay: Second Stanza

Rhyme Scheme and Iambic Pentameter

Note the rhyme scheme that continues according to the pattern of a sonnet. The iambic pentameter continues as well, even though information technology is not marked.

[5] From forth the fatal loins of these two foes (C)

[vi] A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life, (D)

[vii] Whose misadventured piteous overthrows (C)

[viii] Doth with their decease bury their parents' strife. (D)

Two lovers are born from these warring families. Their death will cause the Montagues and Capulets to finally stop their feud.

A more in-depth assay of the Romeo and Juliet death scene reveals the details of the double suicide where the star-crossed lovers die in the Capulet tomb.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

These two enemies bore children.

"From along the fatal loins" is a reference to birth. Loins is another word for the expanse betwixt the legs. A baby comes forth from its mother's loins.

Referring to them as "fatal" implies immediately that the outcome may exist deadly for the kid or parent. "These two foes" are the Montagues and the Capulets.

In the next line, nosotros are to discover that in that location will be two children, one from each family unit.

A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life,

2 lovers are born from the families. Their dear is doomed by fate considering of their birth to warring families.

"Star-crossed" is the phrase that implies fate. The stars, or fates, are against the lovers from the start, as if their star divination dooms them. We can assume that ane kid volition be a boy, and one will be a daughter, and that they volition fall in love.

We do know that Romeo is the male child born into the Montague family unit and Juliet is the girl born into the Capulet family.

What does "Take Their Life" Mean?

"Take their life" can exist read two means: to accept life from (or be born), or to accept life away from (or kill). In other words, the prologue gives you lot a hint about how this play volition end, with the lovers taking their own lives.

"Take their life" ways, on the surface, that these 2 children gain life from their mothers. However, since we know that both Romeo and Juliet commit suicide, the phrase "accept their life" has a double meaning that foreshadows later events.

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows

Whose struggles and defeats should inspire our pity.

This line is likely placed to enhance the rhythm of this sonnet. Its meaning is somewhat ambiguous. Misadventures are bad adventures, or bad experiences. Piteous implies that we should feel not bad sympathy for the lovers.

The Meaning of "Misadventured Piteous Overthrows"

The word "overthrows" refers to a lesser-known definition of the word. Information technology is: "a removal from power, a defeat or downfall." In this case, "overthrows" refers to their attempts to thwart the hatred between the families and plough information technology to love.

In their love, Romeo and Juliet rebel against the family unit feud. Thus, the lovers will have bad experiences worthy of compassion and eventually be defeated. Still, keep in heed that we take to stretch pretty far to come up up with this estimation.

Doth with their expiry coffin their parents' strife.

When the lovers die, the Montagues and Capulets finally stop fighting.

The decease of Romeo and Juliet is pre-determined with this line. The audience now knows how the story will end. The two lovers volition die and the families volition end the feud considering of this.

As well notation the double meaning of burying strife with death. When the lovers die, they are buried. The conflict betwixt the families dies as well, and is buried along with Romeo and Juliet.

Romeo and Juliet Prologue Analysis: Third Stanza

Rhyme Scheme and Iambic Pentameter

This third set of four lines is the third stanza. Note the rhyme scheme continues with the sonnet pattern:

[ix] The fearful passage of their decease-marked beloved (E)

[ten] And the constancy of their parents' rage, (F)

[11] Which, but their children's finish, goose egg could remove, (Due east)

[12] Is now the ii hours' traffic of our stage (F)

The fearfulness-filled and thrilling story of how the lovers died, and how that expiry was the Merely thing that could finish the feud, these are the things nosotros volition perform onstage today. The play volition tell the story of how the feud was ended by the death of the ii young lovers.

The fearful passage of their death-marked beloved

The thrilling story of their doomed dearest that will cause them to die

"Fearful passage" is a poetic mode of saying the progress of their dearest is full of fear. In Shakespeare'south time, this likewise meant a story was thrilling to the audience.

Their dear is marked for death from the very showtime. We are once more reminded that the end of the story will be tragic. We brainstorm the play past knowing the terminate of the story.

What nosotros don't know is HOW that end volition come up about. This keeps the audience and readers interested, and foreshadows the famous balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet.

And the continuance of their parents' rage,

And the acrimony that continues between the lovers' parents...

This line depends on the next line to make it complete. But, information technology begins by telling u.s. that the story will include the continuing anger between the families. It implies that this "rage" volition negatively affect anybody.

The real meaning comes in the next line.

Which, but their children's end, nada could remove,

The anger was so stiff that, except for the expiry of their children, nothing could take it away.

Shakespeare has a trend to reverse the guild of words. In this line, that is about credible. What information technology says is: only the death of the children could take abroad the rage. "Naught" means nothing.

So when we read "naught could remove" it means "nothing could remove."

This line combines with the line before it in order to make sense.

The complete meaning, then, is: The standing feud between the Montagues and Capulets will only be ended because of the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

Nix else would be stiff enough to end the hate.

Is at present the two hours' traffic of our phase—

Is what we will perform for you here on this stage.

The chorus is at present telling the audition that the whole story but laid out will be performed on the stage.

"Two hours traffic" means that for the next two hours, the performers volition come and go onstage to enact the story. It is somewhat odd that the line says two hours.

In general, Shakespeare's plays were much longer than two hours. They often lasted several hours or even an entire afternoon. This anomaly is interesting to people who wish to look deeper.

Romeo and Juliet Prologue Assay: Final Couplet

Rhyme Scheme and Meaning

Notation that the final two lines rhyme with each other, creating a final couplet equally required by the format of a sonnet.

[13] The which, if you with patient ears attend, (G)
[fourteen] What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. (G)

This couplet has a simple significant. It tells the audience that "If you pay attention to the play, everything will become clear. All the details missed in the prologue volition be revealed in the performance."

The which, if y'all with patient ears attend,

This performance, if you will listen carefully and exist patient

The play will tell the whole story, if the audience will sentinel closely. "Attend" ways to pay attending. We know that the audience does more than than listen, but Shakespeare chooses to use the word ears, implying that listening to the words will exist important. This makes sense considering of the poetry of the play.

What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

The actors will work hard to perform this story and fill in whatever details this prologue leaves out.

"What hither shall miss" means: What has not been said here in this prologue. The chorus explains that the upcoming play will cover many more events that were mentioned.

Using the words "toil" and "strive" implies that the performers volition be taking nifty care to demonstrate the story. The primal thing to keep in mind is that the unabridged prologue is a setup to this concluding line.

This line is the introduction to the play, preparing the audience to get ready and pay attention.

The Prologue to Romeo and Juliet

[ane]-- Two households, both alike in dignity (A)
[ii]-- (In off-white Verona, where we lay our scene), (B)
[3]-- From ancient grudge intermission to new mutiny, (A)
[4]-- Where civil claret makes civil easily unclean. (B)
[5]-- From forth the fatal loins of these two foes (C)
[half-dozen]-- A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life, (D)
[7]-- Whose misadventured piteous overthrows (C)
[8]-- Doth with their expiry coffin their parents' strife. (D)
[9]-- The fearful passage of their decease-marked love (Eastward)
[ten]- And the constancy of their parents' rage, (F)
[11]- Which, but their children's terminate, naught could remove, (East)
[12]- Is now the ii hours' traffic of our stage— (F)
[thirteen]- The which, if y'all with patient ears attend, (Grand)
[14]- What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. (G)

This content is accurate and truthful to the all-time of the author's knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Questions & Answers

Question: Why did Shakespeare use the sonnet form for the prologue?

Reply: Nosotros don't know for sure, but it seems possible that the sonnet form was chosen because of the sonnet's strict order and structure.

The events of the play will be cluttered. The words of the sonnet tell a story of potential violence and disarray.

Withal, these words are independent in a very orderly poetic form. The contrast of these ii things adds complication and depth to Shakespeare'southward prologue.

One other pop theory proposes that the sonnet class is chosen because Romeo and Juliet is a love story, and sonnets are associated with love. This may exist the instance.

All the same, it seems more likely that this theory is an estimation that we can put on the prologue as we expect back on the play. It may not take been a deliberate choice on Shakespeare'due south function.

We have no way to know for sure, equally I said, merely it is enjoyable to study and consider.

Question: Tin you elaborate on how love and fate are represented in Romeo and Juliet?

Answer: If you are looking for representations of love and fate together, you demand to wait no farther than lines 6 and 7 of the prologue. Both of those lines, taken together, strongly imply that fate plays a huge role in the play. Utilize of the term "star-crossed lovers" is a rather obvious reference to fate.

The stars are against Romeo and Juliet. The stars, in fact, are at cross purposes to the immature lovers. Therefore, Romeo and Juliet are "star-crossed," and fated to endure from circumstances beyond their control.

A less obvious representation of fate comes with the phrase "misadventured piteous overthrows." There is the sense of sadness (piteous), and tragic life-altering mistakes (misadventured overthrows). These events are beyond the lovers' command, and a strong representation of fate.

These two lines gear up line 8, where the use of "fearful passage" and "death-marked" are used in directly linkage to the love between Romeo and Juliet.

Here in the prologue, nosotros encounter that death is a foregone conclusion, and that the lovers are fated to die from their passionate connectedness.

