Romeo and Juliet Prologue PDF

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Summary

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare introductory Prologue. Line by line analysis as well as summary and notes. This enables better understanding of the content as a whole...

Description

Romeo and Juliet: Prologue

Prologue Function It tells us what is going to happen in the play

Line by Line

“Two households” -

is an example of metonymy.

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Metonymy is the substitution of the name of an attribute or closely associated thing for that of the thing meant. In this case “households” is a substitute for families.

“From ancient grudge break to new mutiny” -

is an example of antithesis.

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Antithesis is the use of opposite phrases close to each other with similar grammatical construction.

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In this case “ancient grudge” and “new mutiny” are opposite (ancient and new) and share the same grammatical structure (adjective, noun).

“Civil blood makes civil hands unclean” A) Example of synecdoche. Synecdoche is a figure of speech where the part stands for the whole or the whole stands for the part. In this case both “blood” and “hands” are the parts that stand for the whole person. B) Example of Pun, since the word “civil” has two meanings–citizen or peaceful C) Example of a Metaphor, since unclean hands is replacing someone who has committed a crime.

“From forth the fatal” -

is an example of alliteration.

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Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in close proximity (close together).

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The consonant sound here is “f”.

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The repetition of the “f” sound naturally speeds up the poem’s rhythm, perhaps symbolic of what happens when “loins” are involved.

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It also represents the speed of Romeo and Juliet to get married.

“Loins” -

is an example of a pun.

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A pun is a literary device exploiting the different meanings of a word for ironic or comedic effect.

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“Loins” has several meanings. They include: (1) The womb; (2) Reproductive organs; (3) The region of the hips, groin, and lower abdomen.

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The obvious meaning of “loins” in the prologue is womb - from the womb of the two enemies (fatal foes), in this case is a fore mention of the fighting families (Montagues and Capulets), which came two lovers, Romeo, son of Montague and Juliet, daughter of Capulet.

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Those familiar with the play also recognize that Romeo and Juliet’s region of the hips, groin and lower abdomen perhaps lead them on foolishly, making their own loins fatal as well.

“Do with their death bury their parents’ strife” A) Is an example of personification. -

Personification is a figure of speech that gives non-persons human attributes. In this example the ability to “bury” something, which requires hands, is given to “death.”

B) Example of situational irony, insomuch that usually death brings forth more violence, not an end to violence.

“Death-marked love” -

Example of oxymoron.

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An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which seemingly contradictory terms appear side by side. It is a type of paradox.

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“Death-marked love” is an oxymoron because love is usually a life-giving entity

And the continuance of their parents’ rage / Which but their childrens’ end, nought could remove” -

Example of irony.

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Situational irony involves an outcome that turns out to be very different from what is expected, the difference between what is expected to happen and what actually does.

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This is an example of situational irony because one wouldn’t expect parents’ rage to be ended by the death of their children, and one would think such respectable adults would find a way to establish peace other than the tragic death of their children.

“Two hours traffic of our stage” -

Example of metaphor.

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A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another.

Summary and Analysis

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It is a fourteen-line sonnet

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Each line has the same rhythm -iambic pentameter.

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The poem has 3 quatrains and a rhyming couplet.

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This is the rhyme scheme: abab, cdcd, efef, gg.

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This is the chorus’s introductory monologue. Purpose? A) It sets the scene B) Summarizes and describes the action that is about to take place C) Sets up the notion that fate is inevitable.

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The Chorus describes two families of equal nobility whose “ancient grudge” has reached new heights in that the citizens of Verona are also being roped into the families’ “new mutiny.” (rebellion)

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The chorus describes “a pair of star-crossed lovers,” one from each family, who will, in taking their own lives, mend their parents’ feud.

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The story of the young couple’s “death-marked love” is about to unfold on the stage, and the chorus promises that those who listen with “patient ears” will soon understand all the complexities of the story/play

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The chorus already knows what happens to Romeo and Juliet, and as their story unfolds, the two young lovers are helpless to escape the predestined and inevitable events that will come to define their lives.

DIRECT TRANSLATION

Prologue Questions 1. Where is the play set? Verona 2. Which poetic form does the prologue take? Sonnet 3. Which characters appear in the prologue? The chorus 4. Which important plot point is mentioned in the prologue? The deaths of Romeo and Juliet 5. Which phrase from the prologue emphasizes the theme of fates power? “star-crossed lovers” 6. According to the prologue, the two households are alike in what? Their dignity 7. What adjectives is used to describe the grudges between the families? Ancient 8. How are the lovers described? Star-crossed 9. How long will the “Traffic of our stage” last? Two hours

1. According to the prologue, what is the setting of the play? 2. Look at line 3 and the word grudge. What is the connotative meaning of the word (literal meaning)? 3. Look at line 3 and the word grudge. What is the denotative meaning of the word (implied meaning)? 4. What buries the strife between the two families? 5. Who is the intended audience of the prologue? What line provides this answer? 6. Look closely at line 4. What do you think this line means? Explain. 7. According to the chorus, how long should the play take to watch? What line provides this information? 8. The prologue describes the lovers having a “death-mark’d love”. What do you think this means? 9. What is the tone of this opening prologue? Support your answer with words/phrases...