A Summary of the Romeo and Juliet Prologue
The families in question are equal in rank and stature. The use of “dignity” suggests that both families are of noble blood.The setting is “fair Verona.” The use of “fair” to describe the city, by contrast, highlights the disruption caused by the families’ quarrel. It also indicates the time of year, Spring.The family fight began before anyone can remember and has recently escalated.“Civil” is used twice. “Civil blood” suggests that Verona citizens have died. “Civil hands” indicate that Verona citizens have caused the crime and are, therefore, “unclean.” “Civil” also indicates the feud is public and affects the affairs of government.Line 5 contains alliteration: “From forth the fatal loins of the two foes.” This begins the second quatrain and marks a change in focus from the feud of the two families to the dalliances of the two lovers in question. “Fatal loins” is also a pun. Both Romeo and Juliet have come from the loins of feuding families. Loins also represent sexual organs, and the young lovers’ lust for each other contributes to their downfall.The lovers mentioned in line 5 are cursed and commit suicide.Their tragic fate…causes the feud between the families to end.What happens to these two lovers whose love ends their lives…The end to their parents’ hatred…which can only be ended by the death of these two lovers…is what the play’s about.The final couplet of a Shakespearean Sonnet comments on the preceding twelve lines and offers some sort of resolution. In this case the last two lines inform the reader that the play they are about to see will answer any questions they might have.
Links
Prologue Blog PostPoetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.comFigurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan
