The Prologue of Romeo and Juliet

Act 1, Prologue

• What words do you see that are associated with love? What words do you see that are associated with hate?

    Two households, both alike in dignity,     In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,

    From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,     Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.     From forth the fatal loins of these two foes     A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;     Whose misadventured piteous overthrows     Do with their death bury their parents' strife.     The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,     And the continuance of their parents' rage,     Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,     Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;     The which if you with patient ears attend,     What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

• Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona where we lay our scene.

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes

civil hands unclean.

From forth the fatal loins of From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-these two foes, a pair of star-crossed lovers take their lifecrossed lovers take their life

Whose misadventured piteous Whose misadventured piteous overthrows, do with their death overthrows, do with their death bury their parent’s strife.bury their parent’s strife.

The fearful passage of their The fearful passage of their death marked love, and the death marked love, and the continuance of their parents’ continuance of their parents’ rage….rage….

++

Which but their children’s end, Which but their children’s end, naught could remove, is now naught could remove, is now the two hours traffic of our the two hours traffic of our stage. stage.

==

The which if you will patient The which if you will patient ears attend, what here shall ears attend, what here shall miss our toil shall strive to miss our toil shall strive to mend.mend.

Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet starring… starring…

JulietJuliet

-daughter of Capulets-daughter of Capulets

-isolated character-isolated character

TybaltTybalt

Juliet’s cousinJuliet’s cousinFoil to RomeoFoil to RomeoPassionatePassionateFiery, hot-bloodedFiery, hot-blooded inflexibleinflexible

Juliet’s NurseJuliet’s Nurse

IgnorantIgnorantComicalComicalOldOldFickleFickle

Lord and Lady CapuletLord and Lady Capulet

Juliet’s parentsJuliet’s parentsLook at love as Look at love as

a good matcha good match

-impatient-impatient

-old-old

RomeoRomeo

Son of MontagueSon of Montague PassionatePassionate NaïveNaïve HelplessHelpless Cry babyCry baby LovesickLovesick

MercutioMercutio

Friend of RomeoFriend of RomeoWittyWittyFoil to RomeoFoil to Romeo IntelligentIntelligentRomeo’s voice of Romeo’s voice of

reasonreason

BenvolioBenvolio

Romeo’s cousinRomeo’s cousinpeacemakerpeacemaker

ParisParis

-supposed to marry Juliet-supposed to marry Juliet

-a count-a count

Friar LaurenceFriar Laurence

Romeo’s counselorRomeo’s counselorLoved and respectedLoved and respectedAttempts to do what isAttempts to do what is

““right”right”

Some Pick Up Lines from the Some Pick Up Lines from the 1600s1600s

(from the book of Wit and Language)(from the book of Wit and Language)

““a kiss is but a minute’s joy; your a kiss is but a minute’s joy; your words are Delphian oracles”words are Delphian oracles”

““you are a flame of beauty, sweet and you are a flame of beauty, sweet and delicious as the feast of love”delicious as the feast of love”

““you are the rising sun which I adore”you are the rising sun which I adore”

““I wear you in my heart”I wear you in my heart”

““your breath casts sweet perfumes”your breath casts sweet perfumes”

Themes and MotifsThemes and Motifs

Love as a cause for violenceLove as a cause for violence Individual versus societyIndividual versus society Inevitability of fateInevitability of fateRemember!! This is a play about two Remember!! This is a play about two

fighting families!! The Romeo and fighting families!! The Romeo and Juliet saga is simply just thrown into Juliet saga is simply just thrown into the mix!the mix!