Question: "The which, if you with patient ears attend, what hither shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend". What does this line in the prologue of Romeo and Juliet mean?

Reply: In short, information technology means "If you will patiently listen to this story which we will before long act out for you here onstage, what I have not explained hither, we will show you in our functioning."

Permit's break it downwards:

"The which" refers to the lines before. That is, the story of the love and death of Romeo and Juliet, and the feud between the Capulets and Montagues.

"If you with patient ears attend" means "If you will patiently listen"

"What hither shall miss" ways whatsoever has been missed, or not completely explained, by this prologue.

"Our toil" is the work of the actors in performing the play.

"Shall strive to mend" means that the performance will mend, or fix, whatsoever gaps in the story. The performance itself will explain any ideas that accept been missed past the statements in the prologue.

Thus, the line means:

"If you volition patiently listen to the upcoming performance, all the details that the prologue may take left out will be shown onstage by the actors in this play."

Question: Why does Shakespeare tell us how the story is going to cease?

Answer: I know it might seem odd that Shakespeare tells us the catastrophe of the Romeo and Juliet story in the prologue. But, it actually wasn't all that unusual in Elizabethan England. This was a common practice in theater at the time.

The concept began with Greek theater, and was revived in Shakespeare's fourth dimension. Typically, the prologue would reveal the key points of the story.

The audience wouldn't heed at all. In fact, some audiences would prefer this type of predictable performance.

Question: What is the tragic theme of "Romeo and Juliet"?

Respond: In that location are several possible themes to discuss in "Romeo and Juliet."

It sounds as though you are looking for something that connects well with the definition of tragedy. In this instance, one of the themes could be that unrestrained passion is fatal.

Nosotros see examples of this sort of thing throughout the play. Friar Laurence has several speeches that admonish against rash and vehement actions. Tybalt as a consummate character demonstrates the devastation of passionate emotions that are not balanced with dignity. From the very start of the play, unrestrained emotion drives characters to devastating violence.

A typical theme of "Romeo and Juliet" might be, just, "love." Just that is too simplistic.

The TRAGIC theme of the play is better stated every bit: "unrestrained passion tin can exist fatal." Passion certainly was fatal for many of the characters in the play, and non just Romeo and Juliet.

Question: Is Romeo and Juliet a tragedy or a comedy?

Answer: Technically, The play Romeo and Juliet is neither a tragedy nor a one-act.

The play does non fit the classical definition of tragedy. In a traditional tragedy, there must be a main graphic symbol who begins as a good person, but has a fatal flaw that leads to downfall, and eventually, decease. Before death, that primary character must also have a moment of insight, and express some class of awareness that there has been a autumn from grace.

None of the characters in Romeo and Juliet fulfill all of these characteristics. Friar Laurence comes closest. Nevertheless, even though Friar Laurence does show a fatal flaw, downfall, and insight, he does not die.

Romeo and Juliet both dice, of course, merely they do not show evidence of the progression required to exist considered tragic heroes.

So, Romeo and Juliet is not easily classified as a tragedy.

A Shakespearean comedy has a lighthearted tone and typically ends with the marriage of several characters, or some other commemoration of some sort. I think we can all agree that Romeo and Juliet does non fit with this definition of comedy.

Therefore, Romeo and Juliet is not classified every bit a tragedy and does not fit the requirements of a comedy, either.

Question: Why did Shakespeare write a prologue?

Answer: No one is actually sure of Shakespeare's motives in writing this prologue. However, the prologue to Romeo and Juliet sets up the story very effectively.

It would exist very common in Shakespeare's time for audiences to know all about a story before they always saw information technology acted onstage. So, it'due south not unusual that the prologue sets the scene and tells everything that is happening in the play before it even begins.

The great matter about this prologue, though, is that it actually adds weight to the "star crossed lovers" theme by increasing the sense of fate.

From the very get-go, the fate of the young lovers is already decided. This theme of fate weaves its way throughout the residual of the play and is underscored by the prologue itself.

So, while we don't know exactly why Shakespeare wrote it, we certainly know why it is a perfect fashion to beginning the play.

Question: What is the setting of "Romeo and Juliet"?

Respond: "Romeo and Juliet" takes identify in the 14th century in the metropolis of Verona, Italy.

Question: what does the chorus ask of the audience in the terminal 2 lines of Romeo and Juliet?

Respond: In the final two lines of the prologue, the chorus says:

"The which if you with patient ears nourish,

What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend."

The chorus is asking the audience to pay shut attention to the actions that will soon take place on stage.

© 2014 Jule Romans

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Source: https://owlcation.com/humanities/Romeo-and-Juliet-Prologue-Analysis-Line-by-Line

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