RoMeO & JuLiEt


PrOlOgUe Enter Chorus 1 both…dignity: equally noble 2 ancient grudge: old feud


3 new mutiny: fresh violence 4


5


6 7 8


9


civil blood: the death and/or injury of civilians


From forth…two foes: Born to these two bitter enemies


star-crossed: ill-fated misadventured: unfortunate


piteous overthrows: sad and tragic downfall


strife: feud 10 passage: journey


11 death-marked: doomed 12


13 traffic: duration 14


but…children’s end: except for their children’s deaths


What here…to mend: whatever is lacking will be made up for by the actors’ hard work


10


ChOrUs Two households, both alike in dignity1


,


In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge2 Where civil blood4


break to new mutiny3


From forth the fatal loins of these two foes5 A pair of star-crossed6 Whose misadventured7


And the continuance of their parents’ rage, Which, but their children’s end12 Is now the two hours’ traffic13


of our stage;


The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend14


[Exit] A: GrOuP ReAdInG


A prologue is an introduction to a book, film or play. As a class you are now going to read the Prologue together. • Te first student reads from the beginning, but stops when a comma or full stop appears. • Te next student then takes over, but stops when he/she reaches a comma or full stop. • Te third student then takes over and so on.


It is important to listen during this exercise so that you know when it is your turn to read. If somebody fails to stop at the right moment, or doesn’t start reading when they should, the class starts reading again from the beginning.


B: ExPlOrInG ThE ScEnE


1. According to the Prologue, where is Romeo and Juliet set? 2. Te Prologue tells us about ‘Two households’ and an ‘ancient grudge’. What does this tell you about the background to this story?


3. Te Prologue describes Romeo and Juliet as ‘star-crossed lovers’. What does this tell you about these two characters?


4. (a) Te Prologue reveals the ending of the play. How does the play end? (b) Why do you think Shakespeare chose to reveal the end of the story in the Prologue?


8 . , makes civil hands unclean.


lovers take their life; piteous overthrows8


Do with their death bury their parents’ strife9 The fearful passage10


. of their death-marked11 love, , nought could remove,


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